Chapter 27 #4
"Elowyn," Seraphina said as softly as she could.
The girl jumped, a sharp, sudden jerk of surprise that made her wobble on the top of the fridge. Seraphina flinched, her composure shattering as she moved with panicked speed to the base of the refrigerator, her hands hovering in the air waiting to catch the fall if it happened.
Elowyn took a shaky breath, steadying herself, but she didn't turn around. She kept her face hidden, her focus entirely on the dark back corner of the cabinet.
"I thought you were William this whole time," Elowyn said, her voice sounding a little strained from the effort of the stretch.
"What are you doing up there? You're going to fall," Seraphina pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I'm looking for my apple juice glass," Elowyn answered.
Seraphina's gaze swept over the kitchen island, spotting a plain water glass sitting near the fruit bowl. "There's a glass on the table."
"No," Elowyn replied, still not looking back. "I'm looking for my glass." She paused, her fingers tracing the edge of the shelf. "It's all white with a smiley face on the front. I just used it yesterday."
"If you used it yesterday, why in the world would it be up there, Elowyn?" Seraphina exasperated.
"Good point," Elowyn mumbled, pausing her movements briefly, before stubbornly resuming her search.
"Elowyn, you're going to fall," Seraphina repeated.
"I'm not going to fall. I have good balance."
"The balloon incident says otherwise," Seraphina deadpanned. "And you literally almost fell just now."
"No I didn't. I just wobbled."
Seraphina stayed alert, her hands still slightly raised as she searched the area with a sharp, thorough intensity, until finally, her eyes landed on the kitchen sink.
There, half-buried under a stack of clean dishes, sat the familiar glass.
"I found your glass," Seraphina said, looking back at the girl, who was still faced the other way. "You can get down now."
Elowyn's ears perked at the revelation, though that familiar, restless stirring she always felt around the woman began to coil in her chest.
"No," she said, not knowing why she was refusing since the glass was already located. Talking back wasn't in her nature, but pushing Seraphina's buttons had become a strange, addictive habit.
"No?" Seraphina purred.
"You heard me," Elowyn said with as much sass as she could muster.
Seraphina had enough. She wasn't necessarily scared that Elowyn would fall, since she was there to catch her. She just didn't like being ignored, and she certainly didn't like the flippant, dismissive tone radiating from the girl's back.
As sweet and adorable as Elowyn was, she had a bratty side to her that Seraphina was dying to tame.
And maybe Elowyn felt like it was okay to be that way since Seraphina had been so lenient, worried that she might scare Elowyn away.
But that needed to change. The girl had to be put in her place, even if gently- for now.
"Elowyn," Seraphina's voice dropped an octave, losing its earlier frantic edge and hardening into a cold, clipped command.
Elowyn didn't even flinch this time. She just continued to the next cabinet.
"I'll give you exactly three seconds to get down from there before I remove you myself."
Elowyn finally went rigid. She didn't turn, but the bravado in her posture faltered, her shoulders dropping just an inch as the weight of Seraphina's tone fully registered.
?A thin smile touched the woman's lips as she watched the blatant disregard. The patience she had been holding onto for Elowyn was rapidly evaporating.
"One," Seraphina counted, the single word echoing against the walls.
Elowyn didn't move, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of the cabinet.
"Two," Seraphina continued, her hand sliding up to rest firmly on Elowyn's calf, a grounding, warning pressure that made the girl flinch.
Elowyn exhaled a shaky breath, finally turning her head just enough to catch a glimpse of Seraphina's sharp, unforgiving profile. The defiance was still there in her eyes, but it was flickering, overwhelmed by the sheer force of Seraphina's command.
"You wouldn't," Elowyn challenged, her voice trembling just enough to betray her. She felt as if Seraphina's stare was burning holes in her back.
"Try me."
"You're not gonna do anything. I already know you," Elowyn refused to budge.
Seraphina didn't waste a third count. Before the word could leave her lips, she surged upward.
Her hands moved from Elowyn's calf to her waist, gripping with a sudden authoritative strength that left no room for resistance.
She lifted Elowyn off the refrigerator with an effortless, fluid motion, bringing her down to the kitchen floor in one sweep.
As she held her, a jolt of surprise ran through Seraphina- she hadn't anticipated just how light Elowyn would be, the girl feeling almost fragile, like a doll in her firm grasp.
Elowyn didn't move. She stood rigid, her brows furrowed into a deep, jagged line as she stared at the floor, trapped in a swirl of conflicting emotions.
Her pulse was hammering against her throat, feeling a confusing rush of heat that she didn't understand.
She couldn't decide if she was genuinely offended by the way she had just been handled- lifted and placed like a ragdoll without a second thought- or if a part of her was quietly, dangerously thrilled by the absolute control Seraphina had just exerted.
She felt the lingering heat from Seraphina's hands on her waist, the physical assertion still humming under her skin. When she finally tilted her head back, her breath caught as Seraphina extended her hand.
Held between those long, manicured fingers adorned with gold rings was the white cup, with a small smiley face, retrieved from the sink.
Elowyn's face lit up, already forgetting what had just happened. She looked up, intending to offer a quick word of thanks, but the words died in her throat the moment her eyes traveled over Seraphina.
She took in the deep, burgundy ensemble- a fitted, ribbed turtleneck dress that clung to Seraphina's frame, paired with a long, structured coat draped over her shoulders like a heavy cloak.
It was overwhelming, the way the rich, dark shade commanded the entire kitchen, making Seraphina look both imposing and impossibly elegant.
It made Elowyn feel suddenly, acutely small- and not in the way she was used to.
She looked away sharply, turning her back to the woman and retreating toward the refrigerator.
"Are you alright?" Seraphina's voice was lower now, laced with a hint of concern that vibrated in the quiet kitchen.
"I don't know," Elowyn replied, the words clipped and breathless as she yanked the refrigerator door open, frantically reaching for the carton of apple juice.
Before she could move away, she felt Seraphina's warm fingers thread through her hair, dragging them down until she reached the ends that hung near her waist.
A violent, electric shiver raced down Elowyn's spine, leaving her knees weak.
"I like the ribbon," Seraphina murmured, twirling the girl's hair around her fingers.
Elowyn let out a high, involuntary squeak, quickly abandoning the fridge and scurrying toward the kitchen table, patting a hand over her racing heart.
Seraphina didn't move to follow immediately. She turned, her gaze tracking the girl's retreat with an unreadable, intense focus. "Are you really okay, Elowyn? What's on your mind?"
Elowyn poured the juice, the liquid splashing slightly against the sides of the glass. She took a steadying breath, forced herself to turn back around, but kept her gaze hovering somewhere in Seraphina's direction rather than meeting her eyes.
"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," she whispered.
Seraphina stood motionless as the words hung in the air. She had been called beautiful more times than she could count, the word had been tossed at her like common currency by past lovers and strangers alike for most of her adult life.
But months ago, if someone had told her that the most profound iteration of that compliment would come from a girl standing in a kitchen wearing mismatched socks, she would have laughed in their face.
Watching Elowyn, she observed the way the girl shifted her weight, refusing to meet her eyes.
She had only known the girl for a little over two months, but that was long enough to learn the rhythm of her mind.
Elowyn didn't possess a filter; she operated with a raw, unfiltered sincerity that was entirely alien to the social games people usually played.
Whether the thought was favorable or damning, if you asked Elowyn what was in her head- or occasionally even when you didn't- she would lay it out for you with complete clinical transparency.
It was simply the way her brain functioned, a stark and beautiful lack of guile that made her incapable of performative speech.
And that was exactly why this hit differently. Elowyn's absolute, brutal honesty was the most disarming thing she had ever encountered.
Seraphina's expression remained composed, but her eyes darkened, a flash of something unreadable- something deeply moved- passing through her gaze as she processed the weight of the girl's truth.
And just as she was about to say something, a crash came from just outside the kitchen.
"You fucking idiot!" came William's hushed voice. "They were having a moment and you decide to trip me now?!"
"Will?" Elowyn said softly.
"Hey, Ellie," William chuckled awkwardly, finally showing himself. "I tripped over this side table here," he scratched the back of his neck.
"Are you okay?" Elowyn asked.
"I'm fine," he muttered, refusing to meet Seraphina's intense stare.
"Perfect timing, Mr. Bennett," Seraphina smiled sarcastically, her tone devoid of any actual joy.
"Yes, perfect timing Will! Look, Seraphina just found my glass," she held the cup to him excitedly, not catching Seraphina's sarcastic tone, and definitely not noticing the tense atmosphere.