Caged

12

It hurt to swallow. It hurt to breathe.

"Isabella," he whispered into my hair when he pulled me onto his lap and he was saying something, but I couldn't hear. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." His voice cracked at the end.

"No." My lower lip trembled as I barely managed to make out the words. "No, she was supposed to pick me up, we were supposed to..." I trailed off.

She was going to pick me up. We were going to go to the city. I was going to spend time with my sister.

I chanted the words to myself in my head, over and over. I refused to focus on anything else.

"Elijah." I didn't recognize my voice. Why did I sound so numb? I picked my head up off his shoulder and he looked down at me. I could barely see. "She isn't gone. You're wrong. She's coming back, we were going to go–"

"I'm so sorry." His words were gentle, yet unforgiving as he tightened his hold around me. I wanted him to let go, but he didn't. I was trapped, I couldn't get out.

She was going to pick me up.

My eyes began stinging, but I blinked because I refused to cry. I wouldn't cry.

We were going to go to the city together.

She was going to pick me up.

***

I jerked awake with a strangled scream, my heart racing inside my chest as I gasped for air. My hands gripped onto anything I could find to anchor myself back to reality.

You're okay, you're okay, everything is fine. Everything is okay. You're okay.

I repeated the words out loud quietly to myself as I closed my eyes.

I took a few deep breaths, reminding myself that I wasn't stuck in that day that I never wanted to go back to. A day I didn't even want to think about ever again.

When my heart steadied and I could no longer feel it hammering against my chest, I opened my eyes.

I realized I had fallen asleep on the couch, and the TV was still playing some late night show. The house was dark and silent, except for one dim light still blazing in the corner of the living room and I felt sluggish as I sat up against the cushions. A quick look at the clock told me it was close to five in the morning.

The weekend had passed quickly after the party, and now it was Monday morning.

I had school in a few hours, and I knew I wouldn't get any more sleep. I threw the blanket off of me, and forced myself up with a groan as I cracked my neck from the uncomfortable position I'd fallen asleep in.

The floor was cold against my bare feet, and I shivered as I made my way up the stairs. Before I could reach my room, something caught my attention.

Elijah's door was shut, but I could hear a faint voice coming in from inside and I quietly made my way over to stand outside.

I pressed my hands against the wall beside his door and rested my head as close to his door as I could to listen.

"I told you what the consequences would be if this happened again," he growled, and I frowned as I realized he was on the phone.