I moaned in pain as my senses started to come back to me. I turned a bit and felt silk move with me, embracing my body. Out of disbelief to what I was feeling, I started to open my eyes, my head throbbing. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw my new surroundings.
I was lying in a king-sized, dark wooden four post bed with see-through plum curtains hung around the frame of the bed. The bed was in the center of the room against the back wall. A matching dresser and furniture pieces were in the room and I couldn’t remember the last time I saw anything that nice. I didn’t think I ever would see any of these things again, let alone in one piece. As my eyes were scanning the room, there was a sight that spoiled the room. Dean Manson was standing in the doorway, smirking at me.
“Where am I? What happened?” I asked as I tried to sit up, but just stayed down as my head spun.
I didn’t dare get out of bed with my pounding head. The new surroundings with the confusion didn’t help the headache and stomach was sick with
“We are back in New Jersey, in my home... And this is your room for the moment.” Manson responded with a matter of fact tone.
I looked at him perplexed.
“How did we get here?” I questioned, narrowing my eyes, my voice sounded distant. “Wait. Did you say for the moment?"
I felt his eyes on me and they weren’t just on my eyes anymore. I shuttered. I really was going to be sick.
“You were knocked out so you wouldn’t know how we got here, so you can’t escape from me.” His lips twitched with a smile for a moment. “The bathroom is right there, so please be free to use it before coming down and there are plenty of clothes in the dressers and closet.”
With that, Manson left. I made my way into the bathroom, taking staggering steps and keeping near the wall for safety. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen a clean bathroom. I closed the white door behind me and opened the glass door of the shower to start the water. The plumbing worked here? A small smile formed on my lips as I remembered another glass shower.
My fingertips rested on the glass door as my face turned red from the memory. I was giving Sean and Paige a bath in the Pennsylvania home as Aaron came into the room and took a shower despite the fact we were in the room. Knowing his actions would make me uncomfortable, Aaron did it anyway. I didn’t turn around to look, but that didn’t stop my ears from turning red because he was naked in the same room that I was in.
I took a hot shower for the first time in quite some time. I studied my hands, the nails were short and dirty, so unlike before this whole mess. I grabbed the soap and scrubbed my skin furiously and did the same to my scalp, loathing myself for this whole situation. My skin became red as I tried to rid myself of these feelings. But the water wasn’t hot enough to wash away my shame.
When I was done and the water started to cool, I grabbed the fluffy plum towel and went to see what clothes were here. I slipped on a long black skirt and a white long-sleeve shirt. The clothes didn’t fit very well— my new lifestyle trumped any crash diet. But these clothes suited my purpose. I really didn’t want him to be looking at me like he had been today. I didn’t want that man looking at me the way he had earlier.
I used the brush to work out the zillion of knots in my hair and I left the strands down to dry. It was nice to see my hair down for the first time in such a long time. My hair looked nice in auburn curls, which were almost a surprise after not seeing them in such a long time. I really didn’t feel like doing much else, so I went down to try to find where he wanted me to meet him.
I strolled down the polished wood stairs and turned right to find a long table that was completely decked out in table settings. There, at the head of the table, was Dean Manson, appearing clean cut in a full out suit unlike the clothes Aaron and I had been wearing for the last few months. As I stared at the table, I could almost picture Aaron sitting at the table with hands behind his head and feet on the table, his chair slightly rocked back. Aaron’s had bright, navy blue eyes would be sparkling, burning themselves into my mind as he blasted me with his grin. The grin that would tell me he was truly happy and loving life.
“It’s nice to see you came to join me.” Manson snapped me out of my own little world, bringing me back to the reality he created, not the one I wanted. The reality where Aaron and I were happy and he had feelings for me.
I sat down next to him on his right hand side. I played with the soup with my spoon, as he talked to me. Every word that Manson spoke went through one ear and out the other. I didn’t eat much—I wasn’t used to actual food, especially in real-sized portions. That and being here with Manson totally made food unappetizing. He might as well have been serving Chilled Monkey brains. The home was covered in shadows lending an eerie sense to it. It didn’t help that I was sitting next to a man who wanted the guy I care for to be dead. Manson was also the reason why Ed was dead.
“My girl, is something bothering you?” Manson said.
I didn’t look up as I swirled my spoon about in my meal. I taught my brother to never play with his food. Sean would not be happy with me being a hypocrite.
“No, sir,” I responded automatically.
“Is there anything wrong with the food?”
“No, sir,” I repeated, speaking straight to the point.
“Now, let’s get down to business.”
I glanced up at Manson, finally peeking up from my cuisine. He patted his mouth with his napkin and appeared serious as he locked his eyes on me like a sniper ready for his target.
“You are staying here because you don’t want me to go after the others.”
Just like a businessman to get to the point.
“That’s true.”
I wished I could have taken in Sean and Paige with me along with the others, but that wasn’t part of the deal. I hated myself as I sat there, being taken care of while they were out there starving, using the woods for shelter.
“You are not to run away,” Manson continued in a strict tone.
“I figured such as much.” My voice still held no emotions.
“You can’t help your friends.”
I bowed my head low. I held back tears, not wanting show weakness in front of Manson. I could weep the second I got to my room, but not there, and not in front of him.
“Would there be any reason that they would need any help?” I asked.
I had the feeling that Manson was going to go against his word. That or he was fishing for something. Manson grinned.
“No I guess there won’t be.” Manson looked at me, interested, he folded his hands on the table before squaring off. “Now there is one more thing we have to discuss.”
“And that would be?” My insides gained big black and gray butterflies as he gazed at me that way again. There was graveness in the air. I gulped the nothing that was my nerves.
“Marriage...”
“What?” I asked as I nearly choked on my water that I was sipping.
“Marriage. You will marry me so I know you won’t go back to that dirt.” He spoke in an even tone ‘til the last word as his gray eyes were filled with utter disgust.
“That wasn’t part of the deal!” I coughed on the words tried to stop my voice from squeaking.
Manson was the same age as my father! That was so not right!
“No, it wasn’t part of the deal. Yet, if you have no intention of going against your word, this shouldn’t be a problem.”
My innards started to die. My stomach felt uneasy.
“Fine, Mr. Manson,” I answered with my head bending over again.
“It’ll be Dean soon. You can’t call your husband by his last name,” Manson responded quickly.
I wanted to throw up. I was going to be ill just because of his new part of our agreement. I held back the tears as I put up the hard front. I had to leave before I threw up there on the table. The food sat heavy in my stomach.
“It’s been a long day. May I be excused?” My voice was barely over a whisper.
“That’s fine. We ar
e to wed in two days.”
I stood up, using the table as leverage and staggered up the stairs as calmly as I could. Then rushed into the room and shut the door behind me. My hands shook as I processed what had just happened at dinner. Quickly, I ripped off the clothes he wanted me to wear and chucked them across the room far as possible.
I swayed across the room to the dress and grabbed one of the plum night gowns. I pushed aside the curtains and curled into the covers so the material covered my head. It was then that I let out all the tears I’d been holding back. Turning the pillow to my side I hugged the square to my face and chest. I cried myself to sleep as my body shook against the pillow and I thought I was going to be sick. I didn't know if I could handle being with Mans, I really didn’t think I could handle that. Ever...
Chapter Fourteen
Aaron