Infliction

9

I pull Tess towards me just in time before the car comes to an abrupt stop in front of us and the driver's mysteriously dark tinted window rolls down a little bit. I jerk my head back when I recognise him.

"Mr Kyle Reesogn," my mom's chauffeur says with a smirk as he climbs out the car and helps with the luggage. He looks at Tess before reaching down and gently removes the bags from her hands, leaving a slightly confused and curious Tess without any bags to hold.

"I think I'll take a cab from here on-," she says nervously as she quickly gets her backpack from the boot.

"Nonsense. You're coming with me," I cut her off and before she could say anything, I hoisted her up in the car and closed the door on her side. I go around the car and climb in the other side and soon the chauffeur starts driving.

"What's on your mind?" I ask her after a moment of silence. It's odd of her to keep quiet and the driver keeps glancing in the mirror to look at her.

"Nothing," she says, not bothering to look away from the window and focus on me. I decide to just let it slip and not push her further. "You won't forget about me, will you?"

I automatically smile when that question escapes her lips. I reach for her hand and hold it tightly in mine, shaking my head dismissively at her question.

"Not even if I wanted to."

"Where to for the young lady, Sir?"

"You can just-"

"Drop us at home, I'll take her from there."

"Home as in your mom's or yours?"

"Mine's."

Tess' POV
The car comes to a stop at a gate and the driver presses a red button at the security house. After a while the gates open and he drives through. The scenery is like one from those house magazines that cost 80 000 dollars or something and what's worse is that each house is uniquely built and damn expensive-looking. I was so focused on taking all the designs in I didn't realise we'd stop in front of yet another beautiful one.

"Welcome to my home," Kyle says as he scratches the back of his head nervously. Why in the hell would be nervous when his home looks like this?

"Uhm," he starts and I turn to him and try to not let my eyes wander off. "You could take a look around the place, I'll take my stuff up quickly. Then I'll take you to my mom's before your dad's, that okay?"

"Yes," I say before following him up the stairs and into his house. I guess all American kids love to live on their own.

"So that's my, uhm-" he starts to explain but I zone out when I look around. I've always wanted to be an interior designer but looking at all of these makes me feel extra cheerful.