Degeneracy♡

chapter 14: ERRATIC

Today is officially my first day of freedom, supposedly. Luckily, visiting hours are in the evening today so I have time to compose myself and enjoy myself. 

My lips are still tingling from that kiss. It was the most sensational thing I have ever experienced. It was so enchanting I dreamt about it last night.

His lips brush mine. Not innocently, like a tease but hot, fiery, passionate and demanding. I want to pull away before I lose myself but I can't seem to...In this minty moment, my senses have been seduced and I can no longer think straight. "Izzy" he whispers slowly, prolonging each letter as if to savour them. I smile, my heart fluttering at his voice as I clasp my hands on either side of his face. Never before has my name ever felt so wonderful a one, I think, as I lean in for another...

The memory of the dream sends shivers up my spine. However, some are of fear and doubt rather than lust and affection. What if this is his sick way of making me conform? What if as soon as he leaves prison he casts me off? 

I put those doubts to the back of my mind and make my way downstairs for breakfast. To my surprise, all my family are sat at the table waiting for me. Why does this keep happening? We aren't exactly the most tight-knit family in the world.

"Hi, Izzy. Come, have some toast." My mum smiles lightly. What is going on?

I sit down awkwardly and butter some toast for myself. I look up to see my dad looking slightly concerned and angry, my brother looking disappointed and my mum looking like I forgot to tell her I was getting married or something. 

"What?" I ask, suspiciously. 

"When were you planning on telling us, Izz?" My mum smiles, delightedly. 

"Tell you what?" I ask, dumbfound.

"That you... have been... seeing a male." My dad states.

"I... wait what?" 

"You've got a boyfriend, Izzy. We saw him leaving here last night on his motorbike." Ollie frowns.

I am completely startled as to what they are talking about, and then I remembered that they must have seen Sebastian. Shit. How am I going to giggle out of this one.

"So, now that you have a male, we were wondering when you were planning on telling us." My dad grumbles , impatiently.

" 'Have a male'" I laugh. "Erm.. I-"

"Can we meet him soon? What's his name? He treats you well, doesn't he?" My mum interrogates.

"Erm... I'm not sure really. He's called Sebastian and he's not really my boyfriend..." I say.

"I knew that little bastard was treating you poorly." My dad spits. "Is that what happened to your wrist?" He shouts.

I can't exactly lie and say that he treats me well because he really doesn't. He is what happened to my wrist.

"Listen, me and Sebastian are just friends. Nothing more." I tell them.

"But we saw the way he was looking back at you, longingly. If he was just your friend, what was he doing in your room at 11.30 at night?" My mum pleads.

"We were just discussing Uni work. He missed loads of lectures earlier on in the year so I was giving him my notes." I lie through my teeth.

"Isobel Shelby, you are a terrible liar. I am telling you now, there will be no hanky-panky under this roof. Especially not with a punk rocker who looks like he is part of KM17!" My dad embarrassingly orders.

"Oh my God , I am so done with this conversation! 'Hanky-panky, Dad? Really?" I pick up my toast and leave the kitchen. 

How bloody embarrassing. We're going to have to bring up a new place to meet because my dad has already clocked on that Sebastian is bad news. 

I ring him right away to tell him.

"Hello?" He answers. 

"Sebastian, my dad knows something is up. We're going to have to meet somewhere else from now on." I say.

"Okay, coffee shop round the corner at 8pm." He says and puts the phone down. 

---

The rest of the day I do my best to avoid my parents. No more awkward conversations about imaginary boyfriends, thank you very much. I am 100% not telling them about Luca. I catch the bus to the prison and as soon as I walk through the visitors entrance I get an abundance of weird looks.

"Miss Shelby? What are you doing here?" I turn to see Vera walking towards me.

"I-I'm here to see Luca- Mr King. He saved me and I feel bad that he doesn't really have that many people to talk to..."I say. 

"Oh, erm... okay?" She stutters as I walk away.

I have my bag searched and I walk into the visiting room to see Luca waiting with a stern expression on his face. I take a seat and he is staring intently into my eyes.

"Isobel." He says, seriously. 

"Luca?" I say, with a more anxious tone of voice. 

"Come on then, tell me what's happening." He impatiently orders.

I quickly tell him the information that Sebastian told me last night, waiting for some kind of feeling that I got yesterday. I don't understand. He was so caring and warm yesterday? What's changed?

"Listen, Izzy. Sebastian has told me about what your parents thought of him. Let's get this out of the way because I need to make myself clear that this will never happen again. He will not come to your house again. You will meet him in public places and there will be absolutely no small talk or flirting. You are mine, not his."

"What?" I manage to hiccup out. 

"You're mine. All mine, to do what I want with." He growls.

"I'm not your fucking play thing, you can't just use me!" I snap, everyone gives me a weird look.

"Keep your fucking voice down! And don't ever talk to me like that again, or bad things will happen." He grits his teeth.

I don't say anything else and nothing else is said between us. What's ground his gears?