The knock came around two in the morning, Belly was still turning around in her bed, she couldn't fall asleep when she heard it. For a moment it felt like she dreamt it until she heard the second knock.
"Belly, I know you're still awake." Daphne's voice was soft on the other end, Belly didn't know what to do, she couldn't move. "Please just open the door, I have to talk to you." Her voice was pleading with Belly to get up, to open the door and let Daphne into her life again.
"Say what you have to and go." Belly is surprised by how cold her voice sounds. She didn't know why it had to happen this way, why they had to hurt each other all the time.
"I didnt mean what I said out there, I want you here. I really do, I just don't know how to show it." Daphne was a mess, but when Belly was around it felt like the weight on her chest was lifted but when she saw Belly at the door, when the pain eased up, panic took its place.
Daphne opened her mouth to speak again but the door opened and Belly stood in front of her, she wore her old pjs that Susannah bought them and Daphne was wearing a matching pair. "You never know how to show it," Belly's bottom lip quivers and Daphne knew that two possibilities lay ahead of her, either she was going to walk into the room and be happy with Belly or she'd leave and break Belly's heart again.
"I'm trying, I want to do right by you. I don't know how else to say it."
"I don't want you to say it, I need you to show it." Belly forces the words out of her lips, "Words mean nothing without actions." Belly's words were barely cold when Daphne's warm lips met hers. The kiss was fast, Daphne could barely taste Belly when the girl pulled away, hurt splattered on her face.
"Jeremiah was right about you." She pulls away like Daphne hit her, but it felt worse somehow. Daphne couldn't stop the laughter from leaving her lips, "What did Pretty Boy say about me?" She tucks her hands into the pockets of her brother's hoodie, the one wore over her pjs. Her chest aches when Belly speaks again, "He said you're just using me." This time Daphne is the one that looks hurt.
"If you really think that low of me, I don't know what I'm doing here." In some ways Daphne was like a dog, when she's hurt, she acts out because she can't think straight.
"I don't know what you're doing here." She adds shortly, "This house belongs to all of us. We all have to keep it safe." Belly doesn't know why she's still wasting her breath. "But there's a difference between us, Isabel, when you leave this place you have a home."
"That's not fair." Belly spat out and Daphne's face went cold, "You wanna know what's not fair? You didn't just come here to save this place, but because you ran away from home because you have the luxury of having someone to run away from. When you leave this place, your mom will be waiting for you but when I leave I might have a grave waiting for me." Daphne didn't understand why the universe would take Susannah from her and now she didn't understand why it wanted her mother, how many bodies does it have to consume before it's filled? How much pain can it cause Daphne before she is more scar tissue than flesh.
"Daphne, I didn't mean it like that and you know it." Belly didn't know how she was always the one apologizing but Daphne wondered if she ever got a real apology from Belly. "Well, I don't care anymore so you can say and mean whatever you want." Daphne turned to go to the door when Belly pulled her back.
"Do our conversations always have to end like this?" She asked and then Daphne turned back to face her, took a step closer to Belly and without a warning, she pulled the girl into her embrace. The hug lasted a few seconds before Daphne pulled away, walked out the door and left Belly standing there, waiting for her to come back like she always did.