"Our song is the slamming screen door, sneakin' out late, tapping on your window; when we're on the phone and you talk real slow 'cause it's late, and your mama doesn't know."
"Our Song" by Taylor Swift
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Bella's POV:-
Seriously? These kids are pawns of the devil himself. Now I know why Alex was so frustrated.
"Sis? I am feeling so tired. I am hungry. I want food." Lily mumbled in a sleepy voice. I guess they were all tired after playing.
"Yes, Belle. I am hungry too." said Austin joining Lily in her pleading.
"Okay. I will make tomato soup quickly. You both go, freshen up and take a little nap. Okay?" Before I could complete my sentence, nodding they both started walking towards Austin's room.
Alex came into the room and stood by my side holding a peaceful sleeping Iris. Gosh, she was so cute when she was asleep. But trust me she is only cute when she is asleep. When she is awake, she throws a lot of tantrums that you don't want to see.
"You are surprisingly good with the children. I am impressed." I commented on the way Alex gently laid her down on her bed. I grab the blanket, tuck her nicely and pat her head gently.
I turned to head to the kitchen to make soup but there he was standing by the door staring at me intensely. I shifted awkwardly under his gaze.
"So do you are good with the children. I am impressed too. But how do to manage to handle them?" Alex commented the same way I commented to him.
"It's nothing much. As you can see I have two younger siblings. Being the elder daughter or elder son comes with a lot of responsibilities - to take care of your brothers or sisters, help your mother with the housework, help your father with the paperwork, be a good girl, don't do anything embarrassing that will put your family name to shame, study hard, make your family proud and....work hard to get them to love you." I said looking at anywhere but him. "So it comes naturally to us," I muttered looking up at him with an appealing smile.
"That night..... You were crying, weren't you?" he asked.
Too ashamed to admit it, I just nodded my head. He grabbed my hand and dragged me with him to the top floor. The view from here was beautiful, a little different from what I can see from the rooftop of my house.
We both were looking at the tall buildings. After a while, he decided to break the silence.
"You know it's okay not to be okay. We need not pretend to be happy if we are not. Just tell them that you are not okay with that. They will surely understand." he said trying to comfort me.
"Will they? I tried to tell them what I wanted ages ago. They never understand me and I guess they never will. I have never been treated with love all my life. You know my parents, my friends, my relatives, even you, no one cares whether I live or not. They see me as a burden. I don't know why they happen to hate me. I never wanted to move in here, but see here I am talking to you. My opinions and my thoughts don't matter to anyone at our house. You know I love them. But why are they treating me like this? Why do they always neglect me? Because I am the elder daughter of our family, the one who should be controlled by her parents? But I do have feelings too. Is it so wrong to feel alive?" I asked him fighting back a sob.
But instead of replying to me he pulled me into a warm hug and that's when I broke down. I tried too hard to hold myself together but now I was finally letting it all out, crying into his arms. He held me lightly and carefully as if I was made from glass. As if he was too afraid that I could break the moment he would touch me. He wiped the stray tears falling from my eyes and lifted my chin to look directly into his eyes.
"It's okay. It's okay. Let it all out. Don't hold anything back. You know, You are strong. You said you didn't want to come here. But what if God is giving you a second chance at life? What if God wants you to have a new beginning in his city? Think positively. Everything will be alright." he said before letting me go and walk away.
I watched him walk away. He stopped in his tracks and turned around at his place and said, "Whatever happens, you are stuck with me."
"You are stuck with me for life." he said before continuing to walk again.
And I stood there confused about what those words meant.
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Author here!!!!
Sorry for the short chapter. I will right a long next time.