Arabella D'Angelo is just a shell of a girl, a mere presence floating through the halls of her Los Angeles home. Her once bright grey eyes and sunshine-like spirit was crushed by the weight of her abusive parents.
Living in a constant state of fear...
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The storm raged on outside, thunder rumbling ominously as I sat rigidly on my bed, wrapped tightly in the comfort of my warm duvet. The queen-sized bed, which usually felt like a comforting haven, now seemed far too big, making me feel small and vulnerable. The rain lashed against the windows, each strike a pointed resemblance of the turmoil brewing inside me.
My thoughts wouldn't stop racing. The conversation I had overheard between Killian and Kallias days ago had left me restless. It had sounded so cold, so calculated. It sounded so unlikely of them, the complete opposite of how they talk with me; humorous and playful.
The casual way they talked about beating someone up had shaken me up completely, maybe even more than I had realised it. The mere reminder of it left me feeling nauseous, probably because of my bitter interactions with violence in my past.
The whole day, the constant suspicions and doubts has been eating away my thoughts, each one morphing into something impossible to ignore. All the possibilities of them being someone they are not left an unsettling feeling in my heart.
I had started to trust them, open up to them about the parts of my life which no one knows about, as cheesy as it sounds. It is not like I have much of a choice, though. They are the only ones I have left now that my 'parents' are no more. Besides, it is not like they made me feel obliged to open up to them. They were nice and patient with me, something no one chose to be in my life.
Which only pushed the question further, do they not trust me enough with their secrets?
Another clap of thunder made me flinch out of my thoughts, my wide eyes darting back to the glowing TV screen. I have been watching a Netflix series named The Hollow Secrets, but no amount of gripping drama could keep my mind from spiraling to that night's remnants.
Too lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice when the door to my bedroom creaked open and a soft voice broke through the quietness.
"Ara?"
My head snapped toward the doorway, my heart skipping a beat at the familiar face. Kallias stood there, framed by the warm light coming in from the hallway. His chestnut blonde hair was slightly dampened and he was wearing a pair of grey hoodie with sweatpants.
"Kallias, hey." I murmured uneasily, my voice laced with surprise at his sudden appearance. "What's up?"
He stepped into the room wordlessly, closing the door behind him. His tall frame moved with an easy confidence, but there was a flicker of something more serious in his gaze. He sank onto the edge of my bed, resting his elbows on his knees as he looked at me.
