Cats In the Cradle

19. Daniel

"Do it tonight. I'll be watching," Orion warned me menacingly as I herded him and my new father-in-law out of the front door.

I didn't bother answering with words. I felt the loud slam of the door in their faces was enough of a response.

I started to head back towards the master bedroom, but his words sunk in: "I'll be watching."

Was this house under surveillance??

Would he quite literally be watching to make sure I actually fucked an underaged girl?

My eyes scanned the entrance and living room, trying to see if I could find any hidden cameras. I made my way into the hall that led to the master bedroom, looking closely at anything that might be a camera.

I was still so fucking angry. At myself, for allowing myself to be manipulated again.

At Mr. Augustus for making me trust him, pretending to be like a father figure to me. Calling me "son" all the time.

I was mad at Orion and this entire fucking community of people who allowed him to marry off young girls and do God knows what else. Her Father had signed off on this shady-ass marriage—that I had absolutely zero memory of—and then wanted to watch while his daughter lost her virginity.

Not normal. Not even a little bit.

I stormed back into the bedroom, lost in thought, hoping to catch sight of at least one of the cameras that I was convinced were hidden somewhere. I wished I had my phone to call Aunt Melody. She was extremely tech-savvy. I needed to find and disable those cameras, then get us out of here before I was forced to do something I'd never be able to come back from.

I wondered how kind and good my mom would still find me if she found out that I deflowered a 17 year old.

I mean, I had deflowered a 17 year old. But she deflowered me, too... When I was 17.

I was still looking around, thinking maybe I saw something embedded into the wallpaper, when I noticed movement in the corner of the room.

I jumped a little, realizing it was Emma. And she was holding a lamp. She looked absolutely petrified, and I couldn't exactly blame her. But there was also a determination behind the fear that told me she would attack if she needed to.

And I really didn't want to get hit by a lamp, after all the shit that had already happened today.

So I stepped away, and I held up my hands to show her I meant no harm. She seemed extremely confused, but she held the lamp higher.

Good God.

What had I done so far that gave her the impression that I was trying to hurt her?

"Emma...I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to even touch you, if I can get away with it..." I said as calmly as I could, trying not to spook her.

"...I'm going to get us the fuck out of here."

I stood still, eyes still scanning the room. I thought I could maybe see—

"You don't......want me?" She said softly, slowly lowering the lamp. She looked relieved and crushed at the same time.

I didn't know how to respond.

Because... No, I didn't want her.

But it wasn't because she wasn't beautiful or anything. She looked like she was closer to 15 than 17. And I wasn't sure how legitimate our marriage was, seeing as how I couldn't remember any of it and didn't remember signing any documents. Was there even a marriage certificate? It all just seemed so fucking shady.