I DO

Chapter 12

Perhaps it wasn't him, Nelly.

The thought crossed my mind for the second time in a few short moments. My body went limp over his shoulder as I thought of our short conversation again before it seemed like a ghost had hunted him down and knocked whatever sanity he had left out from him.

I had asked him to look up in the sky after noticing the stars above. I had asked him what he saw. And a part of me had hoped that he would reply back by correcting me and saying; "It's not what I see but who, Nelly. I see my father, mother, and my sister." Perhaps not as soft as I had imagined in my head but something along the lines of him connecting the stars with his family.

Because if he had loved anybody on this earth it would have been them. His family. Especially his older sister, Nathalie. Our nights that were spent on the rooftop were sometimes spent of us in each other's arms while he looked up to his family. He had told me once that the stars were watching over him. Stars were not just stars for him. They were his family.

But tonight, in the jungle, he had said none of that.

Perhaps it wasn't him, Nelly.

If it wasn't him, then where was my Elijah?

Where was the man who once said he would protect me, no matter what? Where was the one who vowed to love me forever?

He is the one carrying you and dragging you to hell with him, doing the quite opposite of protecting you.

And that was the last thought as I fell unconscious.

***

Thump. Thump. Thump thump. Thump. Thump thump thump.

I realized it was the sound of my heart echoing in my ears. I was still alive even though I felt anything but alive. My body was stiff and uncomfortable, my bones ached and screamed, and my skin prickled with awareness.. It felt like I was on a wooden surface. Pain shot through my weak legs, like thousands of sharp needles were digging into my feet and I couldn't control the wounded cry that left my mouth.

"Open your eyes, Diamond."

I shivered. His lips were beside my ear, warm breath hit my cold skin and I tried to move away. But I couldn't. Something was trapping me in place, depriving me of seeking my freedom. Rough hands were on my shoulders, holding me put on a wooden surface. A table? What was it? I was...trapped. Held captive.

"Open your eyes, darling. Look at your beautiful castle."

I gulped a fearful breath that was strangling me, my throat tight and painful. My eyes squeezed shut as a disobeyed him. I was not ready to see my 'castle'. I had a feeling it would be nothing akin to beautiful. As I predicted, Elijah wasn't having my disobedience. I felt his harsh stubble against my cheek and I bit my tongue, refusing to speak or grant him the pleasure of screaming like I wanted. . My throat was dry anyway, I doubt I could form a word even if I wanted to.

I knew the clock was ticking. And I knew my body was becoming weaker and weaker every day...every hour. Starvation and dehydration can break any human's body and I was a sign of that.

Help needed to come soon. Today. I didn't think I could last another day in this nightmare, in this hellhole.

"Open. Your. Damn. Fucking. Eyes. Nelly." He hissed every word with a warning tone I couldn't cross or disobeyed. His tone wasn't pretty anymore but it was rather impatient. He had very little self-control left and it had become extremely easy to trigger that button inside him.

When I kept my silence, he surprised me by wrapping my hair around his fist and his knuckled dug into my scalp. He pulled hard, practically ripping my hair from my skull. It was painful enough to make me wince and open my fucking damn eyes. Just like he wanted. When I gazed at my new hell, Elijah's lips twisted into a smile against my ear, loving my shocking reaction.