Phoenix ✔️

Chapter 12: Dramatic Irony

After being subject to another of Colin's beatings, I wake up the next morning and lay there for a good 30 minutes. I try to tune out the pain that's surging throughout my body, even though it's to an almost excruciating point. I'm contemplating all my past life choices, and all my days throughout which I've suffered. All the days I've suffered because of the monster I was married off to.

For the past 3 years, Colin has been anything but loving and kind to me. He has tried to brainwash me into thinking that he's my only hope and that my family doesn't miss me. I know all of that is a load of bull crap.

Why? Because, not long before I was married off, Elena and Dom told me something. They told me something that I never forgot, even in my darkest times.

"Nicole, if it was just you, Dom, and I, then people would touch you over our dead bodies. We're always going to love you, whether you know it or not. Remember that, always," Elena had said. Those icy blue eyes that were so neutral on many days had so much meaning and emotion woven into them that I couldn't find a single lie sewn into her statement.

I found those words so meaningful and inspiring. I also found it a way to strengthen my bond with Elena. For all my years of marriage, in addition to thinking about what Dom told me as a kid, all I could think about in addition to that was how Elena was doing. I wondered how long they had been searching for, and if they would ever stick to their promise and keep on looking for me.

All I want to do is go out, leave Colin, and just get out of my hellhole marriage. But, I know that was far from a reality. I know Elena had tried to look for me as much as she could manage. But, I don't know if she's going to have the motivation or hope to look for me any longer.

After about 30 minutes, I pick myself up and go to the bathroom. I sway from side to side, like someone is controlling me with a rope tied to my arm. I feel like that rope is severely affecting my balance, and I'm going to fall flat on my face any second now.

Once I get inside, I inhale the sight of my damaged body like a perfume scent. Patches of red irritation blot my body in more than a few places. Blood is encrusted around my lip like someone had taken a red marker and tried to line my lips with it. Stripes of blood are swiped all over my face and arms, like tiger stripes. There's a lot more than I expected though. Colin really made his mark on me.

I pull up my shirt, and there's a large red spot on my stomach and several on my ribs. Well, nothing a long shirt can cover up. I'll ice them later.

I look at my nose, and the blood is crusty from drying. I wet some tissue and I clean up the blood from my nose. I take my Nyx concealer and swipe the wand against my facial bruises. The cold concealer magically covers up my bruises, making them invisible. It's almost like someone took a magic wand and performed a spell to make them disappear from my face.

I take a brush and I blend out the concealer in order to cover up my bruises. I then shove a tissue up in my nose so that I don't have any additional bleeding.

Then, I wet a paper towel and I press it against the red spots in an effort to soothe them. I don't need any more bruises. I've already gotten too many to start with. And that's just counting the physical bruises.

While I'm soothing my injuries, Colin comes into the bedroom. He looks as if he's already taken a shower, as the tips of his hair are still shiny from moisture. He looks at me, with an evilly triumphant look on his face. "Ah, I see that you've regained yourself after you've fallen off of your broom," he says snarkily.

I roll my eyes. "What do you want?" I demand. He comes up to me and he grabs my face. His fingers dig into my cheeks, with the pressure weighing down on my jaw.