His Destructive, Toxic Love

Eliza shook her head, her eyes a whirl of disbelief and sympathy. How did it come to this? What kind of pain had he endured to end up in such a state? She noticed a shift in her gaze, something deeper than simple disgust a mix of empathy and confusion about his struggles. Casper gave a wry smile, as if he'd seen this coming from a mile away. "Go back, Eliza. Don't come here again." He refastened his shirt, trying to keep up a calm front, though his fingers trembled against each button. Imagining it was one thing; facing it head-on was another beast entirely. Confronting old wounds made the pain sharper, more real. Pretending to be calm and pushing down his own hurt was all he could manage.

"Casper," Eliza said, her voice catching with emotion, "Did you deceive me because you were hurting?" Casper stayed silent, as if his throat was bound tight. How could he possibly explain?

In the quiet, Eliza stepped back to him, her gaze searching his eyes. She wasn't impressed with his self-sacrificing act. "You lied about being dead, snuck into the award ceremony, got my phone back, threw a party for me, and followed me everywhere even to the hospital for the birth. Casper, if you were letting go, why do all of that?"

"Am I to understand you told everyone else you're alive everyone but me?"

Her heart was breaking. He'd deceived her and her alone. Why? He knew she was carrying his child; how could he leave her to face it alone? Raising her hand, Eliza slapped him hard. That slap held all her anger at his deceit, her own hurt, and was a reprimand for his misguided choice. The slap knocked his silver mask askew.

He said nothing, just adjusted his mask. If she wanted to hit him, fine. No complaints, no resentment.

"Casper, what are you so afraid of? Tell me." Eliza reached to remove his mask, but he quickly stopped her hand. "Don't."

She didn't know what lay behind the mask, and honestly, she didn't care. What mattered was that he was alive. Why couldn't he see that?

"I'm not afraid, so why are you?"Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Elle, please. You'll regret it, you'll

have nightmares. I... I'm not the Casper I used to be." He covered his face, pain etched in every word. He didn't want his disfigured face to haunt her dreams or make her scream in fear. He admitted he couldn't get past this hurdle himself.

"Whether you're still Casper or not, I need to see for myself." She insisted, trying to remove the mask, but he held it tight, refusing to budge. Eliza's frustration bubbled over, "Are you going to wear that mask forever? Someday, you'll have to take it off. If not for me, what about for your sons?"

She tried to reason with him, but he pushed her away, coldly stepping out. Eliza hurried after him, blocking his path "Casper, are you even a man if you can't face these scars? How are you going to handle the rest of your life?"

"Leave," he snapped, unwilling to waste words.

"I won't."

Today, she was determined to see him without the mask. She understood it was his shield, but he was human. No one could live forever isolated behind emotional walls. "Don't you get it?" he said, his tone icy and impatient. "Get out, do you hear me?"