Hellfire | Hayley Marshall

Chapter 32

Eisa wanted to ditch the wedding.

She'd elected to wear the hazel gown (A/N: Teuta Matoshi's 'Glossy Hazel Gown') she'd shown Hayley not long ago. The hybrid herself said it felt happy, and weddings were supposed to be happy, weren't they?

Not for Eisa.

Rebekah had arrived the day before, happy as could be, rushing about getting Hayley her dress, her shoes, and planning hairstyles with her. Elijah and Cami would be arriving just hours before the wedding with Hope, therefore, Eisa was tasked with cleaning the nursery.

Eisa would have liked to run forward to hold her niece, when her brother arrived with her the following afternoon. She could only stare from the hallway, watching as Hayley rushed toward Hope, scooping her up and hugging her tight before turning around and introducing her to Jackson.

"You are in the foulest mood I have ever seen," mentioned Elijah when he found her putting on her makeup, gripping each brush so tight, it was as if she intended to snap them in half.

Eisa tsked, shaking her head and ignoring him. "It's expected, though, isn't it? Of course I'm ruining the day."

"No one said that, Eisa. Your own jealousy is making you believe things that are not true."

"How are you?" she asked him, not eager to discuss her own problems. "What happened with you and Isela?"

Elijah blushed. "I had been speaking with Cami about what I saw with the red door. Isela overheard her name. She inquired about it. I told her the truth. I admitted that I feared hurting her. That I felt a connection between us I couldn't ignore. Something took over me, and I leaned in to kiss her. She met me halfway. I... well..."

"Well, she was quite afraid I'd fire her for it. What about Gia?"

Elijah sighed. "I... I feel a connection to her, as well. Gia understands my love for music better than anyone. She is fierce, immortal, a fighter. Beautiful. And yet, what I adore about Isela is her mortality. How gentle she is with everyone. How she will restrain herself from being violent unless someone she cares for is in danger."

"You like different things about them. And you wish they could be one person, I assume?"

"Yes."

"Well, figure it out, Elijah, that's all I can say to you. It's not fair to either of them if you're leading them on. I don't know Gia too well. But I will say, Isela might be hurt if she sees you with Gia after the night the two of you shared."

Elijah sat on her bed. "And you, Sister? How have you coped? You chose one person. You went for them with everything in you. And I see you now, and—"

She gave a dry laugh. "Yes, I gave it my all and it came to bite me in the arse. I never should have let myself fall for her. I knew I wasn't good enough. She deserved better, and yet, with her insistence, I settled. Jackson is the better partner."

"And yet, bile rises in your throat every time you're near him."

Eisa scoffed, and Elijah came to put his hand on her shoulder. "It is true, isn't it, Eisa?"

She tilted her head to the side, keeping their eyes from meeting through the mirror. "He's everything I'm not. Controlled in who he hurts. He's the leader of the wolves— he is responsible and loyal and he always shows up at the right moment. I have no responsibility. Everyone fears me, but many still see me as a fool who cares more about what she wears than she does about people. He's socially acceptable, as her partner. He won't bring her into any danger."

"That's what this is about," Elijah mentioned. "Stigma. You held back, because you knew that if she were to become your partner, she would be in danger of being tortured the way you have been. With Jackson—"