Irish Lullaby (Book One of A Violent Melody Duet)

Chapter Seventeen

The next two days are spent with Fallon moving around like a ghost haunting the halls, she keeps herself in the shadows, not to draw her brother's attention. David took her to the market to get food for her to cook, she would only eat things she had picked up and made if the items didn't leave her sight.
The food wasn't too great as she had never learned to cook and couldn't bring herself to ask the cooks for help. One of them had added the hot peppers to her dish, one of them had helped her brothers, nothing was stopping them from doing so again. David didn't speak on it, he didn't speak much at all. He just watched her with that blank look.
The night before she was to go wedding dress shopping he knocked before entering her room. His hand was in the pocket of his dark jeans and he had what looked like faint bruising on the side of his face. His eyes looked restless, they were a deep brown that reminded her of tea swirling in a cup. When he finished assessing the room like he always does when entering, he comes to her bedside.
She watches him, not afraid of what he is doing but curious. He never got this close to her bed, never went further than the chair he would sit in while he kept guard. Pulling his hand from his jean pocket he hands her a small box, white with writing she couldn't make out. He tossed it beside her before stepping back and taking a seat in his chair.
He had been sleeping in it for the last two nights, and had been staying near her almost constantly. It felt as if the only time she was without him was when either of them had to use the restroom and she believed had it been appropriate he would have followed her in there too. She looked at the box and then to him.

"I don't blame you David, you did your job." His head was lowered but at her words he snapped up so fast she worried for his neck.

"My job is to keep you safe, I have been failing greatly at that." She could hear the loathing in his voice, she was all too familiar with it and saddened he was experiencing it when he had no reason too. 

"We both know that's not the full reason you are here and one was at risk by doing the other. Your own safety was at risk by reacting, I am glad you didn't."

"I was weak, I am not meant to be weak. I was picked for my ability to sacrifice and my successes and I just keep failing you. I had to watch him hurt you while I stood there and did nothing. I saw him whisper words that turned your face into one that seemed to have been met with agony from his voice alone. The way your eyes welled and you didn't even try to look around the room for help because you knew you would find none, you knew you couldn't even turn to me. That is a failure I should be punished for, a failure I should allow you to strike me dead for."  She had not been expecting that.

"Well I'd have to use a knife of sorts because we both know I would miss you if given a gun." She attempted to lighten the mood but found no humor in his eyes, just shame.
"David, I have been faced with much worse than what my brothers pulled the other day. The words spoken did sting me more than even the heat from the peppers but it is a suffering I have long grown used to, almost like an old friend returning home. I know my place here and I know yours, you made the right choice by not reacting. Had you I would be alone right now, without your company to ease it. I have spent years self soothing myself after facing them, but knowing you are here with an open ear and an angered empathy does more for me then I could ever do for myself. Stopping Henry would have done no good for any of us, not like you being here does for me now."

"I don't deserve your kindness Fallon, none of us do." They stopped speaking after that and she finally picked up the box he had thrown on the bed.

It was her birth control pills, he had managed to get them for her. A true smile broke across her face and she even let out a gasp of laughter from the relief she felt from such a simple thing. She needed this, after the weeks she had been having. She went to the restroom and filled her cup with water, it was the fastest she had moved in days now. Her stiff body protested but she ignored the screams as she turned on the sink and filled a glass with water.
She popped out a pill and put it in her mouth before taking a long drink. Some of the weight that lay so heavy in her mind lifted, knowing that even for a little while she wouldn't be forced to bear him an heir, forced to carry a child for a man so vile. Hope that dwindled in her found a new small spark added to it. She also found herself falling to sleep with more ease and the nightmares that plagued her settled for a night.

                                                                         —
Ava had woken her early instead of a maid, David was still in his chair as she hurried to the restroom to get ready for the day. The other sister in laws were waiting for her by the time she was done and reached the living room. They each had a guard near that would be with them through the day, she could tell David was getting uneasy with the fact these armed men would be around her. He didn't know any but the one who stayed with Ava, they were all a threat in his eyes.
The drive to the dress shop had been tense and silent, they had taken two cars and Fallon had somehow ended up stuck with Maria. She looked like perfection incarnate, as always. She wondered if she ever had an off day or did she always look like this? Fallon looked tired, the dark circles under her eyes were hidden well enough with makeup and her hair laid in loose curls but no amount of product could hide the truth, the way her shoulder couldn't stay straight, the way her hands shook when Maria looked at her with the same gaze her brothers did, the way her eyes had so little life to them.
She had always loved her eyes, a mixture between bright and pale greens with specks of gold floating around, it was her favorite feature. When she looked at them recently the brightness had disappeared and the gold seemed to be hiding within.
She let out a breath of relief when they finally arrived in front of the boutique, it was in the middle of a busy street in the downtown area. The front was a very clean white and pale blue. She could already see some of the dresses displayed on mannequins in the store, they looked gorgeous. It felt like such a shame wearing something so beautiful for such an ugly event.
Walking in Ava took the lead and spoke with the women in the front. They had apparently booked up the entire boutique so no others would be shopping during her appointment, it felt excessive but she said nothing of it.

"Do you have a style in mind?" The saleswomen had asked as they walked the isles of dresses.

They weren't an overly full store but they still had a lot of options. Ava had gone to the back corner and was holding up a dress made almost entirely of lace, Heidi had taken a seat on the couch and was sipp the sparkling water she had been given, Maria stayed near her and voiced her own unneeded opinion.

"She needs a color that won't clash with her hair and something that will cover her excessive assets." Maria eyed Fallon's body.

She had been gifted with a lot of curves and as Maria worded it assets but she didn't have such a negative connotation to that. She liked her body, felt confident in it. Anger bloomed in her at Maria's passive attack.

"Actually, could I look at some dresses that complimented my excessive assets?" She could hear Maria scoff behind her, it brought a little bit of joy into her day.

"Of course, if you head back to the dressing room I will bring you some." The lady smiled, ignoring the obvious disdain between the two women. She probably dealt with matters like this on a daily basis with the clientele this store catered too.

The women hurried off leaving Fallon and her sister in law alone for a moment. "Do you really think it is wise to dress so unbecoming with your history?" Her accent heavier as she lets Fallon know she is aware.

She doesn't give her the satisfaction of a reaction, doesn't let herself break like has been doing so much lately. She doesn't even reward her with words as she heads to the back of the store where the changing rooms were. All the doors were closed and as she went to head to the first one on the left an arm wrapped around her mouth and another her waist as she was dragged into the room on the other side.
The scream she let out was muffled and she knew no one heard her from the distance between them. She bit at the hand that held her and was only met by a warm breath at her neck and the arm around her waist pulling her tighter.

"мой прекрасный шторм." His voice was like a comforting rain after a long hot day, a reward you earn after so long of misery. His hand let go of her mouth and worked its way into her hair, a tight possessive hold.

"Ronan."