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“Well, yes, but not where I was going right this second.”
“Then what, Larky?”
She smiled at me, my insides warming at the look. “Donuts and a binge-a-thon.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” I cheered, liking the idea. I sat up and grabbed the remote. “You order, and I’ll queue up Netflix.”
“But… sex?” Seb pouted, leaning up on his elbow to peer at us.
I kissed his cheek. “Oh, there will be sex, lover. But first, donuts. Priorities, man!”
He growled, diving for us, tickling until we consented.
I’d had it really good. It always made me feel bad for needing something more. I loved them both, and together we were perfect, but there was a sense of danger I still craved. It was why Darren had appealed to me and probably why I stayed longer than I should’ve, liking the thought of making the bad boy good. Fuck. I really was messed up.
The door opened and a man I’d never seen before stepped in, leaning against the wall. He didn’t look at me, just kept his eyes forward. A timid woman followed, walking over to me and taking my hand. She pulled me up, directing me to sit at a vanity table. Without any conversation, she began to comb my hair. I didn’t have it in me to decline, the energy I’d expended searching for an escape had taken everything out of me. As she worked, I kept peeking in the mirror at the man. Not once did I catch his eyes drifting to me.
Time went by as she dried and fixed my hair before moving on to makeup. When she finished, she walked over to the bags I hadn’t noticed, and pulled out underwear, a bra, hosiery, and laid them on the bed. Next, she set down a pair of heels and a dress. Not once did she speak, and had also been averse to eye contact.
If this had been a week ago, I probably would’ve tried harder to get information. But at this point, I was losing the battle with myself to stay focused. Looking at the garments on the bed, I stood and tried to get excited about clothes like I usually did. They were all beautiful, and I could see Darren’s touch in all the items. He might be a psychotic asshole, but the man had impeccable taste.
At one time, I convinced myself it meant he cared. The detail he took in selecting things for me. But I was no longer fooled by the lie. It was all about image to him, how he looked to others. It had nothing to do with me and everything to do with him. I only wished I’d seen that sooner. Perhaps I wouldn’t have stayed as long, feeling the need to redeem myself.
A throat cleared, and I looked up, meeting emerald eyes. “You’re to get dressed and be ready in fifteen mins.”
He stepped out of the door, giving me some privacy. I realized then the woman had already escaped, and I was left alone once again.
Picking up the underwear, I slid off the robe, letting it hit the ground. With slow movements, I sat down and slid on the silk. Wrapping the bra around me, my arms grew heavy quickly, and I had to pause to fasten it, unsure how to do it with my finger gone. Finally, I managed to get it, and I exhaled in relief. Looking down, the cups sagged a little, and I knew I hadn’t imagined the ribs peeking through either. My body felt different to me and I didn’t know how to deal with it.
My whole life, I’d had curves, and I’d grown to love them. I guess I only needed to be starved to be runway thin. I pinched the skin, and I instantly missed my padding. I didn’t like this version of me. A knock at the door had me jumping, and a voice boomed through it.
“Five-minute warning.”
I sighed but was thankful for the heads up. I wouldn’t put it past Darren to stroll in here with a whole slew of men, and I’d be found half-dressed. They’d already perved on me enough times. I didn’t want to invite any of them to try harder. Darren was bad enough.
Sliding the dress over my head, I opted to leave off the hose, because not even well-nourished did I enjoy that torture. I tugged the dress down, grateful it didn’t need to be zipped. Like the bra, it was loose, and I hoped Darren wouldn’t get upset. He wanted me to look perfect, but he’d failed to consider feeding me as part of that equation.
Taking a few seconds to catch my breath, I picked up the shoes and slid them on. It was weird getting dressed now with my finger gone, but I tried not to think too much about it, the trauma of it all wanting to pull me under. Standing, I smoothed the material down, turning in the little mirror as I took in my entire frame.
The dress was pretty, but it didn’t excite me like clothes used to. It reminded me of Lark’s eyes, though, the blue so bright you couldn’t help but want to swim in them. Tears started to form, and I shook them off. I couldn’t give in to them, or I’d never stop. Tucking it away, I focused on the memory.Seb and Lark.They were my grounding thing, my future. I could endure it all if I got a chance to apologize.
The door opened, and I turned, finding Darren there in a suit. He looked handsome, but he no longer made my insides quiver.
“Beautiful as ever, gorgeous.” He walked closer, pulling my chin up in a tight grip. “Remember your role. If you try to escape, I’ll shoot you. If you say anything to anyone, I’ll shoot the pretty blonde you love. Understand?”
I nodded, not willing to give him my words any longer if I didn’t need to.
“Good. If you do well, then I might let you stay here instead of that prison cell.”
I smiled as big as I could, knowing he wanted appreciation. “Thank you, Dare. You’re the most generous man. Thank you for the beautiful clothes. You spoil me.”
He beamed at me, pleased with my response. Darren wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close as we walked out. It was difficult to not trip over my own feet in this position, but I couldn’t deny his help was needed. I wouldn’t have made it past the door if not.
By the time we made it to the car, I was exhausted. The guard at the door slid in before us, and I found myself curious about who he was. I hadn’t seen him before. Once we were seated, the car took off, and I spotted some of the limo’s beverages and food in the corner. I stared at them, licking my lips. Water had never been so appetizing.
“Sir, if I may suggest giving Ms. Costa some water and crackers. You don’t want her to pass out at the event. It would cause a scene and get the paramedics involved.”
I looked up, surprised the guard had asked about something for me. Peeking out of the corner of my eye, I didn’t want to give away how happy the suggestion made me. Any time I was too eager, he took it away. Darren wasn’t even paying attention, waving his hand in agreement as he scrolled through his phone. “Yeah, sure, whatever.”
