“Ella, take it easy.Slow down.”Zee grabbed her shoulder but she shook off his touch.
“I want to go.”
“I know, I’m going to get you home dear heart.”
“I mean now, Zee.”She said over her shoulder, passing an orderly pushing a patient in a wheelchair in the hallway.
The pounding of her heart propelled her to the exit where she found a bench by the entrance and sat and put her head in her hands.
“Ella.”Zee touched her back, and she flinched.
She bit her tongue, not wanting to cry.
“I’m not going home, Zee.”
“Yes, you are.”His tone was firm and low.
“I need space.”
“Space from what?Me?”Zee shot to his feet and spun away from her.
This isn’t what she meant.
She didn’t want to upset him.
Logically she knew that he couldn’t have done anything.
She knew this was out of his control.
“Zee…” When he didn’t turn around, her heart broke.
“Master, please…”
He turned, his eyes filled with sorrow and knelt on the ground, grasping her hands.
“Tell me what you need.”
Oh, how she hated that question.
But not paying attention to what she needed had gone on for far too long.
Ella didn’t consider herself a people pleaser, she stood her ground when she had to but the truth was, she loved taking care of other people and put herself at the bottom of the list in order to do that.
What would have happened if she told him not to take the job?
Or that she needed a change of scenery?
“I don’t know what I want, Zee.Something different.”She squeezed his fingers, hating how his eyes were clouded with hurt.
“I love our life, at least I’m sure I do, but maybe I want something different.”
“Ella, I don’t care what that difference is as long as you’re with me.I hate that you are hurt, that you have suffered and you want to run from me.”
Zee touched his forehead against hers and wrapped his arms around her wait and she let out a wail.
And once she started, she couldn’t stop crying.
He gently wiped away the hot spill of tears with his thumbs.
