Inferno Part 4

~71~ Domesticated

The answer from yesterday was Jake talking to Emma. It was the first boxing session she had with him! Several of you guessed it!

🌷How many half-siblings does Ellie have, and what are their names?

Emma's POV

"Can I come in?"

Trace blinks away his shock and shakes his head, grabbing her and pulling her into the tightest hug I've ever seen him give her.

"You're alive," he cries as he strokes her hair that's now jet black, and no longer blonde.

She stands there rigid in his arms, and when he pulls away, no emotion reaches her face.

Trace is still crying as he pulls her into the house and shuts the door, grabbing her face gently and staring hard into her blue eyes.

"Are you ok?"

A single nod is his answer, and he pulls her in for another huge hug.

When he finally lets her go, he clears his throat. "What did mom and dad do when they saw your cool hair?"

She shakes her head. "I haven't seen them."

"They don't know? Iz, they are convinced you're dead. Let's go right now!"

"No, Trace...I'm not ready for that. You can't let them know I'm here!"

Trace's mouth drops open and he looks at me, and then back to his sister, who looks like a complete stranger. Even the way she is holding herself is odd. Her posture is off.

"I'll give you tonight, even though dad will bust my ass for it. I won't make them live through this hell longer than that, Izzy. You get till tomorrow morning, and then I'll call them. They think you're dead, and they've been living in hell for six months."

"They don't know shit what hell is," she snaps.

"Are you really ok?" He asks in a tight voice, and I know he sees what I do.

This isn't the same Izzy that we saw when she graduated.

"I'm alive, so yeah."

"Wh-...." He starts when I interrupt.

"Want something to eat, Izzy?"

She looks at me and gives a curt nod.

I ignore my churning stomach and go into the kitchen, making her a sandwich and getting out some fruit. I hand her a water and a bag of chips, and she inhales them immediately.

Trace sits next to her at the table, and she ignores him as she eats some grapes.

"How long you here for?" He asks carefully.

She laughs an extremely humorless laugh. "Well, since I have no money and no place to live, and I'm sick of screwing lowlifes for my next meal, I'll be here for a while."

Trace closes his eyes, because what he and I talked about is true...She's been prostituting.

I see him swallow and when he opens his eyes, tears are falling heavily.

"Isabelle, why? I don't...."

"I don't need that from you, Trace. I simply asked if I could stay here."

"Of course you can...But mom and dad...."

"I don't give a shit about mom and dad...They left me with NOTHING!"

"Because they were hoping you'd come home!"

"So they were trying to play games, just like always."

Trace shakes his head and bites his lip, unsure how hard to push or what to say. When I put the sandwich down in front of her, she has it eaten in about four bites.