Elijah escorted Cella the entire way home, blood boiling at the idea that Tristan now knew who and what she was to him. More than ever, he wished she had chosen to stay at the compound, but he knew until they had the old Cella back, there would be no way to convince her. Outside her door, they stopped and she gave him a sultry look. There was no emotion behind it; no love or care. When she leaned up to kiss him, he found himself deflecting her. She frowned, looking up at him.
"Elijah, what's going on?" Her hands found their way to her hips and she arched a brow. He sighed, unsure of how to go about explaining everything to her. "Is there a reason you don't want to kiss me anymore?"
"I've just been a bit busy." A new plan was forming in his head, and the idea of it made him sick to his stomach. It may be the only way to get his Cella back, however. She arched a brow, crossing her arms now.
"I see. Well, I suppose I should let you get back to it." Elijah clenched his jaw against the rise of feelings over what he would have to do. "Shall I see you later, after all this trouble?"
"No, I don't believe so." Elijah watched her carefully, keeping his own face neutral. There was a brief flash of something in her eyes, but it was too quick for even an Original to catch. "I believe it best that we part ways. Romantically." Cella's brow furrowed and her arms tightened, but he still didn't see any emotion in her gaze. It was just as cold and frigid as ever, spurring him on that this was for the best.
"I see." Giving a sharp nod, she stood a bit straighter. "I understand. See you around, Elijah." The idea that this may be the last time he gets to hold her or kiss her struck him then. Even if she turned her humanity back on, she may not accept his apology for this. She gave another nod before spinning on her heel and stepping into her apartment, shutting the door without another look behind. He sighed, straightening his tie out of habit and left to care for his siblings. Hopefully, this would be enough to get Cella's humanity back; he feared for their future if it didn't work.
Cella could feel her entire being shattering. Her one thought and hope through her kidnapping and torture had been returning to Elijah. Now that he no longer wanted her, she was forced to face everything she had worked so hard to bury. Shaking, she didn't even make it to her couch before collapsing, tears already streaming down her face as pain washed over her. She relived, in vivid detail, everything she had forced down, until she felt like she was drowning. When it was all finally, blissfully over, she sat up shakily, looking around her little apartment. Cella would still serve the Mikaelsons; she had sworn her service to them all, and she always kept her word. But she knew that now she would stay away from Elijah. Her emotions wouldn't factor in her decisions anymore;she'd have to find a way to keep them separate. She jumped as her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out.
"Hello?"
"Cella? It's Cami. I was hoping we could talk?" The woman sounded unsure and Cella realized how off-putting her recent behavior had been. Clearing her throat, she tried to put her old tone into her voice.
"Yeah, of course. What's up?" Standing on shaky legs, she moved towards her bedroom, intent to get changed into her favorite sweatpants and a baggy tee.
"Actually, I was hoping we could talk in person, if that's okay?" It gave Cella pause, before she decided she could open a bottle of wine and make it a girl's night.
"Sounds good. I'm at home if you want to stop by." Cella was just pulling on her sweatpants when she heard the knock, peeking towards the door before hurrying over. Cami stood on the other side with a sheepish smile before hanging up the phone.
"Good. Mind if I come in?" Cella nodded, stepping aside and letting the blonde pass. Cami seemed to stand awkwardly before Cella waved a hand towards the couch."How are you feeling?" Though she likely hadn't meant it that way, the question felt incredibly loaded.
"Can you keep a secret?" Cami looked at her curiously as Cella sat on the end of the couch, hands fiddling together. The movement caught the blonde's eye, and a look of realization crossed her features.
"Your humanity…" Cella nodded and Cami shook her head. "But how? Freya hadn't even begun to think of a spell to reverse it."
"Cami, please." Cami nodded, sitting quietly while Cella gathered her thoughts.
"I know you're not my therapist or anything...but can I still have that patient confidence?" Concern in her gaze, Cami nodded again, and Cella took a deep breath. "Elijah. He…" Cella choked on her words a bit, swallowing back the lump that was forming in her throat as more tears began to form. "He, uh, no longer wants me." Cella forced the tears away, not willing to shed any more.
"What? Why, when?" Cami's concern felt nice and Cella gave a half-hearted smile.
"Not long before you called. I suppose I can't blame him, all things considered." At Cami's confused look, Cella's gaze dropped to her hands twisting in her lap. "An Original, a Mikaelson, could do so much better than some...servant witch. I'll age and die in a blink of his eye. It's likely better this way."
"No, he cares about you, I know it."
"Cami, think about it."
"I am." Cami took Cella's hands in her own, holding tight. "The Mikaelsons are under so much pressure right now, and I'm sure Elijah is finding a way to blame himself. Give it time."
"Thanks Cami, but...I'm going to let him go. It's what he wants." Cami didn't look satisfied with that answer. "Now, you promised not to tell anyone. Let's just...forget it all, yes?"
"Fine. But at some point, you'll need to have a real conversation with Elijah." Cella pursed her lips, but said nothing more on the subject, moving on to the most recent issue bothering the Mikaelsons. A prophecy foretelling their doom was quite worrisome, and Cami promised to keep Cella appraised on what happened with the family as they worked. Likely, Cella would be called back to the compound soon and as Cami left, she began to pack a few supplies, thinking of how she was going to stay composed around Elijah.