It's late afternoon by the time we get to the island. It's about a mile long and half a mile wide. I gape at the majesty of it. It's beautiful. The water is a crystal, clear blue. Vegetation of all kinds surrounds the huge mansion that sits in the middle of it all. It's white and two stories tall, possibly with an attic. Big windows are everywhere and there's a nice big patio outside.
"Where are we?" I ask Chris. It is just him and I on the deck. Ashley went inside for Tyler, and no one else has come out yet. I'm sort of nervous, but Chris won't hurt me. He's already done the worst he can do. Besides, he hasn't been too crazy lately.
"Paradise," he says. The boat has just finished docking. "Want to check it out?"
"Sure." By now I've changed and have shoes on finally. The temperature is in the 50's so it isn't that bad. Winter doesn't get to much colder out here.
I start walking towards the exit off the boat with Chris at my side, but suddenly my feet aren't carrying me anymore. It feels like I'm flying through the air and get caught. I'm being held bridal style. He holds me carefully and smiles down at my face. "What are you doing?" I squeal surprised. He holds me like I weigh nothing.
"Well isn't the groom supposed to carry the bride in to their new home?"
"That was awhile ago, Chris," I mumble. The only thing I wanted was for him to not touch me, but now he's carrying me. We can't get much closer than this. I wish I could just tell him to put me down, but he probably wouldn't listen.
"Still counts," he says as he walks off the boat with ease. I bite my tongue and roll my eyes. He doesn't notice. I look at the beach so I don't have to look at him. Even though I'm not physically touching the ground, this is the first time I've been off that boat in forever. I never want to go back on one again.
I shield my look of annoyance from him as he walks towards the house, or mansion as I should say. It gets bigger the closer we get to it. I feel for the locket in my pocket, thankful I have it. Come on, Matt. When are you going to get here?
There is no way I'm living here. It looks too grand, too unreal to be home. It looks more like a resort than anything. Most people see their dream home, I see another prison. A fancy, paradise prison, but it's still the same.
Chris walks excitedly. I can tell from the slight bounce in his step, and the broad smile on his face. Almost there, I tell myself, then I can get out of his arms. We get to the steps that lead to the front door. I'm itching to be free.
"Here we are," he says, easily adjusting his hold on me so he can open the door. I grab on to his shoulder and cringe slightly, I don't want to touch him, but I don't want to fall either. Chris chuckles, "Don't worry. I got you."
I smile weakly as he sets me down. It's dark in the house. I can't see a thing. All of the windows must have shades or curtains pulled over them. I'm feeling rather unsettled; I'm alone with Chris in the dark, and I don't know where he went. He was by my side just a second ago, but he disappeared in the dark. I can't even hear his movements.
Just then, it seems like the heavens open up and light floods in the room. I gape at it. I shouldn't be surprised because of the outside, but it still takes my breath away. A huge crystal chandelier twinkles high above me. The blinds on the windows all go up at once, leaving a picture-perfect view of the ocean. Double archways stand on either side of the room. One leads to the kitchen, the other to a living room of some sort. Across from me is a grand staircase.
Chris stands to the left of me. His hand is still on the switch, a big smile on his face. "Welcome home," he says. He walks closer to me. "Do you like it?"
I'm still in shock. This looks like it belongs to a scene from a movie. Chandeliers are for movies or books, not homes. "I don't know," I look down and quietly say. I want to say I like it, but I honestly don't. This place doesn't feel real.
"Hey," Chris says softly. He puts his fingers beneath my chin and slowly makes me look at him. I don't look at his eyes. They're too powerful, just one glance could leave me paralyzed. "You'll love it here, I promise. It can be our own little paradise, plus it's the perfect place to have a
family."
"But don't you think it's a little too much?" And secluded, I think.
"Only the best for you."
I feel a blush coming on. Stop it, I mentally scorn myself. I need to do my best to get out of here. "Chris, it looks like a resort. Not a place to live in."
Chris thinks for a moment. "How about we give it a try for a few weeks. If you still don't like it here, we can find somewhere else," he offers. I can see it pains him to say this since he really likes it here.
I figured he would tell me to live with it or something along those lines. It surprises me that he's actually listening to me for once. "You- you'd do that for me?" I ask more to myself than anyone.
"I'd do anything for you," he says sweetly, caressing my cheek.
I look into his eyes, slowly losing myself. "But you really want to live here," I say weakly.
"I'd want to live anywhere, as long as you and our baby were there." My heart melts and knees go weak at his words. A part of me wishes deeply that all of this could be different. If Chris didn't kidnap me, this wouldn't be bad. In fact, it would be great-
Wait. What am I thinking? There's no ifs about this. He kidnapped me, and lied to me, and hurt me too many times. Things can't be different. They won't ever be different. It won't do me any good to even think about it being different. Chris ruined me in ways that that can't be fixed.
I turn away from him, giving him my backside. "Ok," I say emotionless.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asks confused. I feel him touch my back and I flinch away.
"I'm fine." I give him the cold shoulder. "Just give me some space." I expect him to leave me alone, but he surprises me again.
Instead of his sweet tone he was using just a moment ago, he now sounds dark and agitated. "No," he says forcefully. He grabs me by the shoulder. Before I have time to react, he spins me around to face him. "I'm not going to let you just run away from me again. We are going to work this problem out."
It's not like I can just tell him what's wrong. It will only make Chris worse. "I don't have a problem," I grit my teeth. He stares me down, but I stare right back. I don't waver.
"I don't believe you." His grip on my shoulder keeps getting tighter. I feel his nails digging into my skin through his shirt. I hold back a whimper.
Finally, I can't take it anymore. He wants an answer? Fine, I'll give him one. "You are my problem," I spit. "One moment you are all nice and caring; the next you are hurting me. You're a volcano, Chris! You keep getting worse and worse. It's only a matter of time before you erupt! I'm scared for my safety, you know that? I'm scared for myself and this baby, but there's nothing I can do about it. Nothing at all."
The following moments are filled with tension. Neither of us move. I take deep breaths to calm myself down. He won't look me in the eye. "I live in fear that you will hurt me more. It's worse now since I have this baby to protect too, not just myself, and I can't even do that obviously. This baby should've never happened. She came from your sin, but I love her still. I'd do anything to keep her safe. How am I supposed to do that if I can't even trust her father? Chris, I hardly know you," I say softer than before. His grip on my shoulder loosens. It stings, but I've dealt with worse.
Chris still won't look me in the eyes. "You wanted the truth," I say, "and I gave you it. You expect me to love you, but now do you see why I can't? It's just not right."
He nods slowly. "I'm sorry," he sounds broken. Completely different from how he was a minute ago. He drops his arm to his side. "I didn't know. I truly am sorry. Can you forgive me?" I look at him blankly. He can't be serious. His eyes are pleading, "Please?"
"I don't know if I can," before I can say anymore, the door opens. Ashley is holding Tyler, followed by Danny, Joseph, and Jonathan. I take a few steps away from Chris.
Jonathan eyes us warily. Then his gaze immediately falls on me. He knows I hurt his son. My stomach drops, would he hurt me? I doubt it since I'm pregnant with his grandchild, but that doesn't mean he won't get revenge. Physical injuries aren't the most scarring.
I turn my attention to Ashley. There's no point in worrying about him now. I already have enough stress as it is. Ashley looks around in total awe, just like a five year old in a toy store. "This is our home?" She asks wide eyed.
Danny laughs, "That's a good thing, right?"
"It's more than good! Can I check it out?" She looks so childish that it's almost comical.
"I'll give you the complete tour," Danny smiles. "Come on."
He starts walking towards the stairs, Ashley not far behind. "Hey Danny, could you take Morgan? I have some things to do..." Chris trails off. I almost forgot he was standing there since he was so quiet. I refuse to look at him.
"Yeah, sure," Danny says slightly strained. He's trying to keep up his happy act but is failing miserably. Don't worry, I don't like you either. At least I can hide my annoyance.
I join Ashley, happy to get away from Chris. We are going up the stairs when something starts bothering me. Should I be worried that Chris is alone with his family? Mainly his father? He's upset and unstable. They might make it worse. After all, I'm not on good terms with any of them and I'm not sure what Chris thinks of me anymore. This could end up really hurting me later.
Still, with doubt fresh in my mind, I make it to the top without a problem. I'll worry about that later. Who knows, maybe nothing will happen. But then again...
Stop it, I tell myself. Negativity won't help the situation I'm in. Sometimes I need to stop worrying about the future and and be focused on the present instead. All this worrying can't be good for me.
Danny gives us a full tour of the house. He shows us every room, closet, and bathroom in the place. It sort of reminds me of an unfurnished hotel, only a few rooms are decorated. Most of them have a plain bed with a plain paint job. It looks like they are waiting to be lived in. Each hallway is a maze in itself. It feels like we are wandering them for ages. I would've gotten lost with my poor sense of direction, but Danny seems to know every inch of the place. I don't know how, it's huge.
Towards the end of our tour, we stop outside a door. Danny pauses for dramatic effect. Then he says, "And this is your room, Morgan. I think you'll recognize it." I start to feel nervous. What does he mean by that? He slowly opens the door to reveal a room with dark blue walls. It looks all too familiar. The same furniture set up, bed spread, and even carpet. I start to feel sort of panicked. This room haunted me for months, and now it's back. It's an exact replica of the room from the house in the woods. Chris must not like change.
All the memories collapse on me at once; the first time Chris kissed me, the countless hours I've spent crying, the day he have me the necklace, and how alone I felt when I realized Matt had left me. I start to feel dizzy so I lean against the door for support. Ashley notices my change immediately. "Morgan, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I say. My head is spinning as I shrug her off. I almost lose my balance.
"Ok. Time to sit down." Ashley sounds very motherly. I know I can't argue with her. She holds Tyler in one arm and guides me to the bed with the other. "Danny, could you get me a glass of water?"
"I'll be right back," he says as he quickly leaves the room.
"I'm fine," I say again. "I've always had dizzy spells. I usually get them when I get up too fast. It's no big deal."
"Yes, but you were standing the entire time. What's wrong? Is it something with your body or something going on in your head?" She asks worried.
"The baby is ok, I'm ok. It's this room, it's just like the one from before. I don't know, I just got really upset and dizzy all at once," I try to convince her.
She looks at me warily and sighs. "I'm sorry if I'm freaking out. You scared me a little. I just care for you and your baby. I guess my maternal instincts took over. Please be careful-" she rambles on.
"Hey, it's ok. I am being as careful as I can. Thanks for looking out for me."
She smiles. "You're welcome."
Danny arrives with the water Ashley requested. I take it gratefully. Maybe I have been feeling a little dehydrated lately. "Thank you," I say trying to get on his good side, although I doubt it will do very much, if any at all.
He ignores me and picks up a crying Tyler instead. "It's ok," he soothes, rocking him back and forth. He looks at Ashley, "I think he's hungry." Danny sounds very caring. Whenever he's with his family, he always is. Now that I think about it, I've never seen Ashley and Danny actually fight in front of everyone. If they do, they aren't as open and obnoxious as Chris and I. I wonder if there will ever be a day when Chris and I don't fight. Too bad I won't figure that out. I plan to be out of here before that happens.
"I think you're right," she says looking at Tyler. "It's been a few hours since I've last fed him."
Danny kisses Tyler on the forehead and smiles. Then he carefully hands him to Ashley. "There you go."
I sort of feel like I'm imposing on them. Awkwardly, I watch their exchange and quickly realize that someday this might be Chris and I. My stomach churns a little. I'm still not liking the idea of being a mom, but there's nothing I can do about it. I just have to live with it and do the best I can. "You guys can go on without me. I think I need to rest some anyways."
"Alright," Danny says distracted. Ashley is already leaving the room. Probably to nurse Tyler. "I'll let Chris know."
Just like that, they're gone and I'm alone. I lay down as a wave of depression overwhelms me. I just feel... empty, I guess. For awhile, I lay staring at the ceiling with my hands on my stomach. Images of what my future will be like flash through my mind. How long will it be until I've accepted my fate? Until I fall in love with Chris? Until I stop fighting and think of this place as my home.
My mind wanders off, and I remember that not all hope is lost. I dig through my pocket and pull out the locket. I study the curved shape and feel my heartbeat pick up a little. I hold it on my chest, close to my heart and relax slightly. It feels so safe, so right. He still loves me.
I smile while I remember one of the last conversations Matt and I had. He told me he loved me for the first time. I was so happy, but everything came crashing down shortly after that moment. It's bittersweet to think about, but it's all I have left.
Like someone flipped a switch, my mood suddenly swings to worry. What if Matt doesn't love me anymore after this? He doesn't know what happened to me; I've changed in more ways than one, I was forced into marriage, and now I'm pregnant. If that wasn't enough to scare him away, what I've done will. There were many times that I sat alone hating him for letting me be taken even though I thought he was dead, I willingly kissed his brother, and I tried to kill myself. Matt would be a fool to still love me.
Yet somewhere, buried beneath all this negativity, I know this not to be true. Matt isn't like most guys. If he was, he would've stopped looking for me by now. He would've thought this was too much work for just one girl and moved on, but he hasn't. That's enough to tell me that he still loves me. I'll have to do a lot worse to get rid of him.
I hear footsteps coming closer to the door so I slide the locket back in my pocket. I can't let anyone see I have it, especially Chris. The door opens and I keep my back to it. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" I ask, expecting it to be Chris.
"I'm not here to play your little games," a dark voice says. That's definitely not Chris, this man is much worse. I shiver slightly, what is he doing here? "What did you do to my son?"
Slowly, I turn to face Jonathan. My heart starts pounding as adrenaline kicks in. I'm prepared to run if I have to. "I told him the truth," I say cryptically. I can play my mind games as much as I want. He can't tell me what to do.
I can almost see the fire ignite behind his eyes and immediately regret my decision. My stubbornness may have gotten me in some serious trouble. "I don't know who you think you are," he growls. "You walk all over Chris and he just lets you. Well not anymore. I think you'll find that things are about to get worse for you. Maybe I just need to remind Chris of his duties...." He trails off smiling evilly at me.
He's trying to get a reaction out of me. He wants me to plead for forgiveness, but I won't do that. I'm too stubborn for my own good, especially when it comes to snakes like him. "He wouldn't dare hurt me," I say defiantly. "Not with the condition I'm in."
He walks closer to me, trying to intimidate me. I hold my ground. At one point in my life, I would've been terrified, but I've grown too much to let meaningless threats hurt me. He'll have to do worse to get under my skin. "Ah, but here is where we see things differently." His voice takes an even darker tone. "Chris is young, naive, blinded by his love for you. He doesn't see things the way you and I see them. For example, your wedding night. He didn't think he was hurting you, but he did. You see, Chris doesn't have to intend to hurt you for damage to be done."
My ice runs cold, he's right. There's so much Chris could do to hurt me, and he wouldn't even know it. "I'll just have to remind him of his duties as a husband. Make sure he is loving you the way he should," Jonathan says snidely.
I feel the waterworks coming as I listen to his words. He wouldn't dare... "Please don't," I plead. Jonathan has found my weak spot. I'm the weakest person in the world under his glare. I can't keep acting like I'm not. "I'll do anything, just don't do this."
He laughs, and then leans down to me. He stops right by my ear. Whispering darkly, he says, "I'm not here to negotiate with you. I just wanted to give you a little warning of what's to come." I sit in stunned silence. He really is a monster. Satisfied with my reaction, Jonathan leaves.
I start to panic internally. I can't be put through that again. I can't believe that Jonathan would suggest that! He is a cruel, disgusting man.
And he knows just where to hurt me.
I apologize for the long wait! I couldn't figure out when to end this chapter, and I've been extremely busy. Thanks for all the votes and comments.
Keep them coming!