Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 14: World Of Green

Dedicated to Bicksby, for being an awesome waffle and encouraging my work.

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Chapter Fourteen: World of Green

When he arrived back at Amelia's home, feeling like a half-drowned cat, the girl was still sleeping in front of the fire. Shivering somewhat, he stumbled over to the mantle and weakly sank down to his knees, leaning against the stone and taking in the heat of the flames.

He watched them dance, lifting his right arm and pressing a hand against his chest... feeling his heart throbbing painfully with each beat.

He didn't know what to do anymore.

He simply didn't know.

Nothing made sense to his mind, so he stopped thinking and closed his eyes, but the sound of the chair creaking soon met his ears, and he heard a yawn.

"Huh?" Amelia mumbled. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, ignoring how she gasped. "You did."

"P-Phil, you're soaking wet!" she exclaimed, jumping up. "What happened?"

"I went for a walk and it started raining. I was drenched by the time I got back."

"Wait there, I'll go get a drying cloth," Amelia sighed, primly shuffling off down the hall. "No need for you to catch a cold."

He didn't respond.

Hell, he couldn't even find any energy to move after everything that had just happened. Even though he had so many unanswerable questions floating around inside his mind, he felt detached and strongly suicidal.

From the emotional agony of losing Ella, to the shock of taking his own life... to ending up in a strange place with bizarre changes in his body, and then being tortured and locked in a cage by a girl with Ella's face, he had been through hell and back.

He wanted nothing more than to kill himself a second time.

But he would wait... if only because she had given him a chance to say goodbye to the real Ella. He could ignore the memory prospect... all he wanted was a chance to see his true love one last time. That was more than he could have ever asked for.

Water dripped off his hair and landed on his shoulders as he sat there, staring blankly at the wall. He listened to his heartbeat, wondering how it could keep going even though it hurt so much, so much that it felt physical, as if a knife were sticking out of him.

He jumped when a towel was suddenly draped over the top of his head. 

Turning slightly, he glanced up to see Amelia's soft blue eyes regarding him sadly, an unspoken question in her gaze. Being careful about not touching his horns, she gently rubbed the cloth against his soaked hair, toweling his head off and wiping his shoulders.

After only a moment's hesitation, she also dabbed at the rabbit-like fur on his chest. casting slightly nervous and repetitive glances at him, but he didn't feel motivated enough to protest. She rubbed and patted gently until he was completely dry, but even then, he didn't move.

He didn't blink.

He didn't speak.

He only sat there... struggling to hold back his feelings, to keep them off his face, for her sake more than anyone's, but eventually she pulled the towel back. He thought it was over and tried to turn away from her, but she set a small hand against his cheek to stop him, pulling his face towards hers yet again and regarding him with a very gentle expression.