He Ran to Save Her from Being Erased, Not Knowing He Erased Himself from Me Chapter 14

He Ran to Save Her from Being Erased, Not Knowing He Erased Himself from Me Chapter 14

I caught up with Hailey on the campus path.

She had been looking for me too.

“Elara, did my brother and Julian really fight? I can’t believe it. How embarrassing.” Hailey was disgusted.

“They fought. So what.” I took Hailey home.

It was late when we got back. Both sets of parents were out.

Hailey decided to stay over. She didn’t want to go back to a house with Sierra.

“My parents gave my brother an ultimatum. If he doesn’t kick Sierra out tomorrow, they’re using force.

Finally.” Hailey chattered as we walked inside.

Mr. and Mrs. Hartley were civilized people. Giving Nolan an ultimatum was very them.

“I think your brother is spoiled. Your parents are too easy on him.” I joined in the venting.

“He is spoiled. But you’re partly to blame, Elara. If you hadn’t let Sierra stay, my parents wouldn’t be dragging

their feet.” Hailey rolled her eyes at me.

That was true. I did tell them to let her stay.

So never mind.

When we got home, we made some mac and cheese.

We had just finished eating when the doorbell rang.

Hailey answered it. The moment she opened the door, she yelled, “Sierra Vance, what do you want?”

I raised an eyebrow and went to look. It was Sierra.

She wore a white coat, a thick hat, her face pale.

“I need to talk to Elara.” Sierra said.

“Get lost.” Hailey tried to shoo her away.

“Nolan just called me. He told me to get ready. He’s going to marry me.” Sierra continued.

Hailey’s jaw dropped. “What? Say that again.”

“Nolan Hartley is going to marry me.” Sierra’s voice was steady.

Hailey was furious. She raised her hand to slap her.

I spoke up. “Hailey, go upstairs. I’ll talk to her.”

“Elara, she’s not a good person.” Hailey refused.

I glared at her. She stomped upstairs, not happy about it.

Downstairs, it was just me and Sierra.

Sierra walked in like she owned the place, looking around the living room. Her eyes landed on the wine

cabinet.

Bottles of expensive wine glowed under the lights.

“I’d like a glass.” Sierra pointed at the wine rack.

I grabbed a bottle and motioned for her to sit down.

She sat at the table and watched me with those bright eyes.

I opened the wine and poured her a glass.

She took it with both hands and stared at the liquid.

I poured myself a glass, took a sip, and asked, “What do you want?”

She didn’t answer. She took a small sip, then sighed with pleasure. “That’s good.”

“That’s actually the cheapest one.” I told her honestly.

She didn’t care. She chose her words carefully. “Elara, do you know what my dream is? To drink wine as

elegantly as you do.”

“That’s a dream?”

“Yes. When I was seven, they showed a movie in my village. I sat on an old milk crate in the dirt, watching a

fuzzy picture on a crackling TV.”

“There was a city woman in the movie, sitting with her legs crossed, drinking wine. She looked so elegant

and beautiful. I never forgot that image.”

Sierra’s face lit up with a smile. She looked a little healthier.

I crossed my legs. “And then?”

“Then I worked like crazy. Every day, after chores, I studied. I never stopped. I went through pen after pen. I

rubbed my fingers raw, one after another.”

“I was the first person from my village to go to college. My parents borrowed money to send me to college in the city.”

“Their backs bent from years of labor, their eyes stinging from sweat. Eventually, I saved enough to go to

school.”

Sierra’s eyes turned red.

She took another sip of wine, swirling the glass.

“I got into Westbrook. I was going to make something of myself. I could be a scientist, a businesswoman, a

government worker. At the very least, I could be an office worker.”

“Finally, I could sit with my legs crossed and drink wine. Elegant. Beautiful. Clean. And I would buy wine for

my parents too. They could drink it.”

I listened in silence.

Sierra faced the same struggles as so many girls from poor rural towns.

“So you wanted to marry Nolan so you could drink wine every day?”

“No. That’s not it, Elara. You don’t understand me.”

Sierra’s smile turned bitter. “I had a bright future. I had the chance and the ability to escape generational

poverty. I could see that glass of wine. I could reach out and grab it.”

“But I had to win over Nolan. How ridiculous is that? I wasted seven years of my life trying to make a man

fall for me.”

Sierra started laughing. Louder and louder.

Tears streamed down her face.

“Do you know what that feels like? I was forced to spend everything I had on chasing a man.”

“I couldn’t study. I couldn’t improve. I couldn’t finish my work. Everything revolved around him. If I resisted, I

would die.”

Sierra slammed the glass down. Wine splashed onto her hand.

She shook the wine off her hand and stared straight at me. “I could barely feed myself, but I bought him

breakfast. I hate basketball, but I cheered for him again and again. I’m weak and get fevers from the rain, but

I held an umbrella for him.”

“When I didn’t want to do it, I was threatened with death. It felt like something tightening around my throat,

not letting me breathe.”