Numb Pain

Chapter 29

OH MY GOD WE'VE REACHED 1K! THANK YOU ALL SO, SO MUCH FOR THE CONSTANT SUPPORT AND VIEWS! Our updates will be a lot more frequent now, as we are trying to finish in the next two months to enter the wattpad awards. Jai, Ellie and Ethan's story will soon be put to rest, but don't worry as the prequel will be following soon!(: we have decided to name the prequel 'Beautiful Nightmare' due to it getting the most poll votes on deviantart. We love you all so much<3 I will be editing soon to get ready for the awards, so minor changes will be added to the story once it reaches completion. Nothing major will happen, so you won't have to reread it. Enjoy this chapter and please vote/comment!

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ETHAN'S POV:

Though she insists she is fine I cannot help but worry. I wish I could place her under a word other than crazy, but I am afraid nothing else will suffice. Her obsession with Jai seems to continue to worsen though, and despite my love for her, it scares me. The way she blames the dead man for a simple nose bleed, the way she cries out for him as if he is always there. It scares me too, how sometimes I find myself wondering that maybe, just maybe, he is there. If it were possible to see through her eyes, would she be right?

Though I hold everything together, I fear that if it weren't for me, the girl would barely be living, her son even worse off. I wish she would agree to see a professional about the whole thing. Perhaps it would enable her to live again, without being in constant fear of Jai's shadow haunting her, terrifying her from the things she wants (and needs) to do.

I love her. I know that now. At first it was merely the presence of a pretty girl whom I wouldn't mind getting to know more. But now I love her. I should be overjoyed that she had returned my statement today, and what we had of that kiss left fireworks thudding across my heart. Yet with everything going on, I wonder if she is just using me as an escape. She must miss Jai...even if he practically sentenced her to death under their relationship. I don't want to be a pawn for her to pretend to love, to fill half of the Jai-shaped hole in her heart.

Smudges of blood still stain my fingertips as I slip my arms around Ellie's waist and bring her close. My lips give a soft touch to her forehead while my right thumb traces the bumps of her spine, and I rest my chin on her crown with my eyes closed.

"I hate seeing you like this, beautiful." My words tremble for fear of how she may react. Will Jai make another appearance? "It scares me. I only want what's best for you, and for George."

She doesn't respond, only leans her head into the crook between my neck and shoulder and then lets out a muffled sob. I lay my left hand over her knotted hair and remain still, wishing for the moment not to be disturbed for I crave to remain in this embrace as long as life may allow. Minutes pass and I pull back my head to look at Ellie in those eyes full of heartache, to see the solitary tear that graces her cheek. I lift a thumb to wipe it away and offer a soft smile.

"It's going to be alright, Ellie. It's all going to be alright."

ELLIE'S POV:

I respond with a gentle smile in return, but as I glance over Ethan's shoulders I see Jai stood in the hallway. His face is stern and unforgiving, watching me as my arms curl around Ethan's neck, desperately seeking warmth and comfort. Ethan's words may be soothing to any other girl in any other situation, but here and now they mean nothing. Jai's head slowly tips from left to right - and then I know. No, things will not be alright. The devil that poses as my angel has more in store for us both.

My fingers hook together around Ethan's neck as I cling on to him, bringing us into a tighter embrace than before and I desperately hold onto the boy I can't afford to lose. A stinging migraine pulses through my head, as if it is being used as a pincushion, but I ignore it with only a flash of a glare sent in Jai's general direction. Before I know it, tears are streaming down my face, soaking the fabric of Ethan's shirt and leaving ripples of red veins to cross the whites of my eyes. He speaks no longer. He only rubs his left hand across the small of my back and twirls strands of my hair with his finger. I cannot be anymore grateful to the man. He knows what I need when I need it, and when I simply want to be alone. He respects me for who I am and not who I belong to, and such a feeling is so new to me that I am completely overwhelmed by him. The headache pounds at my temples, but while my eyes are closed and I concentrate only on the tingling warmth of Ethan's palm and fingertips, I can ignore Jai's looming presence.

All too soon, I hear whimpering from the other room. Fear flashes behind my eyes as I remember Jai's figure in the hallway, but I quickly realise he wouldn't dare hurt our child. Jai was sick, twisted and damaged but I know for a fact that he would never hurt something as innocent as a baby. Reluctantly, I pull away from Ethan's arms. He places a kiss on my cheek as I slip away into the living room, placing the beautiful babe in my arms and rocking him softly. I worry that he had begun crying for a feed, but it seems he only craves attention as I have done so often these past few weeks.

His baby blue eyes sparkle up at me while his lips appear to twitch into the smallest of smiles. I bring him close to my chest and savour the sound of his gentle gurgling. I remain with George cradled in the safety of my hold as a lullaby floats through the doorway. Turning my head, I see a man standing there. His voice is low, and gruff.

Not Ethan.

Jai.

His eyes are kind, while his mouth contorts menacingly around the words of sleep and stars. Somehow the notes that follow the movement of his lips do not come off as sinister but calming to the wriggling boy in my embrace and also soothing to myself. I am only disturbed by the curl of his mouth; the red-tinted spark in his eyes offers malice.

George falls silent but for the occasional sleep-heavy murmur, and I place him back in his cot, blanket tucked beneath his tiny frame. I turn to Jai.

"Why?"

He laughs, and the laugh seems to swallow the room and place it in darkness. I realise his presence here, now, is not due to his unruly love for me and my child.

"Oh Ellie, so naive." He smiles, but I am only repulsed by the emotion upon his features. Glee, but not glee in loving me - glee in haunting me.

"You mustn't forget who you belong to, sweetheart. This Ethan," he spits, apparently disgusted by the pairing of syllables I am growing to adore, "doesn't appear to know what is good for him. Forget him, my dear, or you will both surely regret the consequences." With that, his figure fades back to an empty space. His words ring in my ears, echoing. I lower myself slowly to the couch, and my gaze reverts to the sleeping baby. Ethan enters, carrying two steaming mugs. He places one down on the coffee table in front of me and I offer a faint smile.

He mustn't know. It will only hurt us more.

But maybe he knows too much already? I may already be too late to save him...