Eala Chapter 21
Chapter 21
EPOV
She was spectacular looking when she came out of our room tonight, wearing this silvery pink dress covered in gems with silver heels and her hair done in such a sexy way. Her hair is long enough to touch her ears now, and when she glares it makes her fucking edible.
I watch her more than I let her know. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, and I know that's how she feels in her skin right now. When I kiss or touch a scar she tenses up and pulls away from me.
I smile when I think about the awe and respect people were showing her tonight. Talk has spread far and wide about how she survived two weeks of torture and then returned the favor to Aro.
She would be annoyed if she wasn't truly unaware of how many men wanted her and the women wanted to be her.
I sigh, looking down at her sleeping form. Her face is tense as she clutches her pillow, where I know she’s hiding a knife. I was hoping showing her our future home would relax her more, especially when she excitedly went on and on about all the things she wants to do for security and remodels for the kitchen and our bedroom. It’s been too long since I've seen something in her eyes other than despair, wariness, and just a haunted look from whatever happened to her.
I was a man on a mission when we raided the warehouse that Caius lead us to. I didn’t stop to ask questions when I fired the first shot and I didn’t stop firing until I saw her. Her appearance stopped me in my tracks. Her cheeks were sunken in, one eye swollen shut, and the other was bruised to hell. And she was wearing men’s clothing.
I picked her up and carried her out as she shouted for someone to help my Da. I've never been more thankful to have our own doctors and equipment for my da and Bella.
I shake my head, reminding myself that they’re here and alive. I feel Bella begin to shake next to me. I try to hold her close, hoping I make it less traumatizing for her. It's not been easy watching her try to fight her demons. I want to take them all away.
She begins to scream and cry out, and I try to sooth her through my touch and my voice, telling her it’s all over and I'm here for her. She begins to clutch onto me, scratching at my chest; I feel so helpless.
It takes an hour to get her settled and back to a calm sleep. I hold back my tears of frustration as I climb out of bed and head down to the kitchen.
Just as when I was a kid sneaking down to the kitchen to get a snack, I find my Da there eating his own.
His eyes are wide as he takes me in. I can’t help but smirk at the guilty look on his face.
“Do not tell the women.” His voice gives away his desperation.
I can’t help but laugh, even if my heart is shattered for the woman I love upstairs.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I answer, snatching the cake out of his hands.
He gives his own chuckle as he cuts himself another slice of cake.
For a moment all I can hear is the forks against the plates.
“How are you doing, Da?” I look at him. He’s gained all of his weight back and there is color in his cheeks, but I see a little bit of a haunted look in his eyes, even though it’s not as prominent as leanbh’s.
“I’m better than I was.” He looks down at his plate. “Has Bella talked to you about what happened?”
This time I look down at my plate. That is the one thing that we have not actually discussed. There have been hints as to what went down when they were gone, but she hasn’t actually confirmed anything.
I clear my throat. “No.”
“Edward.” His voice immediately has me on alert, and I focus on his face.
His color has drained with a faraway look in his eyes. “I think it’s something that you two need to talk about. I can’t tell you what went through her mind as everything was going on, but I know I was ready to give up and die. I was ready to die, and Bella came back for me; she refused to let me die.”
My heart stops, hearing my father admit this to me. My father was going to die, essentially, and my gra kept him alive.
If my father was ready to die, what the fuck happened?
“That's all I’m going to tell you, son.” He pats my back before putting his plate in the dishwasher and heading back to his bed, I assume.
I put my own plate in the washer and go back up to bed.
Bella is sprawled out, wearing clothes that she never used to wear. I see her hand on the hidden knife. I climb in carefully so as not to startle her. I don’t need any more marks from her knife.
Bella is up and smiling with Mama Es and the other women cooking in the kitchen.
I had a few gifts on the bed for her this Christmas morning; I wanted to shower her in gifts to make her feel special. I’m hoping tonight I will get to feel her around me again.
Jasper and Emmett are hanging in the den with me and Da, sipping on some eggnog.
“How are you and Alice doing?” I try to keep the disdain out of my voice as I say her name. I know her crimes have mostly been forgiven, but to me she will always be a traitor and I will never accept her.
Jasper swallows hard, knowing what a delicate issue Alice is. “We’re doing good. She’s decided she wants to go to school to get a degree in fashion. She wants to design clothes.”
I nod, trying to be nice. “Who’s paying for that?” Okay, so I’m not that nice.
Jasper can’t look me in the eyes, which tells me everything I need to know.
“How did Bella enjoy her presents this morning?” Emmet jokes with me. He was with me when I went overboard at the local jewelry store.
I chuckle. “She was a little upset until she got to her new diamond-plated knife, then she was jumping up and down.”
“Was not.” Bella’s voice makes me jump. She’s wearing a red sweater with black leggings and flats. Her hair is spiked, making her sexy as fuck.
She walks up to me and kisses my lips gently, but her eyes are holding a teasing spark.
“I think there was a little squealing.”
She snorts. “I was sent to get you guys, the food is ready.”
I take her hand and begin to make our way to the dining room where the food has been set up for us.
“This looks amazing, ladies,” I compliment.
Mama Es smiles. “Thank you, Edward.”
Emmett fake coughs. “Suck up.”
Rose smacks the back of his head. “You should do more ass kissing.”
Bella chuckles as I help push in her chair and sit next to her.
We say our prayers and tuck in.
“Bella, how is Eala doing?” Mama Es asks her.
Bella stiffens a little at her question. She hasn’t been able to work at Eala more than an hour at a time before she wants to come back here.
She takes a deep breath. “It seems to be doing well. Angela has been doing great picking up my slack and suit man is doing great with the books and picking out bands.” I can hear the frustration and pain in her voice as she talks about other people running her pub.
Mama Es smiles gently. “I’m sure you’ll be back there and running things again in no time.”
Bella ignores her comment as she eats her food. I kiss her temple, knowing how hard this is for her.
Alice begins talking about the classes that she signed up for. I ignore her annoying traitor mouth. I keep my focus on Bella who seems to be thinking hard about something.
We finish eating and exchanging gifts and head back to our room.
Bella stares out the window with her arms protectively wrapped around herself.
I walk up to her gently and wrap my own arms around her. “Caint liom, grá.”
Her body stiffens, and I hear her teeth clench together. I don’t let her go, though, preparing myself. I might not be getting inside her body tonight, but I’ll take getting into her mind, instead.
“Talk about what, Edward?” She pushes away from me and begins pacing the room.
“Talk about how I can’t go anywhere without having a mental break down? Or how about the nightmares that I can’t seem to fucking get rid of?” She turns to me with fire blazing in her eyes.
“All of it, any of it. Let me in, gra.” I try to touch her and she pulls away.
Even with the fire, her eyes well up. “He hung me up in front of Carlisle. He first whipped me, then used me as a punching bag. When that wasn’t good enough, he did the same thing to your dad. When he realized that wasn’t working, he shaved my head.” Her voice breaks. My body trembles as she lets everything out.
“As if that wasn’t humiliating enough, he decided to strip us naked. Naked! He and his sidekicks beat my body, but I never broke.” I watch the tears stream down her face. I can’t look away from her, even though I want to run.
“The day you came, I decided to try to make a run for it because Aro had me taken to another room where Alec was going to have his way with me.”
I rush to the waste basket and heave my dinner into it. I hear her crying. Feeling like shit that I threw up at her words, I clean myself up and pull her into my arms.
“I killed him, and he still is holding me hostage. I can’t plan our wedding, I can’t work in the one place that used to give me solace,” she cries into my chest.
I rock her back and forth. “Our wedding can wait, or we can go to city fucking hall for all I care. And Eala will be there waiting for you. You went through hell, leanbh,” I try to console her.
I pick her up and take her to the bed. I set her down and begin to take her shoes off.
I watch her shimmy out of her pants and sweater. Her body is gorgeous. I don’t see the flaws the bastard caused. I see her. Her eyes meet mine and I can see the hurt but also a spark of something else. I take my pants and shirt off and crawl into bed with her and wrap myself around her.
For the first time since she came home, she doesn’t cry in her sleep.
Translations:
caint liom, grá~ Talk to me, love
EPOV
She was spectacular looking when she came out of our room tonight, wearing this silvery pink dress covered in gems with silver heels and her hair done in such a sexy way. Her hair is long enough to touch her ears now, and when she glares it makes her fucking edible.
I watch her more than I let her know. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, and I know that's how she feels in her skin right now. When I kiss or touch a scar she tenses up and pulls away from me.
I smile when I think about the awe and respect people were showing her tonight. Talk has spread far and wide about how she survived two weeks of torture and then returned the favor to Aro.
She would be annoyed if she wasn't truly unaware of how many men wanted her and the women wanted to be her.
I sigh, looking down at her sleeping form. Her face is tense as she clutches her pillow, where I know she’s hiding a knife. I was hoping showing her our future home would relax her more, especially when she excitedly went on and on about all the things she wants to do for security and remodels for the kitchen and our bedroom. It’s been too long since I've seen something in her eyes other than despair, wariness, and just a haunted look from whatever happened to her.
I was a man on a mission when we raided the warehouse that Caius lead us to. I didn’t stop to ask questions when I fired the first shot and I didn’t stop firing until I saw her. Her appearance stopped me in my tracks. Her cheeks were sunken in, one eye swollen shut, and the other was bruised to hell. And she was wearing men’s clothing.
I picked her up and carried her out as she shouted for someone to help my Da. I've never been more thankful to have our own doctors and equipment for my da and Bella.
I shake my head, reminding myself that they’re here and alive. I feel Bella begin to shake next to me. I try to hold her close, hoping I make it less traumatizing for her. It's not been easy watching her try to fight her demons. I want to take them all away.
She begins to scream and cry out, and I try to sooth her through my touch and my voice, telling her it’s all over and I'm here for her. She begins to clutch onto me, scratching at my chest; I feel so helpless.
It takes an hour to get her settled and back to a calm sleep. I hold back my tears of frustration as I climb out of bed and head down to the kitchen.
Just as when I was a kid sneaking down to the kitchen to get a snack, I find my Da there eating his own.
His eyes are wide as he takes me in. I can’t help but smirk at the guilty look on his face.
“Do not tell the women.” His voice gives away his desperation.
I can’t help but laugh, even if my heart is shattered for the woman I love upstairs.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I answer, snatching the cake out of his hands.
He gives his own chuckle as he cuts himself another slice of cake.
For a moment all I can hear is the forks against the plates.
“How are you doing, Da?” I look at him. He’s gained all of his weight back and there is color in his cheeks, but I see a little bit of a haunted look in his eyes, even though it’s not as prominent as leanbh’s.
“I’m better than I was.” He looks down at his plate. “Has Bella talked to you about what happened?”
This time I look down at my plate. That is the one thing that we have not actually discussed. There have been hints as to what went down when they were gone, but she hasn’t actually confirmed anything.
I clear my throat. “No.”
“Edward.” His voice immediately has me on alert, and I focus on his face.
His color has drained with a faraway look in his eyes. “I think it’s something that you two need to talk about. I can’t tell you what went through her mind as everything was going on, but I know I was ready to give up and die. I was ready to die, and Bella came back for me; she refused to let me die.”
My heart stops, hearing my father admit this to me. My father was going to die, essentially, and my gra kept him alive.
If my father was ready to die, what the fuck happened?
“That's all I’m going to tell you, son.” He pats my back before putting his plate in the dishwasher and heading back to his bed, I assume.
I put my own plate in the washer and go back up to bed.
Bella is sprawled out, wearing clothes that she never used to wear. I see her hand on the hidden knife. I climb in carefully so as not to startle her. I don’t need any more marks from her knife.
~Eala~
Bella is up and smiling with Mama Es and the other women cooking in the kitchen.
I had a few gifts on the bed for her this Christmas morning; I wanted to shower her in gifts to make her feel special. I’m hoping tonight I will get to feel her around me again.
Jasper and Emmett are hanging in the den with me and Da, sipping on some eggnog.
“How are you and Alice doing?” I try to keep the disdain out of my voice as I say her name. I know her crimes have mostly been forgiven, but to me she will always be a traitor and I will never accept her.
Jasper swallows hard, knowing what a delicate issue Alice is. “We’re doing good. She’s decided she wants to go to school to get a degree in fashion. She wants to design clothes.”
I nod, trying to be nice. “Who’s paying for that?” Okay, so I’m not that nice.
Jasper can’t look me in the eyes, which tells me everything I need to know.
“How did Bella enjoy her presents this morning?” Emmet jokes with me. He was with me when I went overboard at the local jewelry store.
I chuckle. “She was a little upset until she got to her new diamond-plated knife, then she was jumping up and down.”
“Was not.” Bella’s voice makes me jump. She’s wearing a red sweater with black leggings and flats. Her hair is spiked, making her sexy as fuck.
She walks up to me and kisses my lips gently, but her eyes are holding a teasing spark.
“I think there was a little squealing.”
She snorts. “I was sent to get you guys, the food is ready.”
I take her hand and begin to make our way to the dining room where the food has been set up for us.
“This looks amazing, ladies,” I compliment.
Mama Es smiles. “Thank you, Edward.”
Emmett fake coughs. “Suck up.”
Rose smacks the back of his head. “You should do more ass kissing.”
Bella chuckles as I help push in her chair and sit next to her.
We say our prayers and tuck in.
“Bella, how is Eala doing?” Mama Es asks her.
Bella stiffens a little at her question. She hasn’t been able to work at Eala more than an hour at a time before she wants to come back here.
She takes a deep breath. “It seems to be doing well. Angela has been doing great picking up my slack and suit man is doing great with the books and picking out bands.” I can hear the frustration and pain in her voice as she talks about other people running her pub.
Mama Es smiles gently. “I’m sure you’ll be back there and running things again in no time.”
Bella ignores her comment as she eats her food. I kiss her temple, knowing how hard this is for her.
Alice begins talking about the classes that she signed up for. I ignore her annoying traitor mouth. I keep my focus on Bella who seems to be thinking hard about something.
We finish eating and exchanging gifts and head back to our room.
Bella stares out the window with her arms protectively wrapped around herself.
I walk up to her gently and wrap my own arms around her. “Caint liom, grá.”
Her body stiffens, and I hear her teeth clench together. I don’t let her go, though, preparing myself. I might not be getting inside her body tonight, but I’ll take getting into her mind, instead.
“Talk about what, Edward?” She pushes away from me and begins pacing the room.
“Talk about how I can’t go anywhere without having a mental break down? Or how about the nightmares that I can’t seem to fucking get rid of?” She turns to me with fire blazing in her eyes.
“All of it, any of it. Let me in, gra.” I try to touch her and she pulls away.
Even with the fire, her eyes well up. “He hung me up in front of Carlisle. He first whipped me, then used me as a punching bag. When that wasn’t good enough, he did the same thing to your dad. When he realized that wasn’t working, he shaved my head.” Her voice breaks. My body trembles as she lets everything out.
“As if that wasn’t humiliating enough, he decided to strip us naked. Naked! He and his sidekicks beat my body, but I never broke.” I watch the tears stream down her face. I can’t look away from her, even though I want to run.
“The day you came, I decided to try to make a run for it because Aro had me taken to another room where Alec was going to have his way with me.”
I rush to the waste basket and heave my dinner into it. I hear her crying. Feeling like shit that I threw up at her words, I clean myself up and pull her into my arms.
“I killed him, and he still is holding me hostage. I can’t plan our wedding, I can’t work in the one place that used to give me solace,” she cries into my chest.
I rock her back and forth. “Our wedding can wait, or we can go to city fucking hall for all I care. And Eala will be there waiting for you. You went through hell, leanbh,” I try to console her.
I pick her up and take her to the bed. I set her down and begin to take her shoes off.
I watch her shimmy out of her pants and sweater. Her body is gorgeous. I don’t see the flaws the bastard caused. I see her. Her eyes meet mine and I can see the hurt but also a spark of something else. I take my pants and shirt off and crawl into bed with her and wrap myself around her.
For the first time since she came home, she doesn’t cry in her sleep.
Translations:
caint liom, grá~ Talk to me, love
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