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“The hell did you say? She’s what?” I warn in a low voice and Lulu’s eyes sparkle. A vicious sparkle, one that I haven’t noticed in her before and it takes me off guard.
“It’s true, she lives in a trailer with her grandmother by the woods.” Lulu’s eyes turn wider. “A trailer, can you believe it?”
My body tenses because I’d already had my suspicions Nell wasn’t as well off as I first had believed, little clues here and there that I ignored because I didn’t care. But had I known it had been this bad, I would have tripled her salary.
Rage ripples in me and I bellow, “You had no right!” The paintings on the wall shake, even the chandelier trembles and Lulu cowers. The help pop their heads out to see what’s going on. I point at my daughter, crosser with her than I’ve ever been. “Do you hear me? You had no right to tell her that!”
“Why are you getting angry with me for?” Lulu cries, flaring out with her hands in a gesture that calls for sympathy. “I just told her the truth. I know you’d never want her!”
“But I do want her,” I say, grabbing Lulu’s shoulders again and I look her straight in the eyes, meaning every word. “I do want her, dammit. Do you understand me?”
Lulu’s face pales. “She’s not one of us...”
“Then I’ll make her one of us!” I growl, determined to put a ring on Nell’s finger that’s so big and shiny it’ll blind anyone who opposes my love for the girl.
“Big Daddy, you can’t!” Lulu screeches and when I try to pass her she grabs my leg as I try to walk, her body dragging along the carpet. “You can’t do this! She’s not worthy, she’s only aftermyfortune...I meany...yourfortune...”
“Let go of me, or so help me....” I snarl, shoving Lulu’s hands away before racing down the staircase and once I pass the porch, large rain drops hit my face. A storm is coming and I can barely see in front of me as I search for her.
Where the fuck is she...
“Nell!” I roar as thunder strikes down in the distance. “Nell!” The increasing storm is drowning out my voice and I start running, looking for her when I notice the gardener in a hurry on his way to the house.
Grabbing his collar, I bark, “Have you seen my Nell?”
He starts shaking, lifting his finger in the left direction. “T...there,” he stutters and I drop him, causing him to fall to the ground as I run after her.
My heart jumps when I see her speeding down the road that will lead her to the main street and she throws a look over her shoulder as if she sensed me. She’s got a ruined flicker in her eyes, that’s there because of what Lucretia said and I want it gone.
I throw her a look in warning, cautioning her to move any further but to my fury she lets out a gasp and keeps running.
“Nell, no!” I roar, sprinting after her and I reach for her, right when she stumbles and grabbing her by the waist, I lift her in the air but she starts struggling.
“Let go of me!” she cries as rain pours down on us, “I want my grams.”
Pressing her to me, I rasp in her hair, “Fuck no, you want me, Nell.” I close my eyes at the agony I feel of her leaving me. “You better want me back because I can’t let you go.”
Shuddering either from the cold or her emotions, she brushes her tears away from her face. “What if we don’t belong together? I think I know that now...”
“You don’t know anything,” I warn, dragging her into a nearby shed and I shove the wooden door after us. It smells of old wood and leather polish in here and I rub my eyes from agitation. “I never want to hear you say stuff like that ever again.”
She doesn’t even know how much she has done for me. Before Nell I didn’t even realize how lonesome it had gotten at the top of the pyramid. I didn’t think it mattered and it didn’t until she came spinning into my life like a fiery wind and sprinkling fairy dust in my eyes, opening them up for me and making me see what I’ve been missing.
Now that I know, I never want to let it slip from my hands again. Screw all the possessions in the world, they don’t mean anything if the woman you love isn’t by your side. She’s my one, true real gold mine, the one who truly makes me feel like a rich man.
Taking a step away from me, Nell sits down, wrapping her arms around her. She’s wet from the rain, her hair stringy and lying flat against her back, her chilled nipples struggling against the material of her thin shirt.
She looks good enough to die for. And die for her I would. Only that she doesn’t seem to realize that.
“I’m not who you think I am,” she says inhaling and her voice cracks. “I didn’t mean to deceive you but I’ve never lived on Avenue Lane.”
“I know.” I clench my fists. “I know where you’re from.”
Nell flushes, trying to hide her face. “I suppose Lucretia told you?”
“She did, but you could have done it yourself. I would have never held it against you.” Nell looks like she doesn’t believe me and I let out an impatient sigh. “Was Lulu the one who locked you in the attic?”
Nell looks hesitant before nodding. “She doesn’t like me, never has. Never will.” Clasping her hands, she murmurs. “She used to do hurtful things to me in high school.”
