Mag-log inElle.I believe in taking my mind off the bad when things get worse.It’s a coping mechanism I developed somewhere between childhood and now, born out of simple necessity and the refusal to let dread swallow me whole.I don't always succeed at it but at least I try.It’s been over a week since Neil escaped, and a lot has changed.Aaron is on edge, well, more on edge than usual, which is saying something. He’s barely home, and when he is, he isn’t really here. It's like he's far away, tending to phone calls, following clues and even though I get why, it doesn't mean I like it.He stays out late almost every night, tracking down leads on Neil and Ivy, and each time he comes back empty-handed the silence between us gets a little heavier. It’s almost like they’ve disappeared off the face of the planet, which would be a comfort if I didn’t know any better.People like them don’t just disappear simply because you want them to. They wait. Which is a lot more worrisome.“Something on your min
ElleLife is absolutely fantastic.No, really I mean it. My husband loves me and I love him. And even better? I told him how I felt and didn't throw up or run away or both.I am on fucking cloud 9 and nothing is going to bring me down. At least that’s what I thought.Until three days later, when I wake up to find my husband speaking rapidly into the phone, it takes me a while to realise he’s speaking English.He ends the call on a harsh “Find them.” Before tossing his phone back on the bed, he swore harshly in a language I don’t understand.“Since when did you know how to speak French?” And why has he never spoken it to me before?He spins around, wild eyes softening as he meets mine.“Baby,” the nickname which usually warms something me from the inside instead today makes my skin prick with worry because that’s the emotion I see on his face as he looks at me.“What’s wrong?” I say, adjusting on the bed so I can cross my legs underneath me.He says nothing, inhaling sharply, while ru
Aaron.*Five years ago*“He went this way,” one of my pursuers shouts, barking the order for the others to follow. Fortunately for me, they do.Fucking hell.My uncle says something over the earpiece but I can hardly make out the words through the immense throbbing at my side. I clamp my hand over the stab wound at my side, forcing myself to ignore the warm blood slipping between my fingers.Damnit. I’ve been stabbed before, but the memory of a blade piercing through my skin and tissues doesn’t live up to the reality of this. This pain slowly consumes me, like I’m close to the brink of death.I was fairly certain the blade had punctured something important, but since I wasn’t particularly good at biology, I couldn’t guess exactly what had been hit.Not only was being stabbed rare these days, but it also required me to be stupid enough to let someone get close enough to do the damage, which apparently I was. When I found out the Italians had intercepted our shipments I should’ve know
Elle.Shit. Fuck. Shit. I didn’t want it to come out like that.Aaron stops his exploration, his eyes drifting up to hold my gaze. “You what?”“I- well, that was…”“Say it again.” He rasps breathlessly. He nips lightly at my chin and a low almost desperate whimper slips from my throat. “Say it again.” He repeats when the words fail to be uttered once more. I remain quiet not because I don’t want to say the words again, but because a sick part of me liked the desperate twinkle I saw gleaming in his eyes.“Please, Angel.” He breathes, “Don’t make me beg. I’ll do it if that’s what you want just let me hear you say it again.”My heart is at the front and centre of a marching band. He’s bluffing. He can’t possibly beg me to say those words again, can he?“Do it then.”Fucking hell. I did not just say that.But it’s too late. The words are free and I now have to deal with the consequences of my stupid actions.For a second, the only sound in the room is the heavy, jagged rhythm of our br
Elle“Are you okay?”Aaron asks as he lazily drags the rough pads of his fingertips up and down the slope of my shoulder as we lie cuddled together in bed.Ava and Nikolai came to get the kids shortly after we came back from the park and after what turned out to be a surprisingly emotional farewell, it’s just us again. We’ve been like this for the past hour. Talking about literally anything that comes to mind and kissing mid-way through it.I don’t know what’s more frustrating, the fact that he won’t do anything beyond kissing or the fact that I actually don’t mind it because at the end of the day kissing him is also amazing.“Y-Yeah?” I say but it doesn’t sound all that convincing.I haven’t told him what happened between my mother and me yet, but I have a feeling he can sense that something is bothering me.His fingers move to cradle my cheek, lightly brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Angel, you know you can tell me anything right?”“Why, because we fucked?” I try to
Elle“I’m sorry.” I glance down at the twelve-year-old sitting beside me on the bench. Her eyes, once locked on her phone screen, are now fixed on me instead.“For?”We’re currently at the park. The twins are running around with their uncle and while I was previously part of them I decided to take a second to catch my breath. When I sat next to Kira, I expected her to ignore me the same way she’s been ignoring me all weekend but she surprised me by actually speaking to me and not just speaking but apologising also.“I haven’t exactly been nice to you this weekend.”“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” she rolls her eyes but it isn’t in the irritated way she’s fond of.It feels playful somehow.“The truth is, sometimes I like to be alone. I don’t know if my uncle told you but I have a condition where I remember everything. I remember every touch, every sound, every taste and every person I’ve ever met. It gets too much sometimes and I just…” her voice trails like she’s searching for the right
Elle.The grand board room could serve as a direct copy of one of those over-the-top ballrooms you see in a historical drama, or a theatrical play, excluding the blood red walls, velvet flooring tempered with some type of gold colouring linking itself throughout the broad space of the room and the
AaronHer face is an unreadable mask as she scans through the contents of the documents. It's impossible to tell what she's thinking until she looks at me again, and I finally see the storm raging behind her eyes.Also known as the moment she realises just how fucking screwed she is.Before I came
We've made it to another year. Once again I hope you'll stick with me. You were the best part of last year and I can't wait to have a marvellous 2026 with you all ❤️
Elle"Jesus Christ, Elle"Aaron rushes over to my side in a flash, bending over to help me back on my feet. My butt stings on impact and my entire body must know that it's red because it goes on to replicate the shade in a fiery crimson.Christ. How long has he been standing there? Did he see me d







