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“I’m gross and sweaty, I’m showering. Unless you have plans to medicate me again,” I hiss, eyeing Ax.
His face hardens as Eli just looks nauseous. “Kate—” Eli starts but I shake my head.
“Get out,” I snap. “Please,” I add quietly, as I wipe my sweaty palms on my leg.
Asher stands and leaves the room, glaring at Ax and Eli before disappearing down the hall. Eli looks like he wants to argue but sighs and leaves the room.
Ax doesn’t move.
I don’t even have the energy to argue. I take another sip of my water before standing again and heading for the bathroom.
“Katie…” he says before I can close the bathroom door.
“It’s Kate,” I remind him, locking eyes with him for a moment before shutting the door and locking it.
I hear a curse as he leaves and my bedroom door slams behind him. The hot shower feels amazing but I cut it short as the dizziness returns. Fucking side effects.
I wrap the towel around myself as I shake out my long wet hair. I’m too tired to even braid it right now, instead I just let the wet locks stick to my body and face. I take another sip of my water and make my way back to my walk-in closet to pull a long maxi dress on, ignoring the extra work of even adding undergarments.
Despite sleeping two days I’m absolutely exhausted.
A knock at the door makes me sigh but when I pull it open I see Edgar smiling gently at me. “Nice to see you up, Katelyn. I brought you these,” he says with a sad smile and holds out peanut butter crackers to me.
“Thanks,” I tell him quietly as I remember the first few weeks after my mother’s death.
I fought for control over my life after my father started pushing the medications. I thought he wanted to help me at first, but the doses kept increasing and the periods of sleep lasted longer and longer. I stopped eating simply out of defiance, though I admit the lack of appetite made it a lot easier, too. Edgar knew avoiding the dinner table and sight of my father kept me from meals and started sneaking me snacks instead. Peanut butter crackers were a quick favorite, and every day I’d find them shoved in my dresser.
“Mister West is asking for you to come downstairs. He needs to speak with you.”
I grit my teeth and Edgar nods in understanding.
“It’ll be alright, hang in there, Kate.”
I nod my head and follow him down the stairs to the kitchen. Rhonda eyes me with a smile but before she can even say a word, Ax quickly dismisses her and Edgar from the room leaving me with just him, Eli, and Asher.
“Your father wants to hear from you,” he says, holding my phone out to me. “Put it on speaker.”
I glare at him, wanting to tell him to fuck off, but any type of hope I had that these guys wouldn’t use the same methods as my father to control me are gone. I grit my teeth and take the phone in my hand to dial. Ax almost looks disappointed. I imagine arguing is something he’s more used to. Would make sense when you go around demanding things from people like you own them.
Unfortunately for him, I just don’t have the energy to even argue right now.
“Hello,” my father's voice comes and snaps me from my thoughts.
“Morning.“
“Ugh, finally. I hope you slept off whatever attitude you had?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Until I know you are back on a better schedule, I’ll be calling in the morning and evening to ensure you take your medications. Are the guys there?”
“Yes.”
“Give the phone to one of them.”
I go to hand it to Ax but he doesn’t take it. “What?” He says, his eyes not leaving mine.
“The bottles should be labeled. The first, second, and third all need to be given this morning.”
