I slept between nightmares and sips of cold water. I wasn't sure how many days passed, but it could have been many. I felt buried under my grief and anger, unable to breathe.
"You need to get up." Angelina pulled the blanket off of me and crossed her arms. I squeezed my eyes shut and mumbled something. She put her hand under my chin and jerked my head up, trying to get my attention. But her calloused fingers transformed into Tristian's cool fingers.
The cot melted into the marble floor. The blankets pooled, turning red. My scream built its way up my throat. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. I needed to get out, out of these chains-
Solid arms wrapped around me, squeezing me tightly, but not too tight. "You're safe," someone murmured into my ear. "You're out. You're okay." They hummed in my ear, a simple melody. The thoughts slowly went away. My breathing came easier. My chest loosened. They kept humming until my eyelids grew heavier.
I must have fallen back asleep because when I cracked my eyes open, I was laying back down, blankets pulled tightly over me. Two dark shapes were arguing in the kitchen. Phoenix and Angelina. I noticed a third shape, much smaller than them.
"Why would you do that?" Phoenix hissed, his arms crossed.
"She needs to start living, she can't just spend all of her time on the cot. She's wasting away."
"Ang, she's been through so much," a new voice said, a young girl by the sound of it. "She's traumatized. We need her to trust us. Baby steps, okay?"
"I think you should apologize," Phoenix said.
"Phoenix, you didn't want anything to do with her, to begin with!"
"And you did!" he shot back.
"Shh," the smaller person whispered, "She's awake."
I closed my eyes and tried to breathe normally. But the smaller person sat down next to me and said, "I know you're awake. It's okay." I opened my eyes and looked at the young girl sitting next to me. She had short, brown hair and knowing green eyes. I'm Ruby, Angelina's sister."
She cautiously put a small hand to my head and closed her eyes. My own slid shut. Memories flashed before my eyes, too fast to see which was which. And then one, in particular, stopped in front of my eyes.
It was when Peter was dancing with me, spinning me around, pulling me close. Whispering to me that he loved me. That he wanted to marry me. His voice carried over the memory, what he said right before he died.
His beautiful voice said into my ear, "I love you so much. forgive you," Peter said, "I know this wasn't you."
The memory ended. I opened my eyes as Ruby pulled away. I was crying, she had tears in her eyes. "Thank you," I whispered. She nodded.
Phoenix sat down and gave me a glass of water and an apple. "Eat," he said. "Everything is going to get better."