Having her be our equal would mean that we’d have to give up control over her. For that, we would have to trust each other deeply, and I don’t think we are there yet. We can’t put what happened behind us, it’s too soon.
“Please, Cameron,” she pleads with me, her voice sounding small.
“I will see what Easton wants to do, but for right now, this is how it’s going to be.” My chest aches when I see the hope in her eyes diminish, and her eyes fill with more tears. Pulling the blanket over her naked body, I cover her up as she curls into herself again.
Neither of us want to really hurt her, but we’re all walking a fine line, and we will all either end up on one side or the other.
The question is, will it be the side where she becomes ours or the one where we have no choice but to let her go.
19
Stella
I spend the next day sulking and licking my wounds, while the guys treat me like a child that needs to be supervised. They didn’t leave me cuffed for long, thank god, but I might as well be on a leash. The only time I’m allowed to be alone is to use the bathroom.
Mostly, I have been bored because Cam and Easton had to do school work, and they wouldn’t even let me help, which enrages me even more. Do they think I’m stupid? The only reason I’m not in college is money and the fact that I had Grams to care for. I could have easily gotten an academic scholarship.
At least, now something is happening, even though I don’t know if this is a good or a bad thing. Cameron keeps me locked in his bedroom, while what I can only describe as a complete mass explosion takes place inside the house.
“She fucking left, she just left,” a deep scary voice yells. The sound vibrates through the walls of the house, followed by something shattering against the floor. What the hell are they doing? It sounds like they are tearing this entire place apart.
“She’s a bitch, Warren. You never should’ve let her back into your life,” Easton yells back, the deep gravelly sound resonating through me.
“Shut the fuck up!” Warren snarls, and I look to Cameron, who doesn’t seem phased by the events that are taking place just outside the room.
“Warren can be a little intense sometimes,” he mumbles, pulling me into his side. Even though I know Easton can hold his own, I’m still worried that something is going to happen to him. I don’t say anything, and instead, listen as the sounds outside the room die down.
Staring at the bedroom door, I wait for Easton to appear.
“Worried?” Cam whispers into the shell of my ear.
“I know I shouldn’t care, but I’m a little worried. Why is that guy acting like that?” I don’t expect him to tell me, neither of them share anything with me usually, but when he sighs and opens his mouth to speak again, my interest is piqued.
“Warren is unhinged. He’s very much like us, a monster that hides beneath a mask. His relationship with his girl is complicated, and if I had to guess, I’m going to assume she disappeared, and he knew nothing about it. So, since she’s not here to bear his wrath, he takes it out on everyone and everything in sight.”
“Sounds like he needs therapy,” I blurt out without thinking.
Cameron snorts, a bubble of laughter escaping his lips, “We all need some type of therapy, but that shit is stupid. Sitting in a room with someone, talking out your problems. Pfft, breaking stuff, and learning to cope with it on your own is easier.”
“How do you cope?” I question.
“I have you…” he answers without question.
I open my mouth to respond when the bedroom door opens, and Easton steps inside, closing the door behind him. His eyes are dark, and his face is serious.
“We need to get out of here for a little while. He’s going to self-destruct, and I don’t think having her here is going to help.” Easton speaks as if I’m not sitting right in front of him.
“Okay,” Cam says, ungluing himself from my side. As soon as he’s gone, I miss the warmth his body gave me. “Let’s go do some shopping. She needs some clothes anyway.”
Easton’s lips turn up into a grin, “Yeah, that would be fun, we can dress up our little doll however we want.”
Ignoring the fact that they are talking about me like I’m not here, I insert myself into the conversation. “Did you just say that you are taking me out shopping?” Excitement sparks inside of me. I haven’t been out of this house in two days.
“Yes, let’s go. Just don’t have the stupid idea to try and run away from us.”