Dimensions of the Truth

Chapter 5: Hurt you to fix you

VT POV:

She was home. Finally. My little girl was home safe and sound. Walking through these empty hallways over the years became insufferable. The shadows of her little footsteps running through the halls and the echoes of her haggard gigglesvfloating through my ears. My biggest regret was letting her go.

Fifteen years previously:

 "My love, we have to do this. Little Avery will be safer in Illusia.  You have to believe me." Evee and I were sat in our room venting our distress to each other. Her amethyst eyes pooling into tiny raindrops which caressed her cheek as they spiralled downwards.

"She is only a baby, I can't do this. Not yet. She can stay with us. We won't let any harm come to her."  Her arms curled around her body as if protecting herself from the truth. The harsh truth, which at this moment, was ripping me in half and then slicing me into quarters. I held my arms out for her, hoping that she would huddle into them like usual. A ritual that we had become accustomed to whenever one of us was upset.

Tears pooled in her eyes and I felt my world come crashing down. It was in this moment that I wanted to rid Evee of her troubles, no matter the cost.  A short, infinitesimally brief moment, I hated the little girl. The baby with golden locks and emerald eyes. Saddened by my sudden abhorrence of my baby girl, I turned away, afraid that I would not follow through with the plan, if I saw the poison tears crawl towards me.

"Evee, sweetie. Avery is two years old now. You always said you wanted her to be strong. This is the only way." 

Green eyes met fury-filled purple eyes. The silence cut through me like a blade.

"Quit staring at me like that Evee!" My eyes meet hers begging her to understand my stance in the matter.

"Like what, what way am I looking at you. Does it make your blood boil. Am I annoying you?" Her voice rising with a cold edge as she stepped closer and closer prodding my chest. I felt my back crash into the wall behind me. The pure force of the impact sent my favourite picture of Avery, Evee and I to the floor shattering  into jaggered pieces. Avery was snuggled in a mother's arms in little pink pyjamas. My arms lovingly wrapped around the waist of my heart-keeper.

Evee stepped back, seemingly trying to calm herself down. She began pacing around the room muttering under her breath. I didn't pay attention. In my eyes, the world was spinning. The very core of my being crumbled into broken piece, like the photograph. I slowly bent to pick up my heart, reaching around the edges, careful not to cut my hand on the glass. After all, a broken heart is the most deadly weapon. 

The edges of the glass splitting my family in half. Two against one. I harboured no love or affection for Evee. The woman I loved, who was the only person who could break my heart irrevocably. The feeling of anger rose from the deepest pits from inside of me.

I couldn't take the pressure anymore. I couldn't stop the words from escaping. 

" STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE YOU HATE ME. Like I am the very thing that you run away from in nightmares and the reason you sleep with a blade under your pillow. What happened to the Evee, I know and love? You seem all too eager to pin the blame on others. When in reality, you have a serious denial issue. We aren't capable at this moment in time to look after a child. I told you this before!" My voice growing increasingly quiet as my rant progressed. My energy drained from me, my blood went cold. 

My heart stopped as I took in the destruction on Evee's face. I had hurt her. But after all, wasn't that my aim? The moment I saw that broken photograph, I had wanted to hurt her. How dare she have the power to send me spiralling. How dare she have the power to grab all my emotions, in one fist and squeeze until they broke. However, seeing the look of pure sadness and loss on her face disturbed me. Shocked me into silence. The words that were on the tip of my mouth, floated back to my head. 

In whispered tones, Evee spoke, "You're trying to take my baby girl away from me. She's my lifeline. That little piece of me and you. The only thing I had at night, when you and the boys were out hunting. My baby who would run into the room, and stop me from worrying whether that night would be the night you didn't come back to me." 

"Evee..." I interjected, loss for words rendering me unable to continue.

"No! Viserius let me finish please. My brain would go to endless lengths worrying when you went on hunts. Would you come back to me? Would that night, be the night you finally decide to return to your self-destructive ways? Just one look at the little angel curled up safely in my arms, her fluttering tired green eyes, grounded me. Made me believe that you would come home. She is my sanity and my anchor, especially when you could not be." 

No consoling words could compete with the raw truth that seemed to flow effortlessly out of Evee's mouth from her heart. Two strong strides over to her, I pulled her closer to me. As close as possible, till she could feel my heart beating out of my chest. Ever the more closer, trying to prove to her that she is the storm that rocks my tide. Even I knew that this wouldn't be enough to prove anything. 

My hand came to rest under her chin, our lips collided. The passionate embrace of two warring hearts on opposite sides of an endless war.

A small voice breaking me out of heaven and bring me back to my angel. "Please don't take my baby away from me."

Walking towards the door, relieved that he seemed to have avoided a disaster. "Alright, my love. She can stay. As long as you promise to get this photograph fixed." 

A pillow hit the back of my head and a rather heavy force jumped on my back. 

"We were having a moment and you had to go and ruin it." Soft giggles graced my ears, like a soft melody orchestrated by the angels themselves. 

Leaning down to nip at her ear, I revelled in how she shivered as my voice flooded her senses. Three short kisses to her lips, "Well then mi amour, let me set the mood again."