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JADE
Roses red – Jeris Johnson
Kay and Ivan are gone, leaving me with only Elliot and Ethan who have been so silent I forgot they were here. They did that on purpose, of course. Making sure to observe my every reaction.
Without saying a word, Ethan leaves for his bedroom. I know exactly where it is. I know where every single room is in this house. Ethan’s, Elliot’s, their parents’ room. The kitchen, the garage, the basement where they kidnap and torture people for the Kings.
“What a gift,” Elliot says in that horribly soft voice of his that announces the worst. He puts a hand at the small of my back. “We get you to ourselves until you pay back Kay.”
The tight ball in my throat keeps swelling, reality hitting me harshly. A slap in the fucking face.
No parents. No home. No money. Now I know why all the Kings hate me and want me dead. They think I stole fifty grand from them. I have a debt that was never mine to pay in the first place.
All I have are the two men in this house.
One who loathes me.
One who never saw me as anything but a plaything.
Biting my trembling lower lip, I square my shoulders and look at Elliot. “Lucky you.”
I take my time walking past him toward the back of the house, doing my best to pretend I’m not affected by any of this. Like most houses on their street, they have a single-story ranch-style home. The outside has panels falling all over the place, but they’ve managed to keep the inside liveable, especially since it’s just the two of them. Their house is a little bigger than most around here. They have three bedrooms, and their backyard is wider than others.
I step along the hallway that leads to the back, past Ethan’s bedroom, and turn left into the bathroom right next to his door. Closing it calmly, I lock it and push my back against it. I slowly slide to the floor and take a deep breath.
Then I explode into tears.
Fuck.
I can’t believe I agreed to Elliot’s deal. Only he would manipulate me into whatever he wants me to be. That’s the way he is. He wants someone completely at his mercy, who would do exactly what he says. As long as a woman is his good girl he can praise, he doesn’t care what happens to her.
I let my heart bleed on the floor of their bathroom, knowing there’s nowhere else I can do this. I’m fucking stuck here, and I let the pain tear me apart.
Should I even care what happens to me? I’m the woman who ran away and left her sick mother behind. This is my punishment for not even knowing her resting place.
Fat tears fall down my cheeks, and I choke on a sob. I missed her when she was alive and I was away, but I could deal with the fact that being with Stan kept her alive. What now? What would she think of me if she knew the things I did with that man? That her daughter sold her body like it was worth nothing. She’s better off dead, because she couldn’t take the disappointment of what I’ve become.
And all for what? I’m back to square one, except way worse.
My eyes lock on the chipped bathroom sink as I attempt to take a breath and it gets cut short. I swallow it back, coughing as I choke. My chest tightens, the muscles straining and cutting off my breathing. I squeeze my eyes shut, but when I open them again, and my gaze goes higher, to the vanity mirror above the sink, I jerk my head back, hitting the door behind me.
I was too focused on my own misery yesterday to let the memories of this bathroom take over me, but they hold me in a tight grip today.
I spent a lot of time in this house as a teenager. Everywhere Ethan was, I followed. His attention meant everything to me, and I wanted to be by his side when he felt unwell, too sad. I wanted to hold his hand and tell him how much I loved him when he thought it was the end. When darkness engulfed him, I was there, bringing him back to the light. After we broke up, I was here for Elliot. The sex was wild, cathartic, and he wanted to see me all the time. I came and went in this house like it was my own place.
But being around this family came with consequences.
It's so easy to surprise a young girl while she washes her hands. To press her head against the mirror. To scare her into silence.
My gaze is stuck on the white sink. The same one from years ago.
I just want to be away for a second. Take a break from the situation. That’s all I need. Then I’ll be able to think straight.
Lying down on the cold tiles, I avoid the broken ones and press my burning cheek to them. I’m just going to rest here. Leave reality for a little while.
It's the feeling of losing balance that wakes me up. I recognize Elliot simply because of his smell. His cologne tickles my nose, a strong scent of fresh citrus. He’s always smelled like a chill spring afternoon, resting in the shade of an orange tree, surrounded by the spice of life. Somewhere far from a city in a lush, green field.
Of course, once you know him, you know that field is a lure that leads innocent souls straight to hell. I only ever survived him because I’m not innocent.
