A/N: This one is a bit boring but I think you guys will LOVE the next chapter... ;)
Chapter Sixteen: As free as a prisoner.
The next morning I woke up shivering. Getting wrecked by the wind and pelting rain was the orient curtains that I shut along with the window before I had gone to bed.
"Dear me, you'd die of cold child." Edna scolded, startling me as she arrived with a tray of breakfast.
Setting it down on my bed she rushed over to the window swiftly shutting it.
"Just look at this." She admonished, as she started taking the soaked through curtain from its rail, squeezing the excess water into a nearby pot plant.
It was obvious that Edna was very strong in her hands by the way easily rung out the dense material. But unlike most others in the house her strength did not come from being a superhuman- but a hard worker, something more admirable.
Short on her trail was Gen, who quietly tripled in behind her, also holding a tray.
Even under the artificial lights her skin was a soft caramel colour with a slight golden undertone that made her already beautiful eyes just look brighter.
Pulling my fingers through my knotted curls I imagined I was probably no oil painting, but Gen's expression made me want to run to the mirror, as she sucked in her breath.
"Idiots!" she growled.
"I didn't expect them to fill your closet... but no sleepwear!?"
Not wanting to tell her that I was just too tired to be bothered, I just nodded in agreement as she continued her rant about people in their household not knowing how to treat 'guests'.
"Do you even have another set of clean underwear?" she choked, looking serious as she rubbed her temples.
Holding back a chuckle, I quickly lied as I saw her concerned expression.
"Yes, now sit down- your making me nervous." I clipped, mirroring her almost comical serious expression.
But the instead of looking assured or amused, a brief look of wariness and fear flashed across Gen's eyes- and she quickly sat down.
Digging into the French toast and fruit salad, we both fell silent as we stuffed our faces, table manners no longer applying.
Pulling out a new, fancy looking touch screen tablet from her bag, Gen unlocked it opening up her email.
"Okay, so without any further a due- we need to discuss your room." She mumbled as she took a big last bite.
Opening up a 'virtual room', Gen flicked from screen to screen giving me a rundown of the program. Dragging a bed from the Manchester section she placed it in the room, shifting it along with other random items around the room into different positions to best utilise the space.
Although I knew technology allowed architects and interior designers to do great things, I never imagined it to be anything like this.
Astonished, I intently took in all the programs functions, only occasionally nodding when Gen asked if I fully understood.
Pressing the 'delete all' function however before I could even say anything, all the items disappeared from the virtual room as Gen entered a 'Word' document.
"Hey!" I protested.
"I thought we were designing my room, that was nice!"
Laughing a little maniacally at me, Gen picked tears from her eyes- laughing even more as she saw my serious, incredulous expression.
"That was just the tutorial items, Mila." She explained through a chuckle as she tried to suppress her laughter.
"I would never put my name on a design like that... Not that your father would even approve it."
"Besides! you can change way more than just the furniture..." She enthused.
"Floors, colour schemes every detail will be planned virtually and sent off to the company that will come in, in a few hours. There are hundreds of each item and colour though... So we have to narrow down what exactly you want first." She explained, smiling broadly at my obvious excitement.
Deciding on a colour scheme, we browsed through all of the furniture, linen sets, curtains and other décor items- creating my virtual room in not even an hour.
Despite enjoying the activity immensely, the voice in the back of my head telling me that there would be a price attached to every item- .ruined the exhibition.
"Don't get me wrong... This is fun! But I just don't know Gen, the room I'm staying in now is fine..." I pushed one last time.
"This is going to cost an arm and a leg..."
"Not really..." she scoffed, looking a little disappointed as she used her fingers to virtually pan through the room one more time.
"It's awfully..."
"Well I want to say simple..."
And she was right, it was. But despite it being nothing like the rest of the house, I was already in love with my room.
Simple oak wood, the big single bed with its warm bohemian coloured quilt, and matching tall boy didn't scream sophistication, but had a 'homey' feeling to it- that evaded the empty halls and huge antique cluttered rooms of my father's home.
Shaking her head, Gen was reluctant to press the 'send button'.
"I'm sorry Mills! I really am... but your father would never approve this." she sighed, looking at me pleadingly.
"What is something you really like? Maybe we can somehow incorporate it into your room!" she enthused with a hopeful smile.
My mind flickering to the mentioning of their library, I made my suggestion after what felt like an eternity of trying to think of something less mundane.
"I love reading?"
Biting her lip, a look of pure determination dissolved after a few moments as a hopeful smile crept onto her face.
"I think I have an idea..." she announced, dragging things from across the page into the center, flicking through the pages so quickly I could hardly tell what she was adding.
"So do you like it...?" she wavered, after about ten minutes of frantic scrolling and feirce looks of determination.
Hugging her as soon as I saw the addition to my already perfect room- I too was beaming, it was now more than perfect; it was the most accurate reflection of the me I knew- I had seen so far.
Cosily tucked into the wall under a huge window was an in-built oak couch which had the cushions with the same warm bohemian colours as on my quilt, the gap between the floor and it converted into bookshelves filled with books.
Grinning from ear to ear, I imagined myself tucked inbetween the colourful scatter cushions reading Bronte as rain pitter pattered onto the window- it would be sanctum.
Pressing the 'send' button, Gen hopped off the bed looking pleased as she ushered a young maid over.
"Lucy will help you to get ready!"
"I just need to talk to the contractors and then I'm taking you shopping!" She announce giving me a quick hug, before floating out of the room, as the nervous maid approached me woefully.
"I'm sorry about before madam, it won't happen again." She apologised looking down at her feet.
"It's fine, I should be the one to apologise, and it's just Mila, please..."
Letting out a breath she looked more relieved as she gave me a clean set of clothing, and what looked like the remote control for a garage door.
Staring at her quizzically a look of sudden realisation doed upon her.
"Oh, that's for if you need me, just press the red button."
Laughing, the thought suddenly didn't seem so ridiculous as I got out of bed too quickly. Although my muscles felt much stronger than before, I still felt a little weak; almost like hadn't slept well in a few days.
Shakily shutting the door behind me I decided on a hot shower rather than another bath.
The warm water spilling all over me I looked at myself for the first time, as I washed myself with a shower cream that smelt like a combination of milk and honey.
Now a blue-y green I was reminded of my other kidnapper by the bruises that covered me.
The sight made me feel more apprehensive about going out.
Even though he had said that he wouldn't be 'bothering' me again.
Him asking what I was all of a sudden made more sense...
Could he have sensed what was happening to me?
With that thought in mind I couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't on my track again after what happened with my father.
Or maybe that was just what I hoped for.
How was it that he could forget a kiss like that? I swooned at the thought of his soft lips against mine, his strong arms wielding me in a perfect embrace...
But as soon as the thoughts came, they went as rational thinking set in.
He kidnapped me! He was someone to be feared and forgotten- not swooned over.
With me of course not spilling any information about my kidnapper, nor 'big cheese', Lucy on the other hand told me all about her love interest, with a boy named Miguel, as she blow dried my hair into soft wavy curls.
"He'd never go for me of course..." she explained, sighing heavily.
"What just because he's some rich kid?"
"Well that too..." she chuckled humourlessly.
"But..."
"I'm a mortal Mila."
There it was.
The one word that seemed to make anything cast underneath it inferior. It was the one thing I had hated most about this town: excluding people that weren't 'good enough', but only now it wasn't just based around wealth...
"Oh come on!"
"Have you ever watched Twilight?" I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
But it was like the message was lost in translation... Shaking her head 'no' I was dumbfounded.
Well so much for that analogy...
"Wow..."
"Well, since you haven't... how about we watch it tonight?" I enthused as I saw her still glum expression.
"We can make it into a girls' night- I will organise it with Gen."
But despite her enthusiasm at the start, her face soon fell at the mentioning of Gen's name.
"That's very gracious of you Mila, but maybe another time..."
"I'm sure there will be lots to do after tonight."
I knew that her excuse had some validity, but more than anything that she was probably afraid of what Gen thought of her, and that she perhaps saw her as inferior - like Elvira saw me.
Not wanting to push any further I left it at that, perhaps a mortal only night in the not so distant future, would be a good thing.
The mentoning of the 'family dinner' however, spoiled my good mood after this morning.
In a way I knew exactly what Lucy felt.
We were trapped somewhere, where we weren't even wanted nor recognised as anything special.
But only this time it was much, much worse than whispers behind our backs. This time my inferiority will be discussed- in detail- by super human strangers; so called 'family' I had never even met.
Choking on the fumes of the hairspray I for the first time noticed how nice my hair looked, as I took a glance in the mirror.
The fishtail braid Lucy plaited my hair into was simple, but done perfectly, framing my face.
Thanking Lucy, she quickly handed me a tailored leather jacket and Dolce handbag to match, as she shooed me out of the door towards the main entrance, where Genevieve was waiting in a cream cashmere sweater and match pumps.
"You ready?" She enthused her eyes sparkling, as she led us out to the black Lamborghini that stood in the middle of the driveway.
Nodding yes, I tried too look enthusiastic as possible, but in reality I had mixed emotions.
I was apprehensive, excited and even a little sad to go out.
I was excited because for the first time in days I would have some freedom. I'd be able to breathe the mountain air as drove down Mt. Julia with the top down, and even drink coffee at a café if I wanted too, I wasn't a prisoner. But I was also apprehensive because I knew that I could possibly be kidnapped by a mystery lover I knew nothing about, someone who tried to both have his way with me and kill me.
And finally, I was mostly sad. I internally wished to see my mum, wondering around a cake shop, to hug her, tell her I love her. It was like I was free, but only to an extent- the reality being that I probably wouldn't see her, or Lily by some sick twist of fate, in which good fortune would actually be in my favour.
But with all of this in mind, I decided to make the best of it. Like a prisoner on a day pass, I knew that captivity was inevitable, but for the moment atleast, I was free.