Emilia

02: Emilia

-Emilia-

The door made a clicking noise, notifying me that it had been unlocked. I didn't get much sleep considering every time I'd breathe, I'd take in the unpleasant smell of spaghetti that was drenching my clothing. I debated on whether I even wanted to get out of the closet or not. I didn't want to be in his presence. But the way that I was smelling gave me a reason to leave. I was also in desperate need of a shower.

I slowly stood up from the floor and my hand shook as I reached for the knob. I turned it slowly and pushed it wide open to see the bedroom being empty. Had he left for work already?

"Emilia." His voice crept into my ears like a terrible melody. I froze in my spot and I turned around slowly, my eyes meeting his chest as I continued to avoid eye contact.

He walked towards me and I bit down on the inside of my cheek nervously and tapped my fingers together to calm me down. His hand reached over towards my face and I side eyed it with caution. He took out a noodle from my hair and he flicked it to the ground. He tucked my hair behind my ear, his finger tips grazing the back of it.

"You know I love you right?" He said gently and my eyes met his. They weren't remarkably close to being filled with anger. If anything, they were the exact opposite. It was almost as if he felt regret for what he did to me.

"Yes." I answered softly and his hand caressed my cheek. I closed my eyes at the feeling of his warm hand touching my face. This was the first time he's touched it in a harmless manner. It felt good but it didn't make me hate him any less.

"Do you love me back?" He asked me and rubbed the pad of his thumb across the skin of my cheekbone. I didn't know how to answer that question. I care for him because I don't have the heart to hate him no matter how shitty of a person he is. If I hated him, I'd only end up getting hurt even worse. This was a tricky question because I don't love him either.

"I do love you." I responded softly with a lie as I nodded my head. A smile pulled over his face and it was a reminder of why I agreed to go on that date with him in the coffee shop. I agreed to go on a date with a man who was kind, loving and understanding. Not a man who's abusive, manipulative and a druggie. I have to be dating the evil twin because there is no way that they're the same person.

"You're my beautiful babygirl." He said softly and pulled my head close to him so that he could place a kiss on my forehead. I haven't seen him this nice in a long time and I missed it. I missed the days where he wouldn't come home drunk or drugged out of his mind. I missed the days where I didn't have to live in constant fear around him.

"Go get showered." He told me and I nodded my head. He watched me as I walked into the bathroom, making sure to leave the door cracked and I pulled off my stained and smelly clothing. I turned on the water until it was an even mixture of cold and hot with the hot water outweighing the cold by a smidge.

"I'm off to work now. I love you." Ryan yelled from inside the bedroom. I bit my lip, wondering if I should say it back to him or not.

"I love you too." I yelled over the noise of the water hitting the floor of the tub. The water ran down my hair and the water draining at the bottom turned light orange from the color of the sauce. I began to wash the hell out of every inch of my body, not missing a single spot. Noodles fell from my hair and onto the floor and I just watched as it slithered down the drain.