Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 72: A Time to Cry

Chapter Seventy-Two: A Time to Cry

Xaphile couldn't fall back asleep.

When they'd gone inside, everyone was out cold, still exhausted from the events of the previous evening.

Ella had lain down beside Amelia and had presumably conked out, but after he'd sprawled out on his stomach, he hadn't even been able to close his eyes.

For one thing, his back, his legs, and his arms were killing him, for another, his wings made lying down extremely uncomfortable in such a confined space, but most of all... after the things he'd seen because of Zelphira, he felt sick.

Sick in his stomach, sick in his heart, sick to the very core of his being.

So sick that he genuinely wanted to either vomit or just curl up and weep.

It was a wonder that he hadn't done either already.

He didn't want to think.

He didn't want to relive those moments.

But he couldn't shut the visions away.

He continued trying to fall back asleep for a long time, but nothing he did worked.

Eyes finally watering, he sat up and pressed his hands against his face. He sat there for several moments, trying to calm himself down, but the tears wanted to come out so he decided to head outside. Sniffing, he futilely rubbed his face dry, climbed to his feet, and left the lodge. 

The sky was brightening off in the distance and it smelled like rain.

Too bad it wasn't raining now.

He closed his eyes as a hot wash of tears slid down his cheeks and after taking a deep, trembling breath, he headed for the copse of trees. It was impossible for him to hide his true feelings since the anguish had fully enveloped his heart again.

It had been filled like a cup, and was now overflowing in the only possible way.

The memories were too harsh.

Seeing Connie... seeing his own father... seeing everyone... all of them crying.

Crying over him.

It had crushed a piece of his heart that he hadn't known was still there.

Once he made it to the copse of trees, he sank down on the damp grass. His tail swept to and fro, annoying the hell out of him, but it felt so good to just sit there and cry... to hide from the world outside and avoid showing anyone else the inner pain that would probably never go away.

Eventually, the tears would have to stop. He couldn't let anyone know how unhappy he was.

After he'd had a minute to himself, he would put on a calm face and pretend to be his usual self.

At least, that was his plan.

As said before, fate had a funny way of kicking him in the ass.

Without warning, an odd pressure emanated from his wings, and someone's arms suddenly wrapped around his shoulders from behind. He froze mid-sob when he heard a disgruntled sigh.