~Heart of Steel~

Silence and shadows

Chapter 9:

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the room. I stayed in bed longer than usual, trying to shake off the heaviness from last night's dinner. The silence in the house felt suffocating, as always. Elias had already left for work, and the emptiness of this place made me feel even more alone.

I forced myself to get up. My body still ached from the bruises, though they were starting to fade. I dressed slowly, not really caring what I looked like. There was no one to see me, no one to care.

I wandered downstairs, my footsteps echoing through the hallways. The house was massive, and every inch of it reminded me that I didn't belong here. The thought of running away crossed my mind, but I had nowhere to go. No one would help me.

I made myself a small breakfast, barely touching the food. The quiet gnawed at me, making every bite feel like a chore. My mind wandered back to the dinner, to the way Elias's father had grinned at me, his eyes glazed with alcohol. I shuddered.

As I cleaned up, I heard footsteps behind me. I froze, turning slowly. Levi stood in the doorway, his usual easygoing smile on his face.

"Morning," he said, leaning against the frame. "You look like you didn't sleep well."

"I didn't," I admitted, not bothering to lie.

Levi walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee, glancing at me. "Yeah, these dinners can be rough. Especially with Elias's father around. He can be... intense."

That was an understatement. I didn't say anything, just nodded. Levi didn't push. He sat down at the kitchen table, sipping his coffee.

"You know," he said after a moment, "it's not always like this. Elias is... complicated, but he's not his father."

"I know," I muttered, though I wasn't sure if I believed it.

Levi gave me a sympathetic look. "It'll get easier. Just give it time."

I didn't respond. Time was something I had too much of, and none of it seemed to make anything better.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I wandered through the house, tried to distract myself with books I found in the library, but nothing held my attention for long. By the time evening rolled around, the silence felt crushing again.

When I heard the front door open, I knew Elias was back. I stayed upstairs, unsure if I wanted to face him after last night's awkward dinner. But after a while, I heard footsteps outside my door.

A soft knock followed. "Isla," Elias's voice called from the other side, "we need to talk."

I hesitated before opening the door. Elias stood there, his face unreadable, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Can I come in?" he asked, his tone surprisingly calm.

I stepped aside, letting him enter. He didn't sit down, just leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"I'm sorry about last night," he said, not meeting my eyes. "My father... he shouldn't have talked to you like that."

"It's fine," I replied, though it wasn't.

Elias looked at me, his expression hard to read. "No, it's not. I can't always control what he does, but you don't deserve to be treated like that."

I didn't know what to say. I'd spent so much time trying to avoid drawing attention to myself, to stay under the radar, but here I was, having this conversation with Elias of all people.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not good at this... talking thing. But I want you to know that you don't have to worry about him. Or me. You're safe here."

I blinked, surprised. "Safe?"

Elias nodded. "Yeah. I know things have been... tense, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

The words hung in the air between us, and for a moment, I almost believed him. Almost.

"I don't really know what to say," I admitted, my voice small.

"You don't have to say anything," Elias said. "Just... be patient. Things will get better."

I wanted to believe him, but the uncertainty in his eyes told me he wasn't sure of that himself.

Before I could say anything else, he turned and headed for the door. "I'll see you at dinner," he said over his shoulder before disappearing into the hallway.

I stood there for a while, the room feeling even colder without him in it. Safe, he'd said. But I wasn't sure I knew what that felt like anymore.