Illuminated By The Darkness

Chapter- 38

Tiara:

"Tia, are you done?" Emily knocked on the bathroom door as I tied my hair up in a bun.

They were getting on my nerves and wouldn't let me out of their sight. The girls and Emily took their turns to babysit me. I was on the edge of breaking

"Tia?" she knocked again.

I sighed grinding my teeth and opened the door.

"What took you so long?" she asked.

Everything they said and did took my rage to a level up. I have never felt this way. And I hated it. This feeling of being on the edge was ignited by Eugene two days ago when he last visited me. From then on it was a constant struggle to hold on to myself.

I sat down on my bed and ignored the food that was kept on the nightstand.

"You cannot hide forever Tia" she said.

My palms fisted and I bit down on my tongue. What has gotten into them?

"You can try and avoid me as much as you want dear, but you can't do that same with Eugene." Was she threatening me?

'I will break every shield that you have built around you. No matter how high or strong, I am going to break it.'

I closed my eyes as I remembered his words. My breathing became rapid. I hated what I felt now.

"Come on Tia, you need to eat" Emily said.

I grit my teeth. My anger was threatening to overflow. I laid down on my bed and pulled the cover over me not wanting to snap at Emily. She was someone who made me feel what it was to have a mother figure.

"You haven't eaten anything since morning." She touched my hand.

I flinched and did not respond. I knew I was behaving like a child and Emily did not deserve this.

With an annoyed sigh she left the room, and I was relieved. I began to concentrate on my breathing.

But my relief was short lived when the door opened with a knock. I closed my eyes real tight when I heard the sound of shoes hitting the floor. As the footsteps became closer, I realized it was not Eugene.

It didn't matter who it was, I was not in mood to meet anyone.

The person stopped in front of me. I did not move a muscle as I pretended to sleep. Couple of minutes passed and I heard the footsteps retreating. The door closed softly indicating the person was gone.

I sighed.

Opening my eyes, I sat up on the bed. 

"Next time you pretend to sleep don't close your eyes that tight. That's a big tell."

I jumped out of my skin and turned to see Hugh standing there with a smirk. He tricked me into believing he left the room.

I should have been feeling guilty on seeing Hugh. If I had stuck by Hugh's side at the fair like Eugene had asked me to, things wouldn't have got out of hand like this.

I turned giving him my back. What did he want? Why wouldn't anyone let me be on my own?

"Eugene has asked me to bring you to his office" he said.

Where was Vicky?

"Emily wasn't feeling well. Nathan is out at the Avenue taking care of the people who got hurt at the hotel, Vicky and Phoebe has taken Emily to meet him there" Hugh said as if he heard my thoughts.

Oh no! Was I the reason Emily fell sick?

Without Vicky how was I going to face Eugene?

I bent forward resting my elbows on my knees and hid my face behind my palms.