Little Game

Chapter 49

Isabella's heart cracked.

"You don't mean that." Isabella could hear the truth but she wants to deny it. She doesn't even want to accept it. She tried to smile but her lips wobbled and she couldn't train her expression to stay unemotional. "It's just a cruel joke, right, Luci? You'll come back, right? This is all just some prank, right, Luci?"

Please. Just say yes.

Lucius laughed echoed in her mind, burning her brain until it creates a very bad memory for the future her to repeat and repeat again and again until it creates a trauma, a mental reminder.

"L-Luci?" She stammered.

"Life's just a game that people like to play," he said, sounding amused, "isn't it?"

Cruel and cold but it's the truth nonetheless.

Her heart shattered.

****

Isabella gasped and tried to run away from Nicolai. She didn't want this. She didn't want this. She didn't want to experience the same pain. The same truth.

'Why did you have to know? We were obviously fine without your presence here.'

'There's an Izzy in you. Somewhere. There's an Izzy there who always followed me around, who always held my hand.'

Isabella's knees trembled and she immediately kneeled down while holding her head in her hands, trying to cover out the noise that echoes in her mind. Isabella closed her eyes tightly before screaming loudly. Her tears continued to fall down her face. Why? Just why?

She didn't want this.

'We moved because of you. We can't search for a bitch because of you.'

She shouted and her whole being trembled as she bent forward until she could feel the cold tile hit her forehead. Her head was pounding painfully and her throat was burning. Isabella was shouting but she honestly couldn't hear anything. Everything felt as if it was caving in on her, leaving only voices. All she could hear was the past.

'We're tired because of you.'

***

Elois stepped forward until he could put a hand on her shoulder. "Honestly, we don't need you here, Isa—

***

—bella? Isabella!"

Suddenly somebody immediately lifted her head off of the floor. They quickly placed their hands on her cheeks. Soft and gentle.

Isabella wailed as she desperately clawed for the person. She needed the warmth, she needed—

***

"We don't need you here." Dante said, glaring at her. "Didn't I state that clear? Honestly. Why do you always have to make things difficult for us?"

***

"Ven aquí, cariño."

(Come here, darling.)

She knew only one person who could speak to her like that. Who could say such gentle words without any malice behind it. 

"E-Ez... Ezri." Isabella whimpered, calling out for him desperately. Her head wasn't on cold tiles anymore, instead, it laid on the boy's shoulder. Ezri's hands found its way on her back. He pulled her closer to him, allowing her to hide at the crook of his neck.

He didn't ask anything. He didn't ask what happened or why she was in this state. Instead, he hugged her closer, as if he was hiding her away from the world.

"Shh, I'm here. I'm here now, okay? Nothing could touch you now." Ezri said quietly in her ear. "You're safe now." He repeated it like a mantra. It was as if he wanted to prove it by saying it.

"He's here..." Isabella's while being trembled. "He's here and I don't— I can't... What can I do, Ez?"

Why was she always so useless? Why can't she do something right for once? Why did Nicolai have to appear? Everything was already going well. Everything was starting to look up for her.

Why did Nicolai have to ruin it?

She's afraid that if she turns back to Nicolai, she'll immediately forgive him. Her fragile heart can't even stay strong and angry. She knows she'll forgive him the moment she sees him again.

Ezri didn't ask who she was talking about. He just hugged her tighter. "Nothing." He replied, his voice steady like a rock. "You'll do absolutely nothing because there's nothing else left to do. It's too late to do anything." He said gently before he started rocking her like a child. "So just stay here with me, mi sol. Let's just stay here."

(My sun.)

"But I can't..." She trailed off, not wanting to do nothing. What if she was overreacting? She should face this more maturely. She shouldn't be crying like this. She should just face Nicolai again and get it over with.

"You already did everything. Night, morning, evening, afternoon. Everyday, you tried. And when you failed, you tried again and again and again. Even if it was painful. Even if you were tired. You reached out and even begged. Even if you had no more tears left to shed, you still tried. You didn't give up on them but they still gave up on you." He said sharply. "It's their turn to put some effort. So enough, Isabel. Please. Just stop. Enough and just stay here with me."

Isabella just cried on his shoulder. She didn't even notice that her make up was smudged or that Ezri was wearing a very fancy and expensive suit and she's staining it with her tears and snot. All she needed was someone to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay.

Even if it wouldn't.

_______

Hoooo.... That was heavy. What do you think?

How was it? Do you think Isabella's overreacting? Who do you think is at fault here?

It's sad how they became like this. Broken. Separated. Controlled.

Anyways, I hope you liked it!! So sorry for not updating. I swear, I'm not abandoning the story.
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