Edward flicked the lights on and dashed across the room finding Estella peacefully curled under the blanket, sleeping. He put the files he had with him on the table next to the couch before stalking toward the bed, stopping right in front of her.
He bent down, running the back of his hand on her soft cheek, careful not to stir her up. Staying there momentarily, he thought about everything that happened back at the dinner, his father's threat, and after so long, Edward felt utterly out of options. It was like walking into a deep and dark endless tunnel with no hope of light and he had walked too far to look back.
Turning around, he went to his window and slid it open. The familiar breeze and tides and salty ocean welcomed his presence. It was darker than usual, there were no shadows or silhouettes of palm trees, and the pearly shine of waves was missing out.
He snapped his eyes up to the sky, finding no sign of the moon and despite the uncountable stars over his head, they couldn't do the moon's part on its behalf. Just something Estella would say 'Nature knows us the best'
After all this time, he was making no progress with Estella and the upcoming marriage alliance would jeopardize it even further.
Resigning, he picked up his clothes from his closet and went into the bathroom to change. After he was done washing up himself, he returned and saw the bed empty.
Estella was now perched on the couch, going through the files he brought from the work. He broke into a sprint and hauled the next file Estella laid her hands on. She flinched and reacted faster at his sudden arrival and tugged her fingers around the file cover tighter. Before he could stop, all the pages wafted around, falling everywhere on the ground.
"What do you think you're doing?" she shouted at him.
"What am I doing?" he emphasized, rushing to grab as many as he could. Estella bent down as well, but he was quicker than her and grabbed every single page of Jasper Wolfe's file.
With Estella's hatred, his father's threats, the marriage alliance, and the top of that—tomorrow's ceremony, he was feeling moments away from all hell breaking loose. He didn't know if him knowing about Jasper Wolfe, the possible killer of Estella's father from the hit-and-run case was helping the situation either. He was originally planning to share it with her and use this means to rekindle their relationship but he was not feeling up for it anymore. He didn't want anyone to get wind of it while his mind was in fragments with distraction.
"The window was open," Estella said, sparing him a look up and down. "And the pages were fluttering and flying."
Edward still was overlooking if anything was missing. "Sorry for waking you up," he muttered under his breath, his attention submerged in the file. He noticed one of the pictures of Jasper with his original hair and blue eyes was missing.
"It's fine. It was an accident anyway," the gentleness in her voice felt so foreign that it alone dissolved Edward's every living thought inside him. His world momentarily stopped.
The usually pissed Estella seemed different. It wasn't just her voice talking, the eyes did, too. The same Estella who always had retorts ready every time he was around her was now all soft on him with unmistakable kindness.
Estella broke the eye lock first and turned away from him. "I won't touch your things anymore," she told him.
Edward shut the file and smiled. "You're lying."
He said, making her face him once again. "I know you've been looking around."
"Sorry. It's hard to keep up with your OCD," she stated in a cool voice.
"I have other issues," he said, not trying to sound rude. "But that is not one of them. It's just things have designated places in my room."
"Yes your room," she said, spinning her arm around. "Your room. I could use another room or place. My own space. Anywhere but here."
Edward put his files back in the drawer. Since he was skipping the next day's ceremony, he'd finish reading them then. His father would have to deal with his absence once more. Once more, Mr. Blake would have no problem finding excuses for why his elder son missed gatherings.
"Speaking of places," he began, moving to the couch, and walking past Estella who stood just two feet apart. "Where have you been all day? You know after you met Tanya." he sat on the sofa.
Smirking, she took the farther side of the couch and crossed her hands. "I will tell you once you let me my own space. And I'm not sharing any bed with you."
"Estella," he thinned his lips and after a beat, he said. "Where...have...you...been?"
She looked determined. "I said I want my own space. And since you burned down my house, I'll take your penthouse."
"I don't have that place with me anymore," he said. "My father came to know about it. It's gone." It was a partial truth. The lease was in place but it wasn't a safer place.
"Edward, if you want any reconciliation with me," she said, setting her voice even. "Then you'll have to stop forcing your needs on me. All this commanding and caging me is not going to help us. You're not even giving me a chance to understand you."
Understand him? Edward attempted to not let a snort escape from him. "You're speaking someone else's language now," he noted. "And the detest in your eyes is missing as well."
Not that I am complaining. He kept it to himself.
Estella's face was unreadable but she had outed a side of her already and Edward was having a hard time pinning it down. "I get it," she said after a long pause, still working on her steady face. "Your family is not the healthiest family in the world. I see the environment you've grown into and how it has shaped you," she explained and Edward's mind started racing faster than ever. His mind suggested him a possibility but he dismissed it for now. "It's not rocket science since I've spent these many days here at your house, with your family," she added.
"Fine," Edward said and came up with an alternative in a matter of few seconds. "But you'll stay at Lopez. He'll keep you safe."
"Why Lopez?" she asked. Although he saw her her eyes twinkled at the idea. "Why not somewhere else? I could stay with Tanya. Or maybe a hotel, or rent a place until my house is done."
"You're asking a question you already know the answer to," he pointed out.
She waited for him to continue, to say it out loud but instead, he stayed transfixed, studying her features. "Your father is intending to hurt me," she drew the obvious conclusion in a low voice, not scared but aware.
"I guess you've started to understand me after all," he smiled. "It's better to not drag your friend. And other places are out of options. Lopez will keep you safe for sure. You trust him more than you trust me."
There was no denying that fact.
"So where have been?" he asked the question again. "I gave what you wanted. Now, it's your turn."
She sighed. "I went to the renovation service office."
I pinned her with a look. "You went there in the afternoon. Before you met Tanya. After that is where my main concern lies."
"Then I went back, again," she emphasized. "I wanted to alter a few things."
It was a flat-out lie but Edward decided to let it be. He would find out eventually and arguing with her about it now won't make it any better. Also, her change in demeanor felt nice even if it was a pretense from her side.
Something better than nothing, right?
Sensing the chatter dying down, Estella got up and began returning to the bed when he said. "I'll drop you off in the morning."
She turned. "Nora told me there's a ceremony tomorrow."
Edward was now setting a pillow on the couch and getting to grab a blanket. "You want to go?"
She answered after a long pause. "It's your family's matter, not mine. So, no."
"Good," he smiled again, contented she wasn't going to be part of the parrot show they were hoisting.
Estella slipped inside her comforter and looked back at him. "You're going, right?"
There it was. That tender look. The one he was seeing on her face. "Yes," he said and she pinched her brows. "I can't skip it even if I wanted to," he lied smoothly.
Whatever the troubles he was going to face the next day, his insides warmed when he saw her lips curving to form a smile. Small but generous.
The light went out and he heard Estella shuffling on the bed and seconds later, the noise subsided. Edward was lying awake after hours while Estella was long asleep.
His time was spent panning out events that were going to take place the next day. With Estella going to stay at Lopez, he would be able to concentrate on his father only. While everyone would be busy at the ceremony, he'd find out why his father wanted Edward to go through marriage. It wasn't a trick of the eyes when he sensed that Mr. Blake was hiding the real motive.
One of the few things that only ever alarmed Mr. Blake—Edward and a witness. At a young age, when he had tried to run away with his dog, Draco and was eventually caught. He discovered that his father played with blood occasionally. He strangled the dogs with his bare hands with such easiness that rattled every single bone in Edward's body.
Mr. Blake demonstrated his tendencies afterward narrating what was passed down to his father and so on. He hadn't mentioned hurting a human albeit it was implied. It explained why Mr. Blake was successful, surpassing his father and grandfather in terms of fame, money, ruthlessness, and cruelty.
He shifted on his couch, facing the now asleep Estella, outlining her appearance in the dimness. If she had any idea what he was capable of, what his father was capable of, she wouldn't be just running, she'd be bolting at the speed of light.
And about Lilah, she would never come back alive. Wherever she was, locked away in the false hope of getting treated, would never be able to see her only daughter, leaving Estella behind with guilt and the burden of her death and that was the punishment his father had played out for her.
It was either Estella or Lilah. And his choice was peacefully sleeping only a few feet apart.
........