The Loudest Silence

Isabella

"Isabella." A faint voice called. I could feel someone shaking my body, but I couldn't open my eyes. My body felt stiff, my fingertips were numb, and it felt as if I had lost all control of my body. "Isabella." The voice called again, louder this time. I could hear someone pacing around me before they knelt down beside me and placed their hand on my shoulder. 

"Bella, come on." The voice softly said. I could feel a ringing sound in the back of my head, and the pain in my head intensified as I attempted to force my eyes open. I still couldn't recognize that voice, but the nickname kept ringing in my head.

It was the nickname my mother and brother gave me.

Were they here right now?

Had they finally found me, and come to save me from Rick's wrath?

It was as if that name invoked something in my body, as I used whatever strength I had left to open my eyes. I felt my body take in a gust of air, before my eyes finally opened. The bright light coming from the window immediately pierced my eyes, forcing me to shut them. Taking a deep breath, I slowly lifted my hand, ignoring the resounding ache on my shoulder as I covered my eyes from the sunlight. Slowly blinking, I could feel my vision clearing, as the blurry figure in front of me morphed into a familiar face. I felt a mixture of both relief and disappointment as I locked eyes with a concerned Roman. Though I was relieved to see that it was Roman waking me up, and not one of Rick's men, I couldn't help but feel stinging pain knowing that it wasn't my mother or bother. 

Roman, who was crouched down on the floor, let out a sigh of relief as he stood up. It was only then that I realized that I was no longer laying on the hardwood floor. I wasn't even in the warehouse anymore. Before I could scan my surroundings, Roman's face hovered over mine, blocking my eyesight. His eyes were squinted as he assessed my face for injuries, before letting out a string of curses. Before I could say anything, Roman lifted his hands, and instinctively, I cowered in fear as my hands shot out to protect my face.

"Please." I weakly said as Roman's hand dropped. I could feel his piercing stare on me, yet I kept my face covered. For all I knew, Rick had ordered Roman to bring me here to finish where he left off last night. 

I could hear Roman let out a labored breath, as the bed dipped from his weight. I could feel his body beside my legs, as I shifted to the back corner of the bed. "Bella." Roman gently said as he placed his hand on the bottom of my leg. My eyes were still tightly shut, but I felt a glimmer of comfort at Roman's gentle tone. "I'm not going to hurt you." He continued as he moved over to where he could see my face. Slowly opening my eyes, I stared at his concerned eyes as he nodded his head at me. I could see the guilt lining his features as I cautiously sat up on the bed. There was still a considerable distance between us, but I felt more at ease knowing that Roman wasn't going to hurt me. 

"I'm going to grab you some medication and ice, okay? Just stay put and try not to move so much." Roman advised as he stood up from the bed. He was dressed in one of his usual dark hoodies, except this time his hood wasn't up and I could actually see his face clearly. Dark circles lined the bottom of his pupils, and it looked as if he hadn't slept all night.

Nodding my head in response, I watched as Roman stepped out of the room before I finally examined my surroundings. I was seated on a bed in the corner of what looked like someone's bedroom. The room was practically empty, aside from the bed and a bedside table perched next to the foot of the bed. The paint on the walls were chipped, and the only thing that indicated whose room it was, were the pile of clothes thrown in the corner of the room.