Chapter 110 BRUISES AND ANSWERS
GALLAHAN'S POV
I counted it as a win that Willa neither chased me away nor blew her fuse and nagged my ears off.
After all, I had broken a promise and disappointed our kids.
BIG. TIME.
And that was a line that should never be crossed. Hurting Calisto and Gillian-whether intentional or not, physical or otherwise-was something Willa would cut my head and balls for.
Being a good father was a non-negotiable. Willa had also made it abundantly clear that our kids would always come first and foremost.
It was something I agreed with. Wholeheartedly.
Besides, my guilt and remorse wouldn't reverse the damage I had done. I could only imagine the crash after the twins' high when they realized I wouldn't be able to keep my promise.
Even then, I clung to hope that my battered state would court me some sympathy and the reason behind my delay would earn me understanding and forgiveness.
So knowing the thin ice I was standing on, I let the silence loom around us as Willa tended to my injuries. I sat still as a rock, not even wincing as she cleaned my wounds and applied varying healing salves all over them. And I could just tell with confidence that Sarina was as good a potion master as Zuleika was.
My skin was already tingling as the magical salves knit the tissue together, ultimately closing the gash on my cheek and the small cut on my chin.
The bruise on my cheekbone also felt as cool as ice, the bruise balm soothing the dull ache and chasing the ugly imprint. The only downside, though, was the undeniable scent of arnica that clung to me like a shroud.
"What happened to you?" Willa finally asked as she started to return the bottles of antiseptic and healing salves in the first aid kit, leaving only the bruise balm on the table, right next to my discarded shirt that had been tattered beyond saving.
"I left my key here," I said, clutching the ice pack tightly against the upsettingly large and tender bruise on my midsection. "You know I left a little too abruptly with nothing on me."
"I know," Willa replied with a sigh. "But that doesn't explain your current state and the fact that you failed to show up today."
She then pointed at the ice pack, which I then gave to her. "How is it?"
I shrugged slightly in response, but Willa gave me an unimpressed stare. Her green eyes were as enchanting as ever, swimming with annoyance and thinly veiled concern.
I couldn't help but chuckle, feeling warmth spread all over me. Her presence alone was enough to make me feel a whole lot better.
I was able to come home. To her.
And of course, to our kids.
"How is it?" Willa repeated, gesturing at my bruise.
I dared to move my torso here and there, just to test how painful it still was.
While it wasn't as bad as it was earlier, I was still quite sure that I wouldn't be able to engage in any roughhouse kind of playing with the twins anytime soon.
"A bit better," I finally said, leaning back on the couch once again.
Willa hummed, her gaze calculative and thoughtful at the same time.
"Alright. I'll put on some balm now, okay?"
I nodded at her, letting myself relax further on the couch.
Silence hovered around us once more, and the way Willa's gentle fingers-thickly coated with the bruise balm-brushed against the sore contusion nearly coaxed me to slumber.
"So?"
I hummed softly, almost a little absent-mindedly, as the tendrils of sleep still had a loose grip on me.
"Your explanation for today's events?" Willa prodded, keeping her voice as patient as possible.
It nearly made me grin.
"Oh, right."
I blinked a couple of times to snap myself awake, shifting slightly so I could be sitting a little more upright.
"So I didn't have the key you gave me, right?" I began to explain. "It would've allowed me to just get back here in a snap. But without it, I needed to travel the long way. And before you tell me that Zuleika and Maliya could've helped me travel quickly through magic, they had a very big row with my Dad."
I paused, taking a deep breath, as the memory of Zuleika standing her ground before my Dad emerged to the forefront of my mind.
It had been such a loud fight, one that was blown quite out of proportions.
Dad had been far from happy with her and Maliya. He had accused them of condoning the 'inhumane' treatment that the Alfieros had supposedly put me through.
While the muzzle and manacles were far from ideal, I understood the necessity of them given my situation. My Dad, however, was stubborn about the matter, taking it as a deep insult.
On the other hand, Zuleika did not take the accusation sitting down. For nearly my entire life, she and Maliya had been my constant and unwavering confidants; our relationship forged stronger through the thick and thin. So she made her own displeasure with my Dad known before finally making a dramatic exit with Maliya in tow.
"I hadn't heard from the two of them since," I continued, keeping my tone even so as not to betray my concern for my friends. "I wanted to reach out to them and iron things out, even if the problem was between them and my Dad... But I wanted to keep my promise to the twins first. And so I rushed to get here. Then on the way, I decided to make a stop in Ashbrick. It's roughly an hour away from here, and I also have a small cottage there. That's why I figured I could make a quick stop so I could shift back and get myself all dressed up for today."
Willa had a slight frown on her face, while her brows were deeply furrowed, creating a couple of crease lines in between them.
She was already done tending the bruise on my midsection, leaving the large patch of skin shimmering with the cool balm. But her gaze remained on the ugly injury as if she wanted to watch until the last hint of purple faded away.
"But your clothes," she said slowly. "They ended up all torn and singed anyway. Why?"
"Creature hunters," I answered, a bit of my vitriol bleeding out in my voice. "The very bane of my existence."