DEOLYKOS

Chapter 2.

She watched her hair float around in the bubbly water that surrounded her, hugging her knees tightly and focusing on her breathing. It was almost like a ritual at that point. She would attempt to take her life, she would fail, try to convince no one in particular she was fine and run a bath to carefully try and bring her heart rate down. She could no longer look her nanny in the eyes when she returned from the beach, sand covering every inch of her body, her eyes bloodshot and her breaths erratic. Daniella always knew what to do – run the bath, don't ask too many questions, say a prayer, leave the room quietly. Then she was alone, and oh how lonely it was to be alone with herself. Almost against her will she watched herself run her index finger against her arm, then slowly but surely begin to dig her fingernail into her skin, turning her skin red raw and eventually drawing a few droplets of blood. She felt a wave of relief wash over her as the red droplets fell and stained the water, at least she could accomplish this, she could make herself hurt in the way she deserved.

A loud knock against her door pulled her from her far from tranquil thoughts and brought her to the present.

"Daniella? Did you forget something?" she asked after clearing her throat to strengthen her voice.

"This is definitely Daniella, I definitely left something in there that I desperately need." A smile found its way to her lips, and she carefully dipped her injured arm beneath the water, so as to hide it.

"Stop all that and just come in." She rolled her eyes as her doors flung open wide, and he swaggered into her room much like he owned it. His striking blue eyes met her hazel ones and the smile she had come to love adorned his face.

"Taking a bath?" She nodded quietly as he walked over to her, kneeling beside the tub that sat in an alcove near the back of her room, backed by wonderfully large windows that allowed the sunlight to bask over her.

Noticing her somber mood his smile dropped ever so slightly, and he placed his hand on the back of her neck playing with her hair softly and gently massaging her. "I came her earlier to look for you and you weren't here."

"I was...out." A frown overtook the smile that he'd had on his face. He shut his eyes for a second to focus on his breathing and opened them to find her staring at him, concerned.

"Why don't you...I...I don't wanna see you hurt. You're the most important thing in my life, please, just...I love you. I love you." He held both sides of her face and placed his forehead against hers, his glasses gently nudging her nose. He could feel tears welling up behind his eyes but refused to let them fall. He knew he didn't have the right to be mad, but he just didn't know how to show her he loved her enough. He didn't know why he wasn't enough, his love wasn't enough, to make her want to stay. He composed himself and pulled away from her, caressing her cheek in his hand.

"I'm...I..." She looked away and he shook his head to reassure her. She didn't need to apologize again. She didn't need to tell him she regretted it, and she didn't know why she couldn't make herself stop going there again. He knew. After every time he'd have to hate himself for not being there when she'd thought about it, for not calling her to check up on there, for not being there, for not being enough. He knew.

"Next time take me with you, ok? No matter what, take me with you. Promise me." She stared him longingly and forced a smile on her lips.

"I promise. You're so clingy. It's really a turn off, you know?"

He breathed out a sigh of relief to just be holding her in his arms, she'd clearly wanted to move on, and he didn't want to push her. Instead, he leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her forehead, the tip of her nose and a final one on her lips.

He beamed. "You and I both know nothing I do is a turn off."

She scrunched her nose at him. "Ugh, why am I dating such a whore?"