CHAPTER-8
TALES
If you think I was feeling better to wear clothes to bed, you were wrong. He still slept naked beside me, wrapped all around with his morning wood poking me.
Christian told me he had an urgent matter that required his attention so he'd return in the afternoon.
So here I was, in his room locked up again, with guilt eating at me.
I kissed Christian.
And worse, I liked it.
I cheated on Liam.
On the logical part, a kiss seemed a lot better rather than being naked in his bed all night. But my mind came back to the part where the kiss proved that I cheated on my fiancé, no matter what for.
Christian goaded and provoked me to kiss him and I fell for it. I stupidly fell for it.
I could see it on his face all day that he was over the moon after our kiss.
It was just a stupid kiss, Stella. It didn't mean anything. It won't happen again. At least you wouldn't have to sleep naked with him anymore.
You cheated on Liam, stupid bitch. Admit it, you liked kissing Christian. If you didn't want to kiss him, you'd never have fallen in his trap.
I closed my eyes. I'd tell Liam all about it when I get back. I'd tell him why I did it. I'd tell him that it seemed most logical at that time.
I loved Liam and I had to get back to him. He'd be looking for me. He'd be worried.
Just then, the beeped sounded, enlightening me that someone was entering my cage.
Probably my tormentor.
But no, it wasn't him. It was Caroline with food cart and a big smile on her face like it was normal for her employer to have a girl locked up in his room.
Maybe it was normal. Maybe I was not the first woman to be here. Maybe he did it more often. Maybe he used them and then throw them away. Or worse, kill them.
Is that what he was going to do to me? Kill me when he had his fill and go search for his next prey? Maybe he already had.
So many maybes.
"Good morning." She chirped.
Caroline wasn't a very old woman. She had lines under her eyes and some wrinkles on her cheek which told me she was in early forties. Her brown eyes radiated warmth but who knew if she really was like this. I thought Christian was handsome at first, but look where we were right now.
I didn't greet her back as she turned to set the breakfast on the small table by the window.
"I have made pancakes. I know you like them." She smiled.
"I'm guessing Christian told you that?"
"Yes, of course. Who else would?" She looked at me like I was stupid.
Yes, Caroline, I agree with you. I am stupid.
"Is he here yet?" I didn't need to take his name. She shook her head as she wiped her hands on her apron. "No. He'd be back in the afternoon. He has requested to have lunch with you."
I scoffed. "Requested. Yes, of course."
Her features softened. "It's just lunch. I'm sure no harm would be done if you'd come down and join him."
I raised my brow, "Do I get to say no?"
She hesitated, "I'm afraid not."
I sighed, "Then I'd come down once I get to leave my cage. I have no other choice."
She was silent for a moment and I was sure she'd leave but then she said, "You'd come to like him soon. I'm sure."
"Hell would freeze over before that will happen. There sure is a term called Stockholm Syndrome but that won't be applicable to me in near future. Or in this lifetime."
"His actions are a little...unorthodox, I agree, but he means no harm to you, Miss Stella." She smiled.
I assessed her. "How long have you known him?"
"Eleven years."
"And you never thought of leaving?" I asked. Was he keeping Arnold and her a prisoner too?
She smiled. "No. We are a little family now."
I pressed my lips, "What about his real family?"
She sighed, "I'm afraid that's not my place to say. Ask him, he'll tell you." And then she nodded, "I'll take my leave now. Enjoy your breakfast."
And then she locked me in again.
Knowing I had nothing else to do, I had my breakfast and decided to have a shower.
Christian's shower was the fanciest thing I had ever seen. A wooden bench ran along one glassed-in wall. The other side was taken up with stone shelves, all the angles smoothed out. Designed that way on purpose. The water ran straight down over me, like rain.
I wrapped myself in a towel as I went into the closet. Christian's clothes were lined up before me. All black. Even his watches were black. I wanted to snoop through his things, thinking I'd find something of use but decided against it.
I put on the most baggy clothes I owned because I didn't need to be presentable.
And I sat back on the bed having nothing to do.
******
The room didn't have a clock so I didn't know the time when the door to my cage opened again.
Arnold appeared.
"Your presence is requested downstairs, Stella." He smiled.
I knew I had no choice so I followed him downstairs. And in the dining hall, my tormentor was waiting for me, dressed like Hades, in a black suit, frowning down at his phone.
Upon hearing my steps, his head lifted and a smile replaced the frown as he put his phone back in his pocket.
"I missed you," were his first words to me.
I froze, blinked rapidly. "What?"
"I didn't have you with me for sixteen hours and forty-three minutes. So I missed you."
I didn't know what to say.
"Come."
Christian pulled a chair back for me to the left of the head chair. And then he seated on the head chair.
I looked at him to watch a big smile on his face with dimples creasing his cheeks. I narrowed my eyes, "You look happy."
He nodded. "I am."
"I suppose your work went well?"
He nodded again, "It did. But that is not the reason for my happiness."
I cocked my brow, "Then what is?"
"I have never shared a meal with someone before. And I'm glad you are the first person to sit with me."
"You've never have guests?" I asked. He shook his head as he took a sip of water. "No. I don't have friends if that's what you're asking."
My voice softened a little, "What about your family?"
"It's a long and pretty boring story. I'll tell you after we have lunch. I want you to join me in the library."
And the rest of the lunch went in silence. And that's when it occurred to me, Christian was lonely. And he didn't even mind that he was alone.
After lunch, Christian took my hand again as he guided us to the library. He didn't leave my hand until he had locked the door and we sat by the fireplace.
"You hold my hand because you think I'll run away?" I asked while Christian took off his jacket and draped it on the back of his sofa.
He looked taken aback from my question like the thought didn't even occur to him. "No. I've read holding hands is a sign of showing affection. And I like holding your hand."
This man...
Christian sat and the fabric of his pants stretched against his thighs as he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs.
Don't notice him that much, Stella.
I snapped my eyes up to watch his intense eyes scanning my face. "What?" I asked.
"I was thinking about our kiss." He said, still staring.
Shame filled me again as I looked away from him. Hardening my voice, I said, "Don't. Because it's not happening again. Ever."
He sighed. "You're right, I shouldn't think about it. Because it makes me hard. I already jacked off to it last night, and this morning as well. But you're wrong that it won't happen again. In fact, more than kissing will happen."
I scoffed, "In your dreams."
He chuckled and leaned forward until I could feel his hot breath on my neck and then upto my ear. I tried not to look at him or stiffen at his closeness but failed miserably.
And his next words didn't help at all.
"One day, I'm going to spread you out on my bed and see how many fingers you'll let me put inside you. If I lubed up my whole hand, would you let me fist your c*nt, sweetheart? Would you scream because it hurts, or would you beg for all of it?"
He then nuzzled behind my ear as I kept my mouth sealed. "Answer me, sweetheart. Would you let me fuck your p*ssy with my fist? Hmm? Or would you beg for my c*ck because you can't fit my hand inside you? But let me tell you, you wouldn't be able to fit my c*ck inside you either." He whispered with a deep chuckle.
I clenched my eyes shut. Don't say anything. He's doing this to get a reaction out of you.
Christian chuckled again at my silence. "You don't have to answer. Your flushed skin tells me all."
And then his warmth was gone.
I sucked in a deep breath and hardened my tone before saying, "If that's all you have to say to me then I'd like to go back to my cage."
A ghost of a smile appeared as he leaned back in his chair and spread his legs until his shoes touched mine.
I scrambled back a little.
"I have been on my own since I was nine." He said.
I stared at him, not sure if I heard him right. "What do you mean?"
"You asked about my family. I never had one. I mean, I did have a father and mother but they never did pay attention to me much. My father was a businessman and my mother was an author. I was their single child. Since they weren't around much anyway, I didn't miss them when they were gone."
And then he went silent again.
I waited for him to continue, to tell me further but he just stared back at me, like he was waiting for me to say something.
"That's it? Where did they go? Did they...die?" I whispered the last word.
He shook his head. "No, they didn't die. They just left me."
I kept staring, not understanding what he was saying. "They just left you? At the age of nine? Where are they now? Did they, like, went on a vacation or something without you and returned later?"
He sighed. "You're not understanding my point here. They didn't go on a vacation. They just brought me here and left without me."
My eyes widened in horror. "They...left you alone? Here?"
He nodded. "Yes. They brought me here one night and the next day I woke up to an empty house. Mom left me a note saying they wouldn't be coming back for me. I was on my own."
I just couldn't...couldn't believe what he was saying. They left him here all alone? Their own kid?
"Why...why would they do that? How could they do that to you? Didn't you try to contact them? Didn't they come back to see you once?" My voice shook.
Christian tilted his head and assessed me with a clinical look. "You're angry. Why are you angry?"
I was angry. He might have kidnapped me and kept me a prisoner here but I felt bad for him. I was angry on his behalf. How could a parent do that to their own child? Christian was a little different, every child is, but that didn't mean they'd just leave him.
"They never came back?" I whispered.
"No." His voice was monotonous.
"How did you..."
"Survive?" He shrugged. "I knew how to cook. I learnt when I was eight. And my parents had left me my laptop and tablet and we have wifi here so I used to spend my time studying or watching videos."
"You didn't go to school?" I asked.
"I used to take private tuitions back at my parent's house. But since it wasn't available here, I mostly studied from Google. I don't have a professional degree if that's what you're asking."
He didn't mind answering me those questions. Like he didn't mind that situation at all. Like it was all normal for him to do all that.
"Weren't you lonely?" I whispered. He met my eyes, "I am used to being alone. People usually don't like my company or they are ashamed to be in the presence of someone like me. My mother was ashamed of me too. I wasn't like her friend's children. She told me I don't deserve friends. I believed it."
"Christian, I..." I didn't know what to say.
But then he smiled. "It's okay. I hired Arnold at nineteen when I had money in my pocket. And then he married Caroline. They decided to stay here. I didn't mind. So I've had them for a while now. And now," his smile stretched, "I have you too."
As I watched my tormentor smiling at me, I knew one thing. He was lonely his whole life but he didn't mind because he was told he was supposed to be alone. He neither was ashamed to admit that people didn't like his company. I wasn't even sure if he was sad about it or angry. I didn't even know if he felt anything about it.
It seemed....like he was okay with everything.
It seemed like he didn't even know what good things this world had to offer.
********
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