AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Drákon to ápeiro den koimátai pia.
“Iwanttoseeher.” My fists are clenched so hard my nails are digging into the soft skin of my palms, leaving behind crescent moon patterns.
Mom sighs and lets her fork fall to the plate in front of her. The salad she’d speared falls off as the metal meets the china with a loud clank. “I will not keep discussing this with you, Augustus. What you and your cousin did was inappropriate. Do you think I don’t see the way you look at her?” Picking the fork back up, she stabs into the same piece of lettuce again. “I’ve put in too much work to have you throw it all away on a whim. Acacia isn’t worthy of you. Besides, I have much bigger plans for you, my son.”
I bristle at the constant reminder of how much my presence is costing her. Barely a day goes by where she doesn’t like to remind me she rescued me, that I owe my cozy existence to her, and the biggest cliche of all. Mother knows best.
She doesn’t understand that without Cia, I have nothing. She’s the lightness and the breath of fresh air when I feel like I’m suffocating.
Dad’s alright, I guess. At least he never treats me as a burden, though I could do without his constant reminders of my destiny. Mom is… she’s worse than anything that could hide in the shadows under my bed. My head is a game of tug of war. My mixed feelings for her are holding on to opposite ends of the rope, fraying my nerves and my sanity. One minute she’s doting and loving, the next she’s cunning and cruel.
With a scornful snort, I shake my head, wanting to banish the dark thoughts of how much of a burden I am. “You can’t separate us forever. Maybe you can for now, but mark my words, one day I will marry her, and there’s not a fucking thing you can do about it.”
“Language, Augustus.”
My answering laugh isn’t happy, it’s more of a bark. “You always remind me I’m your burden, and maybe I am. But if I’m your burden, you’re my curse, Mother.” Using the parental word tastes bitter on my tongue, just like the heavy cloud of perfume always surrounding her.
It’s been six months since I saw Acacia, and I miss her like crazy. We’ve had periods of time where we didn’t talk before, but none where it was forbidden—and it’s that part that’s driving me up the wall. The knowledge that I can’t just pick up my phone and call her. That, along with knowing we won’t be spending anymore time together as a family.
Thoughts of how amazing she felt in my arms try to worm their way to the forefront of my mind, but I banish them. Those are private.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Mom says, thoughtfully. “If you can show me you’re worthy of the name and Legacy I’ve given you, I’ll make sure you become reunited with Acacia.”
The overwhelming question of why threatens to spill from my mouth, but Mom looks at me with a quirked eyebrow. This is her way of telling me to be a good boy and to remain quiet. When I do just that, she continues talking.
“It won’t be until after her fifteenth birthday, so you have a few years to prove to me you can do as you’re told. If you can follow my orders without breaking my rules, and without your father knowing, then we have a deal. I won’t just allow you to be with her again, I’ll arrange for it to happen.”
I might be young—only thirteen—but I’m not stupid. If my mom is giving me what she just said, the price will be ten times higher. It doesn’t matter, though. There’s no price too steep to be with Cia again.
“What do you want me to do?” I hesitantly ask, pushing my plate away. I’m no longer hungry.
Mom hums noncommittally and continues to eat her leaves. She doesn’t speak until her plate is empty. “Your dad will start training you soon, and you need to do everything he asks—”
“Training me for what?”
Leaning closer, Mom places a finger on my lips so I can’t talk. “He’ll explain all of it. All you need to know is that you need to follow his orders—no matter what they may be. Can you do that?”
I nod.
“And I need you to report back to me, telling me everything he says, shows you, or makes you do. Can you do that for me?”
The urge to tell her I won’t do anything for her is strong, but rather than giving in, I nod again. She doesn’t need to know I’ll do it all for Cia.
“Then we have an agreement, son,” Mom happily exclaims, looking way too satisfied for comfort.
Averting my eyes, I look down at my feet. The worn and scruffy trainers are falling to pieces, the many holes making them almost useless. But they were a birthday present from Cia, so I’m stubbornly holding onto them. I know they’re a thorn in my mother’s pristine eyes, so I’m hiding them beneath the loose floorboards in my room when I’m not wearing them.
Three years.
That’s how long it will be until I can be with Cia again, if Mom is serious about her deal. One thousand ninety-six days is a long time. It’s better than a lifetime without her, though.
Feeling confused and angry, I get up and leave my mom at the table. My dinner is mostly untouched, not that it matters. I can sneak down to the kitchen whenever I want. The farce of family dinner in this house is just that, we all do our own thing, anyway.
Wanting to get as far away from my mom as possible, I return to my bedroom and jump onto my bed. It’s dark outside and I haven’t bothered switching the lights on. This is what I need to gather my thoughts.
Although I don’t know exactly what I agreed to, I know enough to feel the magnitude of the deal I’ve struck with the devil—also called my mom. She’ll make me regret the pact a thousand times over, I already know this. Though, I can’t help wondering if she knows I won’t give up. I’ll do anything to be with Cia again.
Now that I’m in the safety and privacy of my room, my dick awakens at the reminder of how it felt to have Cia’s body pressed against mine. I’m a year and a handful of months older than her, and I’ve never felt the gap as much as I do now. I shouldn’t fantasize about her, she’s only a kid. My straining dick doesn’t care though, and frankly, I don’t either.
