Love Again ✔

26. My Miracle

Rose:

Blinking my eyes open, I take a few seconds to allow my senses to come back to me. And I remember everything.

I don't have time to cry or drown in self pity because a warm voice speaks the second my lip trembles.

"Oh, my baby." Ma stands up from the chair she was seated on and walks quickly to my side.

"You're safe now, my Ella. We're right here." Eddie's voice grabs my attention, thick with emotions. "No one will ever hurt you again, my girl."

My eyes get blurry as if on cue. I'm so hurt, so angry, so ashamed. I don't know which feeling hurts me more.

Not only did the weekend end with a disaster like I'd feared, but it also ended with a long list of names I need to apologize to. Names that belong to people who scare me, despite being nothing but nice. They welcomed me into their home, allowed me to a part of such an important day, and I ruined everything.

"I w-wasn't strong enough, Mama." My voice is hoarse from all the screaming and it aches, but she hears me clearly because she immediately holds my hand.

"You did everything you could. You came all the way down here to meet new people, despite your fears. That shows nothing but strength, my Ella." She speaks affirmatively and I clasp her hand tightly, because I need to hear that this wasn't entirely my fault.

"You were strong enough, Ella." Eddie speaks, his voice hard and low with anger. "They're the ones who caused this, not you. You had a panic attack because of them. That ex boyfriend of yours couldn't keep his word and protect you. He doesn't deserve one hair of your head."

My heart drops.

Why did he call Maddox my ex boyfriend? Did he break up with me and I can't remember? Did he tell my parents to tell me goodbye? Does he hate me because he finally realised that I'm too much to handle? Did his family convince him that he was better off with someone else, someone normal? Someone they could easily have over for dinners, birthdays and special occasions?

But then I take a long, deep breath and calm down because I remember that that sounds nothing like my Maddox. I trust Maddox. And I trust how happy I make him, despite how everything went down. He would never do that to me. He loves me too much to let me go because of a panic attack. If anything, he must be feeling horrible right now.

"Enough, Edward!" My mother's stern voice makes me blink my tears away. "Do you honestly think this is the right time for this? Look at her."

"Shit!" His eyes turn soft in a mere second and he holds my other hand in both his. "I'm so sorry, my girl. Please don't cry."

Eddie has always had a soft spot for me, I've known that since forever. He can't say no to me, especially if I start crying. No matter how badly I abused that piece of knowledge to get my way, he still never stopped showing how weak I can make him with a couple of tears. And I love him so much for that. And even though I'm not happy with the way he spoke about my boyfriend, I understand why he feels the need to be protective right now.

"Where is he?" I ask.

"He's right outside." My mother smiles softly and my heart picks up its pace. "I can't say I'm happy with him, because I'm not. But he seems to care about you a lot. He looks devastated enough for me to see how much he truly loves you. He cried a few times too."

My heart breaks again at the thought of making my Maddox worry so much that he cries for me. But I suddenly feel so calm and content, learning that he's here with me.

"How l-long have I been here?" I remember waking up and feeling so overwhelmed with fear because a lot of strangers were around me and some touched me too to calm me down. I fainted again, I guess.