His Heart (COMPLETED)

Chapter Thirty Nine: Forgiveness

(Ethan POV)

"When I lost Gracy- when we lost Gracy... I became horrible. I know that and I admit that. I was a horrible human being to you all, worse than before."

I watched as Isabella's back remained stiff, the muscles of her shoulderblades compressed together.
I watched as a grown woman slowly broke in front of seven very broken girls.
I watched as the eyes of an eighteen-year-old girl leaked with old tears.
I watched as I felt my heart skipped a beat.

"I regret it. Everything. Every bottle, every blow, every slip of my tongue. I cry myself to sleep realising I'm only killing you girls more."

Ms Bullen fell almost lifelessly on the chair near the stairs. She held her head in her hands and her body racked with fallen tears and memories. At that moment she wasn't the tall big and stern women she was before. She was fragile small and old.

A tug on my right hand drew my eyes down. A small teary-eyed Starla peered up at me.

"Hold me" She mouthed. My heart cracked at her scared fragile frame. I swooped her in my arms and cradle her head on my shoulder as she wrapped her hands around my neck.

(Isabella POV)

It was all so overwhelming. The revelations, the moment, the atmosphere. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I didn't pay any heed to the tears streaming down my cheeks as I watched Bullen show the first-bit of humanity besides anger and hatred.

I felt a dull ache in my chest slowly become pItch black. I felt it clawing to release. Anger, hatred, sadness; a complete turmoil.

I took a deep breath feeling it at the edge of the cup.

Tears still painting my cheeks in an endless stream, I slowly spin on my heel to glance around the room.
Two identical quivering girls clinging onto each other, two teenage girls sobbing heartbreakingly, and a best friend looking lost.

And then my eyes latched onto a shaking little girl hiding into a shoulder. My eyes skimmed up the neck to a sharp jawline. It studied the high cheekbones before moving onto the ever-so-straight nose.

Then his eyes.

Blue but green. Dazzling golden specks. All glazed over.

And then I felt a streak of light crack through the black. I felt it seep into and cover the darkness. I felt it remove the sadness.

The smallest of smiles played on my lips as I saw a confused yet loving smile Ethan sent me back.
I turned back to Bullen and I walked slowly, hesitantly towards where she sat. She was unaware of my movements, her body too preoccupied with the racking of her body as tears gushed out in uncontrollable fountains. When I overshadowed her I gently removed her hands from her face and took them in my own.

She stiffened before momentarily looking up. She gazed up at me, her bloodshot eyes drenched in confusion. I smiled at her once more and pulled gently, silently requesting she get up. She shifted unsurely before clumsily getting to her feet.

The years that passed I grew a bit taller than her. But I was still able to gaze into her dark brown eyes. Emotions in a whirling tornado behind her irises. I took a deep breath before saying-

"I forgive you."

Shock overpowered the room faster than you could say 'gobsmacked'.

Her facial expression was frozen before she said breathlessly, "Wh-why? And so easily? I-I-I was most horrible to you. Ho-how could you j-just forgive m-me like that?"

I closed my eyes softly.

"Isabella, remember that whoever does anything bad to you, whatever they do to you... the moment that they ask for forgiveness with tears in their eyes, sincere or not, - forgive them. Because you could die in an hour, week, month. You don't want to die holding grudges. Grudges and forgiveness... those two things could set you free or lock you up, the same concept like the truth."

My mum said.

"Mama, but what if they your family and did somethin' vewy vewy bad to you?"

Her eyes showed the love and cherish any four years old could ask for.
"Yes my darling, even if they are your family, even if it's the next-door neighbour, even if it's the love of your life, even it's a complete stranger. Forgiveness is the key to a better start.

That was one of the last good memories I had with my mother. One of the few I would cherish and live up to.

"Because someone once told me that I should never hold a grudge or not accept an apology. So, Ms Bullen, I forgive you." I smiled gently at her and I watched as a glimmer of unrenounced hope shower her eyes.

Happiness. That's all I was looking for and I was getting it. Slowly but surely I was getting my happiness.

She shockingly hugged me. A foreign feeling but a grateful one. I wrapped my arms around her as she repeatedly thanked me. Telling me that she will be better for all of us and that things are going to look up.

I know that this might seem absolutely absurd, but I'm tired of hating everything. Letting the hatred clog the happiness that it's constantly rejecting. People choose to be happy or sad. There's a difference between those who can't have it and those who won't have it. Those people who refuse it but need it the most.

I don't want to reject it. I want to be happy. I don't want to allow anything to block it. If the bigger things are my sadness then I'll make the small things my happiness.

A thud of small shoes hit the ground and a smiling teary-eyed Starla runs towards our hugging figures and wraps her tiny arms around our legs.

Then the twins'
Then Steph.

And before you know it, it becomes a huge group hug. We drop to the floor and I release my arms around Bullen to hug Starla tightly. Agnus wraps her arms around the others.

I gaze at all their close eyes and wet lashes. The little smiles on their faces showing me how they could also feel the happiness slowly spread.

I looked above their heads to see a smiling Ethan with his hands in his slack's pockets. He was leaning against the wall near the door and a small minuscule tear dropped from his right eye.

It dropped to the wooden floor gleaming in the dim-lit lobby.

"You are amazing" He mouthed to me.

My small smile broke out into a grin before I shut my eyes and hugged everyone tighter and revelled in the feeling of the hole in my heart slowly closing.

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Hey guys. I'm sorry for the late update but I've been a bit busy.

Anyway, what are your thoughts of Isabella's forgiveness and how do you feel about it??

Keep voting, reading, commenting and being amazing.

Love you guys

xoxo xcrazymonkeyx