"Thalia?" I felt a hand on my shoulder shaking me awake. "You need to get up now."
My vision was grainy, unclear. My fingers and toes were numb for some reason and the rest of my body ached. "You look terrible." I recognised the voice as Bee's. "Did I wake you up from a nightmare?"
"I-I don't know. Probably." I murmured and sat up on the bed, the movement causing me discomfort. "I locked the door last night. How did you get in?"
"It wasn't locked." She said, looking into the small mirror by the bed. I was positive that I'd locked it. She smacked on some red lipstick, spreading it out over her thin lips before making a pucking sound with them. "Your guy's here. So you better get up now before he destroys the place." She said it so nonchalantly. "Kind of spoilt, isn't he? Always gets things his way."
"H-He's here?" A part of me lit up at the knowledge that I was going to be out of here. I hurriedly clambered off the bed, and then felt a painful throb in my abdomen. I didn't know what was happening to my body anymore. These aches have been persistent for the longest time but I hadn't bothered with them. I didn't have time to.
"Yeah, wash up first. I'll see you." She winked at me before heading out the door.
Harry was here. The thought seemed so far fetched that I wasn't able to let it sink it completely. I found it strange how easily things were going and my mind was hazy, my eyes going blurry around the edges. It all resembled a dream, like the one I had last night. Since I arrived here I'd found it incredibly hard to tell the difference between reality and nightmares. I figured the drugs to be the cause. Had they given me more of it? I remembered being injected with something, but I was almost sure that it was a dream.
I took slow steps to the small bathroom facing the bed. I avoided looking in the cracked mirror, afraid of the sight. I noticed that I was no longer in the loosened corset I'd fallen asleep in, I was now wearing a knee-length black dress which was a little too big for me. My palms began to sweat at the realisation. I couldn't deal with any negative thoughts right now so I forced them down. What mattered was that I was getting out of this hellhole now. I cleaned myself up as fast as I could before making my way out of the room.
Just as I closed the door, I felt a grip on my elbow. I instinctively let out a scream, before I even knew who it was. I shut my eyes and struggled, continued to scream. I kicked and pushed, attempting to run but I was held in place. "Thalia, it's me! Look at me!" Harry. It was Harry. It wasn't a dream or a hallucination. This was real. I could feel him. I froze and looked at him for a while, befuddled by his presence. "It's me. You're okay." His voice was quiet and shaky, unlike him.
He slowly tried to pull me closer to him while I stood my ground. Then finding myself overcome by relief, I launched myself at him. He tightened his arms around me and I sobbed against him, desperately clutching at his shirt, afraid I'd lose him. "You're okay, baby." He repeated in a faint whisper, letting his lips linger over my hair as he embraced my trembling body. The young girls I'd seen last night peeked at us through the narrow openings of their doors. Bee and Darren were nowhere in sight but a customer and some other Baby Dolls in the corridor curiously watched on. Harry didn't seem to care, eventhough this would certainly damage the reputation he upheld if word got out.
"I'm taking you home now." He whispered, pulling back to look at me. He flicked my tears away with his thumb before reaching to hold my hand. His eyebrows crinkled into a frown once he noticed how rapidly my fingers were shaking. His demeanour changed, appearing less vulnerable as he led me through the corridor. The few customers in the lobby talked amongst themselves and stared at us when we walked past them and not so surprisingly, Richard was at the main entrance door. His hands were clasped together infront of him, the chilling, persistent smile on his face bringing back dark memories.
Harry pulled me close to him, putting his promise of protection in action. "Have fun, kids." Richard said, opening the door for us. I expected Harry to shoot a profanity at him, or even a punch maybe but he didn't. I was a little disappointed but then I realised that it was better to leave without any commotion. There was still the possibility that I would end up here again. Harry merely bought me. I wasn't out of this yet. Contracts didn't really matter in this business, it was only to showcase their non existent professionalism. If they wanted me again, they would get me - they made that very clear. And there was nothing I could do about it.
Glad and at the same time scared by how easily that went, I waited for Harry to get in the car. I struggled to ignore the terrible cramp that had been bothering me since I woke up. I felt so detached from the world right now, it was like I was watching everything happen from outside of my body. I blamed it on the drugs they'd given me. If I told Harry about how I was drugged, he might stomp back in there and give Richard a well-deserved beating. Fantasising about these irrational things filled me with a sense of comfort somehow.
"It's all my fault." Harry said once settled in the driver's seat. "Why won't you speak? What did they do to you?" I could swear he was about to shed a tear, but he didn't.
I wasn't speaking. I hadn't said a single word to him eventhough I was brimming with questions. I hadn't noticed it until he told me. Maybe I was still in shock. This was all happening so quickly. "Lia," he kissed the corner of my lips and then carefully looked at me for a response.
"Harry I don't know what to do." I told him. "You can't get me out of this. Nobody can."
"I'm not going to let them take you again. I promise. And-" He paused suddenly, clearly regretting what he'd started.
"What?" I inquired.
"We'll talk about it later. I-I just want you to rest right now, alright?" He kissed me again then shifted back into his seat. I'd never seen Harry like this. So nervous, so shaky and uncertain. Light bags hung under his green eyes and I figured that he needed a break too.
I didn't have the energy to tell him the details of my ordeal, and I had been unconscious for most of it so I rolled my head back and indulged in a much needed rest. I'd only just woken up but it felt as if I hadn't slept at all. There was evidently something wrong with my health but my mind was too fatigued to worry about it right now.
I slipped into sleep quickly and only woke up when the car pulled to a stop. Harry made his way over to my side and offered to carry me inside. Finding it a little odd, I refused. I could walk. He held the door open for me, anxiously weaving his fingers through his messy hair. I knew something was wrong with him and I knew he wasn't going to tell. As I bent over to step out of the vehicle, I caught a glimpse of a red woman's shoe under the car seat. "What is that?" I pulled it out and held it up for Harry to see, my hand still shaking.
Was that why he was all jittery? Was he feeling guilty for seeing a girl before coming to meet me last night? A new feeling rose within me, pushing past the sorrow and worry... anger. I couldn't handle this but it was inevitable now. Harry groaned at the sky, dragging his hands down his face.
"Harry, answer me. Please." My voice cracked. I didn't expect this from him, not now.
"It isn't what it looks like," He said it so genuinely. I wanted to believe him.
"You're the only one I can trust right now, the only form of support I have left." My breath caught in my throat.
Harry snatched the high heels from me and chucked it to the grass behind him. He caught my elbows and attempted to stand me up from the car seat. I complied, too weak to put up any kind of fight. "I swear nothing happened, and this isn't important right now. We have bigger things to worry about."
"Tell me what happened. Tell me how it ended up in your car." I wouldn't be able to put my mind at ease unless I knew exactly what happened.
"You need to get inside first. Please." He almost begged.
"No. Tell me now." I demanded, making him groan again. "Was it Kaylee?"
"Yes." He said as he pulled out a coat from the backseat of the car. "We were at a party that my dad made me attend and she needed a ride home. She was wasted as hell." He wrapped the coat around me, somehow knowing that the cold weather was taking a toll on me.
"And you sent her home to make sure she was safe." I concluded, my stomach throbbing as I spoke.
"No! Well, kind of. I haven't been entirely honest with you, Lia but-"
"Are you still engaged to Kaylee?" I asked sternly.
"No, of course I'm not." He cupped my face in his hands, the warmth spreading to my cheeks. "I've been going out with Kaylee for show, so my dad doesn't cut my allowance and so her dad cheats me through college. I kept this from you because I didn't want you to get pissed, and you were going through a lot."
Did they hold hands for show? Kiss for show? My emotions were in a frenzy. I didn't know what to feel or think.
"Lia, you're the only girl I give a damn about, the only person, really. Please get that through your head." He said, bringing our foreheads together.
I pulled away then quickly walked to the doorstep of the mansion. I took what Harry had just told me as the truth, but he had been dishonest with me and he couldn't expect me to take it lightly. This was rather a small matter in comparison to everything else that was happening at the moment but it still hurt to know that Kaylee had been keeping him company whenever I wasn't around. The revelation added to the build up of my worries. I didn't know how much more I could take.
Harry fumbled with the keys before opening the door. As I entered, I was greeted with a recognisable aroma which strangely made me feel a little better. Harry pulled me close to him and rubbed up and down my arms to generate heat. I found myself picturing Kaylee in the mansion, alone with Harry.
I saw them watching television and laughing, kissing by the fireplace. Doing the all the things I hadn't done with Harry when I still lived here because we were too caught up in figuring out our feelings for each other, dwelling on the fears and consequences that now all seem unimportant. A burning feeling of rage and envy took over me. "You're weak." I told him before I could stop myself.
"What?" He turned me to face him, his eyes suddenly darker than I remembered. "What do you mean I'm weak?"
"Why don't you fight for what you want? Why can't you be your own person and not who these people want you to be? We're in this situation because you're too afraid to stand on your own two feet!" It was unfair to blame it all on him but an unfamiliar wave of irritation had hit me and I felt the need to let it out of my system.
"So this is all my fault now?"
"You said so yourself." I snapped at him. I usually wasn't like this.
"Then what do you want me to do? Flip everyone off and run away? Start anew?" His voice was growing profoundly loud, I didn't like it but I had brought it upon myself. "Both our lives are fucked up but we can't just run away from it. Maybe you can but it isn't that simple for me and I don't expect you to understand!" His chest was heaving vehemently, eyes narrowed at me. His breaths were hot and ragged, I tore my arms away from him to distance myself. I found my thoughts reeling back to the time he threatened to hurt my family if I tried to contact them. Harry had come such a long way since then character-wise and the last thing I wanted was for him to take steps back.
Harry's voice disappeared, and something obscured my vision. I felt a sudden pang in my stomach and my knees almost buckled. I needed to lie down. Now. Harry was saying something and his arms reached for me but I was blocking it out. "Leave me alone." I said to him. I crossed my arms over my stomach and headed up the stairs, fighting to keep my eyes half open.
I felt a little better when I got to my room. My room. There was a sense of belonging that I couldn't seem to shake off. The thick curtains were drawn. The bed was made, conveniently. Just like when I used to live here. Sliding onto the bed, I thought of Mrs Briffen. I was going to question her absence when I remembered that she always went home on the weekends. Was today a weekend? I couldn't be sure.
Once my head touched the pillow, I was gone. Sleep took me away once again, so easily.
My eyes shot open to the sound of the door being open. I recoiled into the blanket when the light from outside fell on me. I recalled my nightmare, the similarities it shared with the current situation, or dream. A blurry figure entered before the door was shut again. I couldn't see the figure anymore. It had blended with the darkness. I was thankful.
I only realised that I wasn't dreaming when I felt warm breaths against my skin. Harry had buried his face into the curve of my neck. He kissed my hair and wrapped an arm around me. The gestures turned out to be something I direly needed, because my nerves instantly relaxed. I finally felt safe and secure. I sat up a little and led him to lay on his back.
Harry was sweating, for some reason. I undid a few buttons along the length of his shirt and then, with my eyes closed, I placed my head against his exposed chest for the forceful beating of his heart. It was strangely soothing. My former captor pulled me even closer to him, his collarbone pressing against my cheek. Harry tilted his head down and his lips brushed my forehead. They were chapped and warm... quivering. "I'm sorry." His breathing was uneven. There was something else he wasn't telling me.