"Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I can't live a lie, running for my life
I will always want you”
- Miley Cyrus “Wrecking Ball”
***
"Alice, you can’t ignore me forever.” Colton proclaimed after being in the car for two hours with my mute self. He stared at me for a prolonged second before focusing back on the pavement that was flying under the tires of his car. Clenching his hands on the steering wheel a little more, Colton gave a sigh in frustration. “It is for the best that you leave town for a while. Your mother and I agreed that when you father gets home tonight it wouldn’t be best that you were home. He would be sad and depressed, seeing him like that might throw you back in your ‘isolation mode’. Plus, you clearly need some supervision - running off like you did. Not only once but twice! Didn't even tell me where you were going. I was seconds from sending out a search party for you, both times ... you worry me, Alice ... you just don’t understand how much you do...”
I bit down on my tongue so hard that I could practically taste blood. I wished more than anything that I could get out of this car. It has been pure torture not to reply to him. Of course the words that were going to spew out of my mouth were not going to be PG-13 and they were more than likely going to be said with so much venom that he couldn’t help but feel guilty for throwing me over his shoulder in the diner and forcing me to join him to New York City.
Tapping my index finger, from my right hand, on my thigh, I inhaled through my nose. Damn, I thought, his car smelled so good. It was scented with the thick aroma of what could only be described as lavender and lemons. As weird as the combo sounds, it permeated throughout his car and smelled amazing.
“I am assuming you are not going to tell me what the Hell happened to your lip.” He muttered in a tone that leaked with anger as he pointed out my busted lip. I could tell, from the corner of my eyes that he was shifting around in his seat every few seconds, which showed that he was controlling his anger. Running a hand through his dark locks, Colton huffed. “Maybe it is wise you don’t tell me. They wouldn’t live to see tomorrow if I knew their names...” He trailed off in thought.
My eyes flickered over to the passenger window. I wanted to tell him but if I did, he would turn this car around and find the person that did this, even if it took him twenty years. You see, when Colton has something set in his mind, he does it and doesn’t think twice. While I wanted the man that tried to kidnap me to pay, I knew Colton couldn’t be the one that did that. If he did, he might get hurt in the process and I couldn’t have that.
“I feel like I’m talking to a wall,” Colton confessed a couple minutes later. His dark orbs once again gazed over in my direction. “Alice, please say something...” His sights settled back on the road.
“Fuck off,” I mumbled as I put my elbow on the passenger door and leaned my head on the palm of my hand.
“Watch your language, Alice,” He spat in anger at my use of a curse word. “I taught you better,” Colton added.
Smiling at him, I nodded. “You did teach me better ... I’m sorry, Daddy.”
Colton gave a deep rooted growl as he shifted in his seat. “I liked it better when you were silent,” He commented.
“I liked it better when we were in Florida,” I commented as I saw a sign that said ‘Welcome to Valdosta, Georgia’. Turning back to look at Colton, I sighed. “I think the reasons for taking me to New York City with you are stupid.”
Colton raised his right eyebrow and glanced at me in the corner of his eyes with a smile teasing his face. “Stupid?!” He gasped before gazing back at the street. Switching to another lane, so he could go around a car that was going below his wanted speed, Colton shrugged. “They might be stupid to you but I’m dead serious, Alice. You have shown me your true colors of immaturity. I can’t leave you in Florida, I’m afraid I might come back and find you pregnant,” He gritted.
I closed my eyes as I felt something bubble up in the pit of my stomach. Pushing the overwhelming feeling, that I couldn’t explain, I shook my head. “You should have left me.”
I could practically see the internal battle he was having about pulling over and getting on to me or continuing driving. “If we didn’t have a flight that is to take off in four hours, I would pull over and yell at you for saying such a thing ... Alice, I will never leave you-”
“Hypocrite,” I stated just loud enough for him to hear.
Colton snarled, “We have been over this Alice. I left your life, two years ago, so you could live your own life. Yet, now I see that was a colossal mistake. You transformed into what I was trying to keep your from turning into.”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I bit down on my bottom lip, stopping it from quivering as tears pooled up in my eyes. “Sorry, I’m such a disappointment to you,” I snapped a second later as I felt anger ride through my veins. It hurt me so much that he thought of me as a disappointment. All I have ever wanted to do was please Colton ... I mean when he left, pleasing him was far from my sights ... yet, even still I always figured no matter what I did he would be supportive and proud of me, in a sense.
“Alice, you have disappointed me but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you,” Grabbing my hand, he intertwined his fingers with mine. “No matter what you do in life, I will always love you...” He gave me a comforting smile before placing our intertwined hands on his leg. Resting it there he continued to drive while rubbing circles on my hand with his thumb.
I felt my hand grow warm with the heat radiating off him. The warmth, which was now spreading through my body, brought a calming - comforting feeling. My nerves and muscles that were tense from thinking Colton was not proud of me, relaxed.
Within a few seconds my eyelids started to get heavy as sleep lured me like a Siren. I would close my eyes but jolt back awake a quick moment later.
“Sleep. We have a four hour drive ahead of us...”
A gave a small bob of my head before leaning back in my seat. Keeping my hand attached to Colton’s, I fell asleep within seconds.
***
Okay, so you know those fairytales were the prince swoops in and takes the girl to a luxurious castle ... well, I feel like someone (Colton) had done just that - minus the romance part that litters those tales. Anyways, let’s just say that when the taxi pulled up to Colton’s palace my jaw dropped. The building was all glass and it looked at least thirty floors tall.
“It is not all mine,” Colton admitted from beside me. “It is a high-rise. Each level has a different condo.”
The taxi door opened, thanks to a man in a grey suit that was sporting a smile that showcased the wrinkles on his face. “Good evening, Mr. Pierce and Ms. Snow,” The man stated.
I looked at Colton with bewilderment as I wondered how the man knew my name.
Colton gave me a grin, “I called and made preparations for you.” Not saying anything more, Colton nudged me as indication that he wanted me to get out of the taxi.
Stepping out, I looked around at our surroundings. Honestly, this didn’t scream New York City because there were no bright lights and thousands of people polluting the streets. Instead, the block looked almost vacant with a random car driving by every minute or so. The buildings beside and around the high-rise were all squished together and designed in a Victorian style. The high-rise looked out of place in between these houses, I concluded as I took a second look around me.
“I will take you sightseeing tomorrow if you want,” Colton admitted as the taxi drove away.
I gave Colton a nod, “Sounds cool,” I stated. My mind started to buzz with the realization that I haven’t been putting up much of a fight towards Colton. It was as if I was submitting to everything he was saying, demanding and suggesting. Looking over at Colton, I saw that he was muttering things to the man in the grey suit that opened the taxi for us. His brown eyes flickered over to me as he continued to talk to the man in such low vocie that I couldn't hear. He smiled and proceeded with the secret conversation he was having.
Once Colton was done, he took two steps towards me. “Hungry?” He asked.
My stomach rumbled at the thought of food, but I shook my head. I wasn’t going to cave in on everything he offered ... even food. “Not hungry,” I proclaimed.
“When is the last time you ate? You didn’t eat at the diner and I know before then you had not taken a bite of food. Plus, that was all yesterday. It is lunch time now, how about I order us something? Chinese?” He suggested as he appealed to my biggest weakness.
Staying strong, I shook my head. “No. I just want to go to sleep. Can you show me to my room?” I asked as we still stood outside of the high-rise.
Colton stared at me for a long moment before nodding. “This way,” He instructed as he placed his hand on my lower back and ushered me inside.
The moment I entered the high-rise I was greeted by a welcome desk. “Welcome back, Mr. Pierce,” The woman behind the desk spoke as she looked away from her computer screen. She tucked a piece of her blond hair behind her left ear before settling her intense blue eyes on me. “Hello, Ms. Snow,” She stated with a voice that was dripping with ... jealousy?
Ignoring the hidden emotion behind her words when she spoke to me, I smiled. “Hi.”
“This way,” Colton whispered in my ear, whisking some of my hair strands that were around my ear. His hand pressed on my lower back some more as he led me to a pair of elevators.
Pressing the up arrow, Colton smiled at me. “You are going to love this place. You might never want to go home.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Trust me, I will want to go home - in fact I already do.”
Tossing me a smirk of disbelief, Colton directed me into one of the elevators that dinged open.
Stepping in the large elevator, I knew - now - that Colton was full of surprises. Never did I expect Colton to live New York City at a high-rise that looked as if was fashioned for millionaires that had money to waste. To me (before two years ago), he was always going to stay in our hometown and be the boy that always stuck by my side. But, like me, Colton had changed and I had a feeling I was only scratching the surface of who he was now...
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