Love Will Take You

Perdão

Love is easy when you think about it. It’s accepting someone; faults and all, unconditionally. It’s overlooking when they throw their clothes on the floor instead of the laundry basket, leave their dirty dishes in the sink...or that they prefer blood to food.

But forgiving someone...it’s the hardest. When you’ve hurt someone so badly, it’s an uphill battle gaining their trust again. In the last week, I had been climbing Mount Everest.

And not doing a very good job of it.

After I arrived home, I saw Louis every few hours. He’d deliver a tray of fattening and healthy food to wherever I was in the house. He’d tried to wake me to eat, but I drew the line. 

Tonight’s exchange didn’t go as well as I had hoped.

“Good Evening, Daria,” he said coldly.

“Good Evening, Master Louis,” I smiled meekly. “Thank you,” I said touching his arm as he set the tray on the table in the sitting room. I still couldn’t enter the media room. He pulled his arm back as if the sun had burned him. I dropped my hand and slunk into the seat.

“You left some of the fruit I brought for your afternoon tea.  Please try and eat everything. I’ve made the portions smaller to make it easier,” he said lifting the lid.

He’d made pot roast, carrots, jacket potatoes and a mousse of some sort.

“I will try.”

He nodded stoically and left the room.

Eating had become a chore. My stomach had shrunk. I choked down as much of the food he provided.  I knew I’d gained weight. My clothes were hanging differently in the last few days. It still didn’t seem to be enough for him though.

I laid the book of poetry I had been reading face down to save my spot and pulled the plate onto my lap. I unrolled the linen wrapped silverware and took a bite of the potatoes. I wondered how he could continue to cook all of this food and not be bothered by it. Liam had always left the area when I ate, not being able to handle the smell.

I’d tried with Liam too.

Two nights ago, I swallowed my anxiousness and asked if he wanted to watch a film in the media room. He stared at me for a moment and went back to taking care of the house plants.  Glenne had taken me to the College so I could complete some paperwork.  As soon as I was out of the car, she was texting someone. When I returned to the house, Liam was at the front door waiting.

“I told you Glenne was taking me to the college,” I said as he stepped aside.

He nodded, closed the door and disappeared.

Niall wouldn’t look at me. When I greeted him, he’d nod and continue with whatever he was doing. While I’d thought Liam was going to be the hardest one to make it up to, I was wrong.  Niall was obviously the most hurt and angry.

I continued to pick at the food on the plate; not an ounce of hunger in my body. I managed to finish the meat, leaving only a few carrots and a bit of potato.  The mousse was going to have to wait.

The sun had gone down, the backyard bathed in moonlight. I placed the plate back on the tray. Taking the small bowl with me, I stepped onto the patio.  The week after we moved into the house, Harry had a large granite table delivered.  It was massive and made no sense to me. I was the only one who used it. I would have been happy with a small table for two.

“Did you need something, Master Niall?” I set the mousse on the table. His room was above the sitting room and I could feel someone watching me.