ARTEMIS' POV:-

　　The highschool graduation was finally here. I had been waiting for graduation all that long. I wore my maroon jeans onesie with a plain white long sleeve t-shirt and black square heeled boots. And I tied my hair in twin messy buns to complete my looks. While most of the girls were wearing heavy makeup, I decided to wear light pink lipgloss and maroon eyeliner.

　　I had started to feel what Elijah often said to me. That I didn't need makeup because I was beautiful without it. I used to wear makeup because my stepmother used to call me ugly witch. Those two ugly words stuck up in my head and I always thought that I would ugly if I didn't wear makeup.

　　I still wore heavy makeup whenever Elijah would decide to take me to somewhere fancy. But except for that, I was mostly wearing light makeup. "Oh my God, Ari! You look so beautiful today." I heard Amy shrieking from behind. I turned around to look at her. We both hugged each other, shrieking excitedly. It was a big day for all of us.

　　"You look so beautiful too." I replied to.her in the same excited tone. We were at the school an hour before the graduation ceremony. Elijah dropped me at the school before he went to work. Even though I had told him that I would go by myself on my Scooty. But he insisted not to go alone. He had been a little weird for quite some time. But I didn't ask him anything.

　　I knew when the time was right, he would tell me everything I was supposed to know. I had stopped troubling him over things. I didn't want to be a pastor to him. "Thank you, Ari. I am glad I was able to make it in time. Ryan took so much time to get ready. Amira was screaming at him to get ready." Amy told me in an annoyed tone. I couldn't help but laugh at her.

　　Ryan just couldn't get along with his sisters. He was always pestering them and giving them both a hard time. "He does this whenever you ask him not to. You should stop asking him. He will get along fine with both of you. Just my observation." I spoke to her while giggling at her annoyed face. Hearing me, Amy's eyes went wide for a moment.

　　She pinched her chin while thinking about something. "You know what, you just told me something our stepmom tells us often. Maybe we should try it. Since there are two smart women telling us the same thing." Amy replied in a low tone. My eyes widened as I heard her. A sad look appeared on my face as I heard her. It was supposed to be the day when I was supposed to have both of my parents with me. As unlucky as I was, I didn't even have one of them by my side the day I was about to graduate from high school.

　　I envied Amy, Amira and Ryan. They had a stepmom who loved them all like her own children. If only my stepmom would be a little nice to me. All I had ever wanted was to have a family by my side. I was happy that I had so many people who cared about me. But having parents in your life was something else. I knew my father was a jerk and a bully. But I missed him that day.

　　"Oh! There you are. I finally found you." Ryan's voice pulled me out of the oceans of my thoughts. I turned around and found him running into my direction. He stopped in front of me, panting a little.

　　"Oh, Ryan! What's wrong? Were you looking for me?" I asked Ryan in a low and confused tone. I was not sure why he would be looking for me. It was not like my parents were at the high school, asking for me.

　　Ryan smiled mischievously as he looked at me. "Oh, I am not looking for you. Elijah is asking for you. He looks very impatient. He is waiting for you by the school gates." Ryan replied to me I'm a teasing tone. My cheeks burned as I heard Ryan. It was not like it was anything new for any of them. They all suspected it from the very beginning. Because Elijah just didn't cook for anyone but for me, he actually cooked three times a day for me.

　　Well, sometimes he would come back home all worn out and that's when he would either order something or would take me out depending on his state. "Ryan, you don't have to embarrass her in front of the whole school like this." Amira growled at Ryan as she punched his back.

　　Ryan started dancing in pain and all three of us were laughing at him. "You can go, Artemis. We will inform you once it gets started. Judging by the surroundings, I don't think they will begin the graduation ceremony anytime soon." Amy spoke to me in a low tone. I bit my lower lip in excitement. I thanked them and ran towards the entrance gate of the school.

　　My heart skipped a beat or two as I saw Elijah in his casual clothes. As always, he looked absolutely debonair. He opened his arms for me as he saw me running towards him. I jumped into his arms. "Oh, well, I was not expecting that." Elijah whispered softly in my ear then he pecked my cheek. He took me towards his car and helped me in.

　　He didn't tell me where he might be taking me. As he hopped into the car, I turned to look at him. "Where are you taking me? It's my graduation. You know how impatiently I have been waiting for this day. You don't want me to get late for my graduation ceremony." I asked Elijah in a low tone.

　　Instead of answering my question, he just chuckled. He started the engine and drove away from the school. With a confused frown on my face, I was looking out of the window. He was actually driving towards a deserted place. I couldn't see anyone around. I curled up my toes because I had a pretty good idea what he might have in his mind.

　　Elijah stopped the car on the side. He unbuckled my seatbelt then he pulled me up on his lap. "Why did you have the sad look on your face when it is actually the day that you had been waiting for impatiently?" Elijah asked me in a low tone while staring at my face. My eyes widened in shock as I heard him.

　　There was no way he might have seen it. Because I was way too far away from the entrance gate when I was talking to the triplets. "How did you know? I was nowhere near you when that happened. How did you know?" I asked Elijah in a confused tone while staring into his eyes. Elijah smiled as he leaned towards me.

　　"I know everything that has been going on in your head. Like right now, you are feeling something between your legs. And you want to feel good. Tell me, if I am wrong." Elijah whispered seductively in my ear. I closed my eyes and gasped loudly as I heard him. His seductive words and tine made my stomach tickle from inside.

　　I giggled as I was unable to control myself. Ever since that day, I have been feeling something funny between my legs. Most of the time, I got rid of the feeling by a long bath. I really never tried to touch myself as I never really felt the need. I was too fixated upon getting my freedom and finding my mom, I never really looked at boys to have a romantic relationship with anyone.

　　I covered my face with both of my hands and hid myself in his chest. Elijah chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly. I also wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in the crock of his neck. It felt good to be able to hug someone whenever I felt happy or sad or even emotional sometimes.

　　"Not right now. I want to graduate first." I replied to him in a low tone. I knew that he could sense my arousal. So I couldn't deny that I wanted him. For some reason, I didn't want to deny it at all. I wanted to tell him that I needed him every single time I would feel the need to have him.

　　I figured that it was something that made him happy too. Uncle Grey told me, Elijah was never really that happy. Losing his parents hit him pretty hard. And he never really put an effort in any relationship. But then I stepped into his life. And the Elijah he raised, started to change.

　　"Whatever you say. Anyways! I didn't bring you here to have sex with you. I have something for you today." Elijah replied to me in an excited tone. I frowned in confusion as I pulled my face out to look at his face. The mischievous grin on his face and blinging excitement in his eyes. I knew well that he was up to something.

　　"You have to guess what I might have for you. If you would be able to guess it, I will make you your favourite dinner tonight." Elijah added in a mischievous tone. I frowned even more because I had no idea what he might have in his mind. He was still a mysterious man to me. And I couldn't understand a thing about him most of the time.

　　Maybe that was the very reason why it was quite hard for me to believe that he felt my sadness from Miles away. "My favourite dinner. That's a nice deal. Let me see…" I replied in a low tone then begin thinking why he would bring me all the way to a deserted place all alone if he didn't want have sex with me.

　　"Did you buy me a graduation gift, Eli?" I asked Elijah in a low tone and he rolled his eyes at me in annoyance. I knew I had already guessed what he might have in his mind. Although, I stayed neutral because I didn't want to make fun of him.