Bittersweet

Bittersweet: Chapter Thirty-Nine

THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN AND HEAVILY EDITED. NAMES, PLACES, AND SOME SCENES WILL BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. SOME STUFF WILL BE TAKEN OUT AND SOME WILL BE ADDED.

THE INITIAL PLOT STAYS THE SAME.

So, if you begin reading as of 5/21/2021 and choose to read ahead further than I have updated-some things might be confusing or might not make sense. As of right now and will continue, slowly, adding the new chapters as I write them. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE has been rewritten & updated.

**IF A CHAPTER HAS BEEN REWRITTEN/EDITED THE ^^ABOVE^^ NOTE WILL BE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAPTER.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Eliza

I stand at the window in my bedroom that overlooks our gravel drive. The spot was currently blocked off by wooden barricades as if that was going to hide anything from the funeral comers. To be fair, it had been blocked off since I'd gotten discharged from the hospital a week ago, but it still didn't hide anything.

I could still see the blood stains. I could still feel the paralyzing fear when I looked at it but for some reason, I couldn't stop. We all knew that the crimson imperfections would fade away over time but that wasn't good enough for daddy. Apparently, he had been waiting for workers to arrive all week to dig up the tainted gravel to then lay new gravel, but the weather hadn't been permitting the past few days.

But of course. Today, of all days, would be beautiful outside.

I could hear birds chirping outside my window and the sun was shining down so bright that it almost hurt my eyes. It was even warmer than most of our winter days. Today-the day I laid my child to rest-shouldn't be like this. It should be cold and rainy. Dreary.

It should be as depressing outside as I feel on the inside.

I wasn't ready for this-I'd tried to put it off longer. Austin should be here for his baby's funeral. But it had already been two weeks since that night, I knew I could no longer put it off even though I knew not being here for her funeral would destroy him.

My door creaks open from behind, but I don't turn around to see who it is. It's either Ava, who's been hovering over me almost every waking hour the past seven days, or Flynn. Considering Ava had just been here begging me to eat the food she'd brought up, I'm gonna go with Flynn.

"Ava said you weren't dressed, and that you were refusing to eat again," Flynn murmurs from behind. "I don't need to remind you that I have tricks up my sleeve to get you to eat, do I?"

I turn to find him looking...Dashing. He's wearing a dark suit that looks to be tailored to his body and his hair is combed back stylishly. He's got one shoulder resting against the doorframe and he's forcing a crooked smile.

So many things are forced these days. Flynn's smile. Ava's exasperating energy. Daddy's...It seems like Daddy has to force himself into everything when it comes to me these days. He can barely look at me. He never smiles. I feel like a heavy, heavy burden on him.

"I don't suppose you have any letters to coerce me with, do you?" I deadpan as I turn back toward the window.

He sighs tiredly, "No, I don't but I don't need to treat you like a toddler to get you to eat, Blondie. You're a smart woman, but you're spiraling. You know you are healing, and you need all the strength you can get for that. He'll be furious if he finds out you aren't taking care of yourself."

"If-If he finds out. He'd actually have to be here to know. Why do you care so much anyway?" I release without even turning toward him. "Why are you still here?" I ask, pulling Jack's move on him.