Shock, fear, confusion, it all blends into one on her face.
“Y-you watched me?” She’s trembling now, and I know it’s not because she’s cold.
“Yes, for a long time.” I can’t help but smile. Yes, she’s afraid now, but soon she’ll come to realize she has nothing to be afraid of, that everything I did was for her.
“W-Why?”
“I told you. Because I care for you, and I want you to be safe.”
“I… I think I’m going to be sick.” She lifts a hand to her mouth, and I release her, watching as she runs away from me and in the direction of the bathroom. I follow behind her and walk in to see her hunched over the toilet. Gently, I pull her hair back away from her face as she empties her stomach contents into the bowl.
“Shhh, it’s okay.” I soothe, using my other hand to rub up and down her back.
“It’s not okay,” she whispers, “none of this is okay.” Her body goes rigid.
I’m tempted to tighten my hold on her hair a little bit, but I don’t want to hurt her. That’s the last thing I want. There will be time for the things I want later, but right now, Dove needs me. She needs my kindness.
“It might not make sense, or be okay right now, but eventually, you’ll come to terms with it. Change is hard.”
Pulling away, the silky strands of her hair fall through my fingers as she scurries back against the side of the tub. Wiping at her mouth with the back of her sleeve, she peers up at me with confusion.
“I don’t understand. I don’t know why I’m here or why I’m important to you or what any of this is. I just want to go home. Please, let me go home.” Tears well in her eyes again, tugging at my heartstrings, but I banish the thoughts away.
I am her home, forever, and for always.
“This is your home now, and it will be so until I say otherwise. Now, when you’re ready, you can come out and join me for dinner.” I want to take her into my arms, hold her and make her forget about the fear but it’s too soon. Instead, I do the only thing I can. I put some distance between us because like the old saying goes: Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
11
Zane walks out of the bathroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts, All I can do is sag against the vanity.
The things he knows about me are terrifying and completely unnatural. It’s not normal to know how someone takes their coffee when you have not spent any time with that person. Nothing is normal about any of this, how can he not see how crazy this is?
I’m exhausted and afraid of what’s to come. He’s been watching me… and the things that he knows. I bite my lip to stifle a whimper. I have to get it together and try to escape this prison.
Forcing myself to use the breathing techniques Sharon taught me, I back away from the ledge of fear and analyze the information I have. He’s not going to let me go, that much is obvious. It’s clear he has an obsession of some sort with me, but he doesn’t want to hurt me, or at least it seems that way right now.
Hugging my knees to my chest, I do my damnedest to try and come up with a solution, a way out, but there isn’t one. There is nothing, and that leaves me feeling hopeless and ten times more afraid.
“Dove.” He calls my name from a distance, and then I hear him moving around, his feet barely make any noise. A moment later, he appears in the doorway, still shirtless.
“Dinner is ready.”
Shit. How long have I been sitting here?
Pushing myself up from the floor, I come to stand in front of him. A ghost of a smile appears on his lips before he turns around and walks out.
I follow him through the apartment, watching the muscles of his back move with every step he takes. I’m so mesmerized by them that I don’t realize when we’ve made it to the dining room table until he stops abruptly, and I slam right into his back.
He spins around and grabs me by the forearms to steady me. His touch is gentle, warm, and makes me feel weird. Like he shouldn’t be kind to me.
“Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about,” he says, his voice softer now. “Sit down. You must be hungry.” Now that he’s mentioned it, yes, I’m starving. Though I’m not going to tell him that.
Looking at the table, I see that he’s already prepared two bowls of what looks to be some kind of hearty soup. Taking a seat, I let the savory smell invade my nose, causing my stomach to growl loudly.