“You know I’m not keeping you here,” he reminded me, and I nodded.
He wasn’t. But I was so desperate to please him I just didn’t leave, in case he needed me.
“Be back by the evening,” he said. “6 p.m., okay? I want to make us dinner.”
“Okay,” I nodded. He was a good cook. I liked it when he fed me.
He came up to me and left a fleeting kiss on my cheek. I felt myself blushing as he took his stuff and headed out of the door.
And then I was all alone, and the freedom was terrifying.
I couldn’t even leave for hours. I paced the apartment and spent hours choosing an outfit before settling on a simple summer dress and the Converse sneakers I’d brought with me from my old apartment. If King had seen me in those, he’d be fucking pissed. He hated flat shoes. It made me smile.
I left the apartment a few hours later, and wandered around the neighborhood aimlessly. I ended up at the train station, unsure of how and why I got there. King always told me to just get a cab and pay with a card he’d given me, but I didn’t feel like it. I didn’t want everything I did to be influenced by him.
I got on the train and traveled for hours. Aimlessly. Through towns and landscapes that I didn’t know. I changed trains, I changed seats. I stared out of the window not knowing where I was, and it felt good to get lost, if only for a little while.
I ended up in a small town only an hour or so away from the suburbs where my parents lived. On an impulse, I decided to pay them a visit.
The ride was too short, and in a mere forty-five minutes, I ended up on the doorstep of my parents’ home. It was afternoon by then, so I knew they’d be home from their jobs.
I knocked on the door, a knock so soft I almost prayed they wouldn’t hear it, and my visit could go unnoticed.
But no such luck – the door opened a second later, and my mother’s face lit up when she saw me.
“Hey, Mom,” I muttered, and she pulled me into a tight hug.
I usually hated being touched like that, but this time around, it felt good. I let her hold me, lead me into the house, and make a fuss about me coming over. She called Dad downstairs and he seemed just as delighted to see me there. They sat me down in the living room, in the overly stuffed armchair I’d always hated. Mom made some tea and brought cookies to go with it. I crumbled them in my hands, sipped the hot drink, and pretended my head was in the same place as my body.
It didn’t take them long to start asking questions about me, about King, about us.
“He’s a real gentleman,” Mom said, nodding vigorously. “We were so glad to meet him, Sapphire. He seems like a wonderful man.”
“He is,” I agreed softly. “He’s helped me a lot.”
“Of course we can’t help but wonder…” Mom and Dad shared an uncomfortable look, and Dad cleared his throat before going on. “We were wondering what exactly your relationship is, with… Hayden?”
“I…” I looked at the teacup in my hands, my fingers gliding along the porcelain. I knew this cup. I knew every chip and dent and pattern in it. I knew this house. Once upon a time, it used to be a home. “We are together.”
Mom clapped her hands with excitement, saying, “Together? As in, dating?”
“I guess you could say that,” I laughed nervously. What the fuck else was I supposed to tell them?
“Oh, you young people and your no labels,” Dad grinned. “Honestly, Sapphire, I’m so glad you met someone like him. He seems like an amazing person, and a great businessman to boot.”
I gave him a blank look. I didn’t really know much about King’s job apart from the fact that he owned a building in the city. I’d never been to his office, and I’d never asked for details. It seemed like a minor, unimportant detail that had nothing to do with the two of us.
“He’s very successful,” Dad went on. “Owns several buildings in the city. I checked him out, on the internet.”
I almost cringed at his words. My parents were so painfully suburban it hurt, and it was very obvious they hadn’t grown up in the city.
“He’s a good man,” I said. “He’s taking care of me.”
“I’m so glad,” Mom smiled and patted my leg. I winced, and she gave me a worried look. “What is it, honey?”
“Nothing,” I smiled brightly.
“Well, you’ll have to bring him over sometime soon,” Dad said. “We would love to introduce him to everyone.”
“Sure,” I lied. No way in fucking hell was I doing that.