Chapter Six
Eliose
I sat down in the train depot bathroom and wrapped my arms around my legs before sobbing. I grieved properly for the first time since fleeing. I relived the pain, fear, and betrayal I’d suffered from the church, Billy, and my parents’ deaths. I cried from the hurt at the way things should have been and from the realization things would never be the same. I could never go back home. I’d never see my parents’ graves again. I’d never sleep in my childhood bed, I’d never have any childhood mementos, but that wasn’t what hurt the most. My heart was breaking because I was leaving Blade behind. He’d been so sweet to me, so gentle. I knew leaving him behind also meant leaving something special behind. Reaching into my backpack I pulled out a sweatshirt he’d left that morning. Lifting it to my face, I breathed in his earthy scent.
I wasn’t just leaving him behind either. Rogue, Tinsley, Leland, Tyler, and Elliot had all been so wonderful. I’d miss them too. Growing up in the church had always been hard and I’d never really had friends. I’d gone to a private school with a graduating class of twenty-three. Even though I’d fled only a few weeks ago, I realized I’d been on my own a lot longer than that.
Guilt nipped at my heart too. I’d left a note for everyone telling them how much I appreciated them and I’d been so sure I was doing the right thing, but maybe they’d been right. Maybe I should have just stayed—trusted them to help me. Making the right choice shouldn’t hurt this badly, right? What if I hurt Blade more by leaving? What if Tinsley couldn’t understand? I wrestled with my choices, my stomach cramping from stress.
Was I always going to let Billy have this much control over my life? I had a chance at a life in Strickland; was I going to ruin that because I was scared?
No. I couldn’t. I’d spent so long wishing for a good man, wishing for friends, I couldn’t lose all of that now.
Taking a deep breath, I stood and wiped my eyes. No. I was done running. After washing my hands and face, I left the bathroom and limped across the lobby of the station. I’d walked so many miles already, but that was nothing compared to knowing I was walking back into a chance at a better future.
“Eloise?” someone called.
Turning to look, I saw Leland standing in the middle of the lobby. He ran to me as soon as I’d fully turned around.
“Hi,” I said, giving a little awkward wave. Did he know I’d run away?
“Oh, hi, sweetheart. We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” he said, pulling me close.
Yeah. He knew.
He stepped back and pulled out his phone, calling someone. “I’ve got her, Blade.”
“Blade?” I questioned, stepping closer to him. He hugged me again and said, “She wants to talk to you,” before handing me the phone.
“Blade?”
“Eloise, baby! Are you okay? I’ve been so worried. Fuck, I’m coming to get you right now, okay? I’m about fifteen minutes away.”
“Okay. I’m really sorry I left. I thought I was doing what was best for you all, but I didn’t even make it out of Strickland and I already miss you. You’re right. I’m safe now, and Billy can’t hurt me.”
“You’re right, baby, he’ll never touch a hair on your head again.”
I knew Blade would protect me if Billy ever came looking for me. I trusted him.
“I’m going to stay in Strickland. With my n-new friends.”
Leland winked at me and I smiled back. It felt good to have people on my side.
“I’m so damn thankful you stayed, Little girl. I just found you, I don’t know what I would do if I lost you already.”
His words made my tummy flip-flop. I didn’t know what I would do if I lost him either. He’d brought me so much comfort already.
“Blade?” I asked. “I promise to never leave again. Are you mad at me?”
He chuckled softly into the phone. “If you were my Little girl, you’d have a long sit in the naughty chair, but no, I’m not mad. I’ll never be mad at you, even when you make naughty choices.”
***
Blade
Pulling into the parking lot, I slammed the truck in park and rushed through the double doors. I trusted Bash to handle everything else. We’d had to go back to the factory, shower, and dispose of our clothes before I could even get to Eloise. It had taken no more than an hour, but it felt like forever. Leland had offered to take her back to Elliot’s for me and while I appreciated that, I didn’t want her to move from the train station until I could see her with my own eyes.
“Blade!” she cried as soon as she saw me.
Using my long legs to eat the space up between us, I lifted her into my arms and held her tight.
“I’m so sorry. I should have listened to you all.”
“I’m so glad you stayed, Little one. That’s all that matters. Let’s get you back to Elliot’s, okay?”
“C-can you stay with me there for a while?”
“I will stay with you all day, darlin’.”
***
“Alright, love. We’re hooked all back up and your antibiotics are running though now. Are you sure you don’t need anything for pain?” Elliot asked Eloise.
“No, sir. I’m really sorry.” She apologized for the tenth time since we’d been back. Poor thing. Guilt was really going to eat her alive.
“We all understand why you did it, honey. And we’re not mad. But if you ever try and run away again, we’re going to make you go live in the pond,” he said, teasing her.
“The pond?” she asked, looking horrified.
“Tell her about the pond, Tinsley,” Elliot said.
“Is for all the silly gooses. If you’re going to be a silly goose and run away again, you gotta go live in the pond.”
Elliot laughed and ruffled Eloise’s hair when she giggled.
“Tinsley has been sent to the pond a few times, huh, baby?” Tyler asked her.
“Yas-huh,” she agreed with an adorable little nod.
Tyler scooped her off the bed. “We’ll be back in a little while. You guys call us if you need anything.”
“Where are we going?” Tinsley asked Elliot over Tyler's shoulder.
“We’re going to give Blade and Eloise some time alone,” Tyler explained as they took the stairs up to the main floor.
“Why?”
“Because they need it,” Elliot explained.
“Why?” she asked again, making me chuckle from where I was sitting on the bed beside Eloise.
“You’re about to go live in the pond, kiddo,” Tyler said as he closed the door, shutting out the sound of Tinsley’s constant questions.
Lifting my hand, I tucked some hair behind her ear.
“Am I-I in trouble?” she asked, actually looking fearful.
“No, darlin’. Not even a little,” I assured her, taking her hands and making her let go of the blanket she was holding so tightly. She trembled slightly and this time not from her persistent fever.
“Hey, look at me, Eloise.”
She obeyed.
“You will never be in trouble like you’re talking about ever again. That was abuse, Eloise. Abuse of power and an abuse of your trust. You are perfectly safe here. We will never put our hands on you.”
She nodded.
“Do you spank the others?” she asked. Her sweet mouth crinkled on one side as she worried about something I couldn’t quite understand.
“I used to play with Rogue before she and Leland got together and I did spank her.”
She nodded.
“With what?”
“My hand and sometimes a belt.”
“Did she cry?”
“No, she didn’t because she didn’t need a spanking for emotional release.”
“What did she do to earn the spanking?”
Finally the flood lights came on in my brain and I realized what she was trying to ask.
“Eloise, are you asking about punishments?”
“Yes.”
“There is a huge difference between a punishment spanking and the abuse you endured.”
“I know, but it’s kinda the same too.”
“How so?”
“Well, with B-Billy I did something he thought was bad and he spanked me and if I’m a Little and I do something bad someone would spank me.”
I choked down the possessive groan at her mention of someone that wasn’t me.
“I know that Billy beat me. Like I know I wouldn’t be spanked that hard again, but I don’t know if I could handle it,” she admitted with tears pooling in her pretty green eyes.
“And that’s okay. You can negotiate to never be spanked, sweet girl.”
“I can?”
“You can. Sometimes people don’t like, want, or even need spankings.”
“But, what if I broke a rule that someone thought was bad?”
“Well, the great thing about dynamics is that the people in them agree on a set of rules and you would only be disciplined if you both agreed you broke a rule.”
“Oh,” she said, clearly processing.
“Yeah. You see the difference? Billy abused you because he felt like you’d broken a rule, but you didn’t really feel that way, did you?”
She shook her head.
“That’s where it's different. Billy was a dictator, and you’d be with a Dom. A good Dom will always put your health and safety first, and that includes the safety of your mind.”
“Oh, that’s really good.”
“And there are lots of ways to discipline a naughty Little one.”
“Like what?” she asked, looking worried again.