Bear | ✔

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

It had been two weeks since she had gone back there.

David had been ignoring her, as usual. He didn't bother giving her a reply on the spare apartment, and she didn't dare go and ask him herself. She had locked herself in her room all day, getting up only to go to the bathroom or to find something to eat. Emily - she had concluded - had been off on a Christmas leave that she didn't know when it would end. Leila had lost her only companion through that large mansion. Marissa had called her only twice that month, and each was concerning preparations for her ceremony.

She was happy for her friend, no doubt that, but she hated being left alone like that. She had received that treatment before from her classmates back at high school. But even though she was used to it, she had had a wish that things will be different when she went through a different life. Something must be very wrong with her behavior.

Harper was gone as well, which meant no more quality food for the time being. Since Leila barely knew how to cook, she only had a few loaves of bread and some cheese every day. She was getting weaker, and she had no energy to do anything. She wished she had still had her work. Even when everyone back there despised her, at least she was able to smell some fresh air.

David was apparently far from reach. She only knew his presence from the sound of the car pulling out and into the curb. Sometimes she would go out and watch him for those short minutes as he slipped out and entered the house. She was aching to talk to him, to ask what was she right now, but she was afraid. Every time she had tried to make herself stronger and more fearless, he always did something that made her crumble even more. She was clueless, and she wanted someone to save her from this mess.

Every day, while praying, she had asked God to make this easier for her. She was tired, and she couldn't handle no more. If things kept going on this way, she might even actually die of it.

- -

"Leila! LEILA! Wake up, Woman!"

Leila felt something nudge her spine violently and she groaned. Her eyes fluttered open to the usual seeping sunlight from the window that made her feel dizzy. She pulled the covers away and sat up against the headboard to get a clearer look.

"What?" She snapped aggressively, rubbing the top of her head to ease the pain. It wasn't helping. She looked up at the window only to realize that she had slept through half of the day.

"Get your ass out of the bed and get dressed. Your parents are over," David instructed and threw a towel at her face, then bolted out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The echo vibrated through her bones as Leila huffed desperately, grabbing the towel from her face. She stumbled not-so-elegantly out of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. Suddenly, she paused through halfway the distance and her body froze. Her slow mind finally granted David's words comprehension.

They're over.

Her parents are over.

Why are they even over?

"Oh, God!" She hissed under her breath, then struggled to the bathroom. She dropped her clothes to the floor, turned on the shower, testes the water, then she slipped into the tub. She broke the record of finishing under ten minutes and drained the rest of the water. Getting out, she wrapped the towel over her body and walked back to the closet to find something to wear.

She scrambled through the racks of elegant clothes, sometimes too sparkly that it made her cringe. Why did David bother buying all of this? Why did he even have a women's closet at all?