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"Vera? Daddy?" The small fragile voice asks. Ella walks out from the shadows and my heart sinks. Instantly slipping off the stool. I stand next to Grey as he lifts her up. Tears stained her chubby cheeks. Her face flushed and eyes red. Her hands wrap tightly around Grey. Looking for a sense of comfort.
"Ella? What is wrong princess?'' I whisper glancing at Grey, seeing a deep frown on his lips. She reaches out for me to take her and I gladly hug her to my chest.
Grey walks back to turn off the stove. She hides her face right below my right ear and her lips stay on the beating pulse on my neck. I smiled softly at Grey as I take a seat on a bar stool. Rubbing at Ella's skin making sure she knows that i'm here.
Grey leans back onto the counter with folded arms. His eyes are dark, jaw tensed and chest tight.
Ella hums and sniffs while playing with my hair.
"Was it a nightmare princess?" I softly ask whilst pulling away just to look her in the eyes. She may be seven, but she is still a child that can be easily sacred. "T-this man broke into the house at night, he was huge. I saw him hit daddy and they kept fighting. I kept screaming begging the guy to stop but he— he didn't...I kept screaming, calling Uncle Nate for help and shouting for them to stop until I felt like my head was going to pop and everything went black."
She stops looking back to her father, He gives a soft smile. "I'm okay, Elena." His fist clenched at his side.
"It- it felt so real." I kept looking at Grey, seeing his chest tightened and his lips forming into a snare. Like a wolf ready to attack its prey. What was I missing?
Frowning and looking back down, more tears start to roll down her soft flushed skin. I pull her back into my chest and rub up and down her back. -I knew how she felt; the fear that crawls at your bones, your skin. It rips your safe place away from you— I kiss her head and gaze up at Grey who watches. His fist now gripping the table top harshly I think it might shatter.
His knuckles turning white as he looks like he is daydreaming, jaw clicking ever so often and chest rising and falling.
"It's okay, It is just a bad dream okay? You're awake now." I say, but she shakes her head disagreeing. "It- it was real, I know it was." She's sure of it and my stomach rolls. I shake my head at the thought that her nightmare may have been a memory after all. There is a chance that it was, I mean he said he was in a God dam gang—Fuck me, he said 'his gang.'
I can't think about it being real. The thought of her screaming that much and blacking out, made me hold her tighter. Looking up and locking eyes with Grey the rage and hurt in his eyes made me hold Ella closer if possible.
Maybe it was all real, that nightmare might have been a memory after all.
Once I have gotten Ella to go back to sleep, I look back to Grey. He just stands leaning back and looking down to his feet. "I'm going to carry Ella upstairs." I whisper, getting up. He stays quiet, not even nodding.
