Never an Ever After

Serenity

SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER:

TO THE BONE-PAMUNGKAS

CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE

ELLORA

I Can’t afford to sleep in other’s house at this state, so I asked Demi to just drive me home.

She kept saying sorry but I am in no mood to entertain some absurd ideas she just made me.

I know she's not to blame for what happened, but I can't help but blame her and her impulsive decisions because she knows in the first place that Ronan will fight James. How she thought I would be glad to see James fighting inside a caged ring. No one would want to watch the person they love bloody and wasting their lives in a pointless game of the rich like them.

After she drops me off in front of our lawn, I didn’t even said goodbye to her and shut her apologies and run inside the safety of our house.

Am I even safe in here?

I changed my clothes in my comfortable sleep wear and tried to find sleep, luckily, I did.

Some time I feel him again whilst I am in the middle of my sleep, how can he do this to me even in my sleep? Or is this just a nightmare.

My snapped open when I feel someone on top of me.

It is Ronan.

And Papa is here, I had enough of him so I opened my mouth screamed for help but he’s fast enough to cover my mouth with his hands.

I tried pushing him off, and I feel that he’s not wearing a shirt.

My breath hitches as I touched her bare skin. He smirks.

“I can do worse.”

I nod as tears is building in my eyes again.

“But you already know that, don’t you?”

I just nod because he is still covering my mouth.

“Are you scared of me?”

I nod while my tears flow.

He licked my tears again just like what he did the night of the party. I closed my eyes unable to looked at him even more.

“Stay the f**k away from him.” He growls.

I shook my head as I said “I can’t.” through his hands.

That makes his body become rigid even more.

“You f*****g scream and I will kill your Father right in front of you.”

The mention of Papa and kill in one sentence sends me in edge and I feel a million fear inside me.

I just nods because I know he will do what he said.

He slowly removed his hands on my mouth, but he doesn’t leave on top of me as I feel his hard on.

Every girl here in Pennsylvania or other part of this world would die having him like this on them. But I am not like any other girls. I hate him. I despised him. I wanted to kill him.

“What do you want from me Ronan?”

“I know you know the answer to that.” He growls as he sniffing my neck and I can feel his breath on my skin that makes all the hair stood up.

I sobs “I can’t.”

“I want you to tell me that you will f*****g stay away from him.”

"Eight years ago, I remember telling you what James was to me. I told you I see myself marrying that man. I told you how I felt about him." He stopped moving. "I've waited a long time for James to notice me, and when he does you want me to stay away from him." I sobs as his hands gripped my waist tightly "What did I do wrong, Ronan? Let's finish this once and for all. Tell me what I did to you, so that I can understand why I deserve such treatment from you." I know I may sound weak or defeated. But this back and forth with Ronan will get me killed and made me f*****g insane.

He stood up and I didn’t move to my place as he looks at me all over my body. I think I am immune on his lingering gazed on mine.

He leaned closer to me and does something I didn’t expect; He kissed my forehead so soft and tender.

“Stay. Away. From. Him.” He said and turn his back on me “Sleep, Ellora.”

With that said, he once again jumped outside my bedroom window.

For the past days, he once again ignored me. not even sparing me a glance. Not that I am complaining. Demi also didn't get tired of apologizing to me, so after two days of ignoring her, I couldn't stand her either and forgive her.

That’s what friends are for, right?

At least now she knows that I do have triggers and boundaries. That I am not always available whenever she takes me.

Today, is the Saint Mary's festival and I have to practice. I haven't been to the Ballet studio for a few weeks to practice ballet just because I still can't. Today, Reena called me that next week I should be able to focus on my audition practice for Julliard. I have made a lot of excuses so that she doesn't realize that there's something wrong. Next week, I will try my best to overcome my fear and get back to Downtown.

I left a note to Papa saying that I will be in church, to practice.

Everyone will be I here in church town later tonight to watched the Saint Mary’s festival.

Children and adult that are church devotees prepared their respective presentations at the Saint Mary’s festival all over the city of Pennsylvania. Many food carts, fairs and vintage parties will spread throughout the church town later.

It is a very happy and loud festivities for the Patron of Saint Mary.

And I am the one who will start the opening remarks. Papa made sure of that. So, regardless I shouldn’t let him down and failed him. I should give my very best even here.

The time has come, everyone is prepared for everyone’s presentation before all the parties and fair starts there will be a fifteen minutes sermon, which will be presided over by Papa.

I am not nervous at all, because I have been doing this for so many years now that I overcome cold feet. I want everyone to see that the Reverend's daughter is perfect. Without flaws and tainted. Because I am only Papa’s joy and pride. I have to act that way, even if it means me being suffocated.

Thousands of people are here to join the festivities, as the host start his introduction and tells the audience about the essence of the festival

“So, as a gift from our beloved Reverend, Reverend Sullivan. He gifted us and glorifies us the love and the serenity of his only daughter. Let us all welcome as Ellora Sullivan will sing us the praises of our Ave Maria."

That’s my cue to step in the middle of the stage and starts singing “Ave Maria”

I can’t see anyone from her because the light is against all the people from down the stage and I am in the middle of the spotlight.

I can’t hear anything but my own voice singing.

They are all listening to me singing.

And when I stopped, I see a tall figure standing in front of me. wait, I know this figure.

It is Ronan.

He is standing in the stage in front of me, in just one swoop his hands are on my waist whilst the other is in the back of my neck. He pressed his lips on mine, soft and tender.

What is he doing?

And what shocks me even more is I kissed him back, once again.

Suddenly, there’s no people or anyone around us. There’s no light or darkness between us.

He stopped kissing me as he smiled at me, a very genuine smile.

A very happy smile for that matter.

I am breathless and so is he. He kissed my forehead again just like what he did that night. He turns around and walks away from me. unable to see him because of the lights illuminating.

Then all I can hear is the murmur and whispers of the people who just witnessed the Reverend’s daughter kissed by the Governor’s son.

What did we just do that?