Chicago

CHAPTER THREE

Chai could barely hold in her smile as she carried her bags to the elevator. Her taxi was waiting downstairs and she couldn't wait to hop in and get away from Derek. He was smothering her all morning. First thing he did when she finished packing last night was check to see if her stash supported a two day stay. When she got up this morning he made sure he was up as well. He told her she wasn't leaving until she changed the bed sheets and made him breakfast.

He kept reminding her that she was only staying for two days and that he was going to hurt her if she stayed longer. She didn't listen to him. She wasn't going to allow him to put fear in her heart. The only thing she was concerned about was seeing her family. Derek was completely irrelevant to her at this point.

In the elevator he stared at her, "Chai I hope you're taking me seriously when I say only a couple days."

"How many times are you gonna say it, Derek? I understand."

Derek took a deep breath as the elevator reached the lobby. He walked outside and spotted the taxi driver who pulled up in a 2016 Toyota Camry. He walked her over to the car and opened the back seat for her. As she sat down and fixed her seatbelt, he closed the door. He told her to roll down the window and when she did, he leaned down and poked his head in.

Chai looked straight ahead. She was getting so annoyed at how clingy he was being but she counted her blessings. She just smiled at him, "I'll see you soon."

"You better text me girl."

"I will."

There was an awkward moment of silence as Derek continued to eye her, "I love you."

Chai's heart nearly stopped. She didn't know what to say. The feeling was far from mutual. She didn't love him, she despised him. All the love she had for Derek was left back when she was eighteen years old and decided to move in with him. That was when the beast unleashed and sadly she was a victim trapped in his cage.

"I'll see you soon." She repeated before rolling up the window. She couldn't even bring herself to return the three words. Derek chuckled to himself as he backed away from the car, tapping the roof to let the driver know he could go. He let her go peacefully but she knew she going to come back to a completely different atmosphere.

   The entire ride was about an hour and thirty minutes long. It could have just been an hour but traffic was pretty hectic with all the summer festivals and festivities going on around the city. Chai didn't mind and actually wished the ride was longer. Ever since she's moved the only places she's been was to work and back home. Derek didn't really allow her to hang out because he didn't want her making friends that could possibly have an influence on her. To make sure she was a homebody, he stocked up her free days with a bunch of chores. Whenever he was at home he made sure she had her work cut out for her. It was almost as if she was taking care of a child.

"1421 Riverdale." The driver said as he pulled up to her old house. The nostalgia was real when she looked at the house. It was a one story red brick home with gates around the windows and the door. It wasn't much but it was where she made some of the best and worst memories.

"Thank you so much," Chai stepped out of the car and grabbed her bags from the seat. After she paid she closed the door and walked up the couple steps that led up to the home. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. She was anxious to see how things have been holding up.