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Over these weeks I've seen the light in Lana dim more and more. She’s stopped pleading with Cole, stopped crying and fighting. It’s like she’s given up and accepted her fate. Cole at times takes her a bit rougher so he can get some kind of reaction out of her to please his sick needs. I haven’t tried to intervene in anything and he hasn't forced me and Lana to do anything together again. Cole and I barely even speak unless it’s necessary.
I have found myself spending more time with Lana. In between the times Cole has her and when he’s asleep, I give her my company and I've come to really enjoy hers. She could tell me to fuck off and leave her alone and I would, but she hasn’t so I think she enjoys the company also.
I’ve lived in isolation for so long, it's nice to have someone to talk to, to laugh with. I didn't know having that could feel this good, even though she is still technically my prisoner.
Sometimes I eat dinner down there with her, other times we play cards, play around with Henry and talk or even just sit in silence, two shadows in the basement longing for the light. I try to make her smile as much as I can. Though lately, it's getting harder and harder to succeed in that, but Christmas is in a week and I have an idea I think might help with that.
“Hey,” I say when I reach the bottom of the basement stairs.
“Hi. What’s on the menu today?” she asks as she eyes the paper plate I'm carrying towards her.
“Don't laugh, I tried to make pancakes and not just any pancakes, they're supposed to be snowmen.” I hand her the plate. Her eyes go wide and she covers her mouth holding back a laugh. “I said don’t laugh.” My cheeks heat.
“Oh, wow Callum. These are…these are really great, but this one looks more like…well....it sorta looks like a penis,” she snorts.
“I said I tried!” I laugh. “I've never even made pancakes before in my life. We got a few inches of snow and so It gave me the idea. Hopefully they taste better than they look.”
“That's really cute, Callum.” She smiles and picks up a pancake looking like a distorted snowman or I guess she’s right….a lopsided penis. She dips it in the syrup and takes a bite. “You're in luck. It definitely tastes better than it looks.” She grins at me. “Thank you. I can't remember the last time I had pancakes.” She breaks off a tiny piece and feeds it to Henry. He seems to enjoy it also.
I smile back at them then ask, “Do you like snow?” I ask.
“I actually do. I like seeing the trees and ground frosted with it. It looks sort of magical. Shoveling though? Forget it.”
“Well, I'm not gonna make you shovel but finish eating and come outside with me.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Cole isn’t home so he doesn’t get a say in this. Come on, I'll get you in some warmer clothes upstairs.”
Lana
I quickly finish the pancakes Callum made for me, sharing a few pieces with Henry.
Callum then unlocks the chain from the wall and I follow him to his room. This is the second time I've been in here. He keeps it very tidy compared to Cole’s room where clothes and empty beer cans are scattered among the floor and there's an odor I can't quite place.
On the outside Cole looks like a perfectly put together man. When he’s not in a drunken stupor, he could fool the best of us with his impeccably kept beard and hair. Yet, beneath the polished exterior lies a dark, messy and cruel man. Then there's Callum who effortlessly pulls off the bad boy look, with his low brooding eyebrows, piercing blue eyes and chiseled from stone jaw. He tops it off with facial scruff and windswept hair, giving off the vibe of not giving a fuck but looking sinfully hot while doing it and leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. However, I've discovered Callum to be nothing like his brother.
Callum is incredibly thoughtful, kind and sweet. He’s gentle and caring and I imagine any woman would be lucky to have this man the keeper of her heart. A twinge of jealousy sparks in my belly at that thought, surprising me. I suppress it as quickly as it emerged.
“Ok, let me see your leg.” Callum requests as he sits on the bed and taps the comforter.
I look at him confused. Then he holds up the key to the shackle around my ankle. Oh. I’m caught off guard as this thing has been attached to me since I arrived. Even during my regular showers that I’ve been granted, I've had to keep it on.
“You're really taking it off?” I nearly whisper.
“Are you going to run from me, Lana?” he asks with a raise of an eyebrow.
“Would you chase after me if I did?” I ask, already knowing the answer deep down.
He looks down for a moment then back up.
“I wouldn’t want to, but I would have to and I would catch you. You wouldn't get far on foot in the snow and there’s nothing really around for a couple miles.”
I frown. I know he’s still battling with the thought of setting me free and turning against his brother. I lift my leg and place my foot next to him on the bed, feeling thankful I shaved my legs last night. Cole started demanding I regularly shave. I had refused for a while, in hopes my hair growth would deter him. It did not, but he still prefers me hairless and there was no use refusing him and meeting his fist again.
“I won't run from you, Callum,” I say as I balance myself.
He sighs as if relieved then gently grabs my calf. His touch is warm and sends goosebumps along my skin. He slowly runs his hand down to my ankle, to the shackle and holds it in place then takes the key in his other hand and unlocks it. My eyes follow it as the shackle and chain fall away from my ankle and hits the floor with a thud. I look back up to where Callum’s hand is still holding my leg, his focus on it as well. I don't move or speak.
