Read Online No Happily Ever After (The Fairytale Diaries #1) by Amanda Gatton - Free Book Online

I saw some nasty cuts on Brittany's arms."
    He looked at her with wide eyes.  "Wow.  Really?  She didn’t strike me as the type to cut."
    "She's not," Ella said.
    "Well, I wonder why she did it?" he said, a sad look of concern passing over his face.
    And then it became clear to Ella.  The Dark girls couldn't win his affections with charming personalities or womanly wiles, for they possessed none of that.  Instead, Brittany would attempt to sway his favor in her direction using pity.
    Ella sighed.  She wondered just what Lexi had in store.
    ***
    The Dark women had never been as cruel to Ella as they were from that day forward.
    Despite their best efforts, Nicholas made it abundantly clear he wanted nothing to do with Brittany and Lexi.  And, he made every effort to shower Ella with his affections.  So of course, the twins were enraged.  And when the twins were unhappy, Thelma was practically crazy with her fury.
    In the late, secret hours of the night, Ella plead with Nicholas that he must leave her alone.  That he must not anger the Darks.
    "Please, Nicholas, please," Ella begged.  "If you make them angry, I will pay the price!"
    Nicholas swept her into his arms and gave her a dark burning gaze.  "No one will ever hurt you, Ella.  Never again."
    Tears welled in her eyes.  "Oh Nicholas, if you try to protect me, they'll just send you away!  Don't you see?"
    He shook his head.  "No Ella.  That won't happen.  Or at least, I won't be leaving without you."  He delicately kissed her forehead.  "Shhh…  I promise, Ella.  I promise."

Chapter 11
    T heir incidents of self-mutilation became more and more disturbing.  Having only just met the Dark twins, Nicholas couldn't help feeling concerned and alarmed.  Whenever another event was staged for his benefit, he responded with compassionate lectures, calling them beautiful creatures who deserved self-respect.
    Lexi began by wearing a corset.  Brittany pulled the laces so tight Ella thought surely that Lexi's bones would break.  Meanwhile, fresh cuts appeared all over Brittany and the older wounds crusted, bruised, and scarred.
    Then Lexi began binging and purging.  She made a huge production of making herself ill, complete with shrieking sobs and wallowing on the bathroom floor.  Again, her antics were completely unlike any person who genuinely suffered from such and affliction.
    And Brittany quickly escalated to slamming her appendages in doors.  She could often be found with bruised, swollen fingers and toes, limping and wincing painfully.
    "Why?  Why do you do these things?" Nicholas would plead woefully.
    "Because I hate myself!" one or the other of the twins would wail.  And then he'd soothe and comfort them.
    Through it all, Ella looked on in a constant state of worry, wondering where it would all lead.  They had to know he would never love either of them. Even if he didn't love Ella, he would never love them.  He was a compassionate soul.  But he knew ugliness when he saw it. 
    Late one night as Christmas approached, Nicholas stole into her room after the others went to sleep, as he often did.  They left the door slightly ajar to let in some heat from the fireplace.  He sat next to her on her bed.
    "What is their deal?" he asked.
    Ella shrugged.  "Who knows?  They never acted like this before you came here, Nicholas."
    He frowned.  "I feel terrible.  Like it's my fault, or something."
    Ella felt sad and kissed his cheek.  "It's not your fault.  I know it's hard.  But maybe if you don't give them so much attention for it, they'll stop."
    "But Ella!  I feel terrible!  I think they need help!  Why doesn't their mother get them help?"
    Ella groaned and anger sparked within her.  "I don't know.  Because she's nuts too!  There is no help for those three.  They're awful.  I'm just trying to make it to my eighteenth birthday then I'm out!"
    Nicholas stood to approach her, as she'd stalked across the room to lean against the wall and