❤ Stockholm Syndrome 🔫 | ✔

🖤 Chapter 14 🖤

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I stand at the door, not taking James's words too lightly, wondering if I should make like an athlete and run. But before I can turn and skedaddle, his head pops out from the door.

"Don't get any bright ideas," he warns. "Come inside." I move so quickly that I almost stumble on the dress I'm wearing, and James chuckles. "Don't kill yourself on my account."

Trust me, don't count on it!

He closes the door then joins his father and me at the entrance to the sitting area. His father excuses himself, heading into what looks like the kitchen straight ahead.

James and I enter into the sitting area of the house which is painted in a tint of gold, with red trimmings to border every edge and corner. Rusty-orange curtains, with frills and loops as designs, hang at the windows. Five red leather chairs occupy the middle of the room, arranged in a kind of circular manner, in addition to a soft red carpet with 'hair' to smother your feet with hugs set underneath them. On a small table, in the centre of the chairs, rests red placemats on which there are different, small ornaments, most of them being angels.

His father really is obsessed with the colour red, and angels.

A small woman sits in the chair nearest to the fireplace reading a magazine but, as we enter the room, she glances up. Springing to her feet right away she runs to us, a bright smile on her face.

"Jay-Jay!" she rejoiced.

Jay-Jay? What kind of nickname is that?

"Mom..." James growls at the woman hugging him tightly. He glances at me with a nervous smile, while I just watch, wave and chuckle as he suffers from PDA.

"It's so nice of you to visit again," she says pulling away, but still gripping on his broad shoulders. "It's been far too long."

"And yet too soon," he says bitterly, a straight face taking over his facial features.

"Oh, don't be like that," she retorts, waving away his remark. Only then did she really notice the slender girl in a beautiful red dress standing not too far behind James - me.

Pushing James aside, she walks over to me. "Who is this lovely, young beauty?"

I blush and immediately stare at the floor. Her hand holds my chin and lifts my face, bringing my eyes back up to hers.

"Don't be shy," she says sweetly. "I'm Diana Augustine, James's mother." I nod in response, and the next few seconds were silent.

"My dear," Diana continued, "this is where you tell me who you are as well," she chuckles.

Oh, yes. I forgot about that.

"I...uh...um..."

What the hell am I stuttering for?

Maybe it's because I'm being introduced to his mother.

"This is Erica, Mom," James begins to speak. "Erica Augustine."

The woman's eyes widen, and she spins around so quickly that the hair on her head, in a ponytail, hits me in the face. "You don't mean..."

"Yes, Mom. She's my wife."

Diana's eyes light up as she turns back to face the newest member of her family. Her gleaming smile makes her appear to be running on sugar.

"Oh dear me!" she exclaims. "A daughter-in-law...just for me!"

I laugh in my head. I could finally see where James got his possessive behaviour from. They're all mental.

The sudden sound of an unfamiliar voice, as someone enters the room behind me, makes my adrenaline rush. Whirling around, I see a butler dressed in a red and gold butler's uniform and a small, cylindrical, red hat on his head.

Seriously. This obsession with red needs to stop.

"Excuse me, Madam Augustine, for my interrupting," he begins. "But Master Augustine has sent me to inform you that dinner is ready to be served."

"Thank you, Francis," Diana replies. "We'll be there momentarily."

I back away and stand next to James, noticing that a muscle in his face twitches more than once. Again, I squeeze his hand to stop him from plotting a murder, especially the murder of poor, unsuspecting Francis, who just nods and then leaves, probably for the kitchen.

"You need to calm down," I whisper to James.

However, the damn man just scoffs and walks away, following after Francis.

Oh dear.

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☆ MARDAIS ☆

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