"Just tell us, Ruth." Someone was standing over me, their face blurred and indistinct. I was tied to a table, a bright light shining in my eyes. I couldn't seem to move, or speak.
"He won't love you after this, Ruth." Another voice said. "You think he'll love someone so damaged. You think he already does?"
I wanted to cry, to tell them to stop, but I was frozen. The voices were laughing, now, mocking me. They sounded so familiar, like something out of a hazy daydream, If I could just place them, I was sure I would be okay.
"We're going to make you wish you'd never opened your mouth."
That voice, I recognized. I doubted there would ever be a time when it didn't haunt me. A hand descended around my throat.
I jolted awake, a scream on my lips. My heart was racing, my shirt stuck to my back with sweat. I wiped frantically at my face and neck, trying to get rid of the dream-feel of the phantom hand.
The bed next to me was empty, and sunlight streamed through the half-open blinds. I could hear birds singing in the rose garden, and so I shut my eyes and focussed on that for a moment, trying to slow my ragged breathing. It was a technique one of the nurses taught me in the hospital-find something real, something you can touch, or smell, or hear, and think only of that for a minute. It helped ground me in reality, when the black wave of nightmares threatened to drown me.
When my heart had stopped beating out of my chest, I swung my legs out of bed, searching on the floor for a pair of socks and a sweater. The day was warm, but the sweat cooling on my limbs was making me cold; plus, I felt safer wrapped in one of Lex's sweaters. I didn't linger. There was still a chill of fear in my belly. Every sound made me nervous, and the fact that I was alone put me on edge-even though I knew the house was full of people.
Lex was on the phone when I gently pushed the study door open, both elbows on his desk. He sounded angry, exasperated. "I don't care." he barked. "Get it done. Make it up until you can find evidence." He sighed, and buried his face in his hands so deeply that he didn't see me approach his desk.
"Lex." I said, an embarrassing quaver in my voice.
He startled, and looked at me, doing a double take. "You look terrible. Are you feeling alright?"
"No." I twisted my hands deeper into my sleeves.
"Nightmare?" He asked. I nodded. Lex opened his arms, and I sank into them gratefully, curling into the desk chair with him, and resting my head on his shoulder. He stroked my hair with one hand setting his phone down on the desk. "You want to talk about it?"
"Not really." I whispered.
His phone rang, making me jump as it buzzed loudly. Lex grabbed it, all but growling at the caller ID before answering it. "Luthor." He snapped.
There was rushed, garbled talking on the other end, and Lex stiffened.
"You're sure?" He asked. "Because if I get down there, and you've gotten it wrong..." He left the threat open ended. His voice was high, commanding, the way it always was when he was conducting business. It frightened me a little, but it also made my pulse a little faster.
"Who was that?" I didn't really expect a response.
"We're going to Metropolis." Lex said, helping me stand.
"Now?"
"Now."
****
Lex seemed on edge for the entire drive, clenching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. He drove even more carelessly than usual, weaving in and out of cars on the highway. His sunglasses sat low on his face, obscuring his eyes. I sat with my knees to my chest, chin resting on them. My dress had slid down my legs, puddling on the seat. The sun felt nice on the bare skin of my thighs, and I basked in it like a cat in heart-shaped sunglasses.
Light glinted off the high rise towers as we entered downtown Metropolis, each one higher and more modern than the last. Above them all, the LexCorp tower pierced the sky. I shuddered, remembering the terror of that night on the roof. That had been a side of Lex I hoped never to see again.
"Ruth." Lex said, his voice pulling me out of my head. "I want you to pay close attention to what I'm about to say."
"You're kind of scaring me." I said softly.
"Just listen." He pulled down a side street, one that felt far too familiar for my liking. "We are going to the FBI. They have made some arrests in your kidnapping."
I sucked in a breath. "Who?"
He ignored my question. "I need you to promise that no matter what happens, no matter what is said, that you're going to trust that I know what's best."
"Okay, now I'm really scared, Lex." I put my legs down, shoving my sunglasses to the top of my head. "Am I in some kind of trouble? Are you?"
"Just promise me, Ruth."
"I promise, but Lex-"
"We're here." He cut me off.
The building was as intimidating as I remembered. Inside, the walls were grey, and though there were potted plants and leather couches scattered inside the foyer, it felt like what it truly was-a jail. People were milling around, some in suits, some in what looked like beat cop uniforms. A couple of men were standing at a desk, talking lowly to each other. One looked up, and waved at us. I slid my hand into Lex's, who gave it a reassuring squeeze. This was not going to be easy.
"Ruth, this is my lawyer, Benjamin Rose." Lex nodded at the taller of the two men. "And the agent assigned to this case, Agent Rowe."
The lawyer-Benjamin-extended a hand to me, smiling kindly. He was young, younger than Lex, probably only a few years older than me, with a shock of dark hair and blue eyes.
"It's so nice to finally meet you. Luthor has been keeping you from us for far too long" He said. "But now I know what all the fuss is about." He winked. His hand lingered on mine for a second too long, and Lex wrapped an arm around my waist. I wanted to giggle as his eyes took on a territorial gleam.
"It's nice to meet you too." I said. "How long have you known Lex?"
"My father worked for his, so since I was a child."
"You knew Lex when he was a kid?" I was thrilled. Lex was not.
"Can we get to business?" Lex raised an eyebrow at Rowe, who nodded.
The agent glanced at the way i was nestled into Lex's side, to where I was suddenly certain my hickey was showing above the collar of my dress. I fidgeted, uncomfortable. "This way, please." He beckoned us forwards.
We went up an elevator, and through so many halls that my head spun. I was thoroughly lost, but Rowe seemed to know where he was going. The further into the building we got, the harsher the decor was, until the walls were white, the fluorescent lighting burning my eyes. It was where the interrogation rooms were, I suddenly realized, and the holding cells. This was where I had been kept after the Superman incident at the crash site.
"Here. Mr. Luthor, Miss....." Rowe trailed off, looking confused. He shook his head. "We need her to confirm that this person was, in fact, at the scene of the crime." He jutted his chin at me.
"Okay." I said shakily.
Rowe unlocked the door, and led us in. It was a dark room, filled with humming screens and blinking lights. One wall was tinted glass. We were on the observation side of the interrogation room. Rowe hit a button, and the glass cleared.
I choked.
Sitting at the metal table was Bianca. She was in a plaid blue dress, her hair piled on top of her head. She looked utterly bored, like even being considered a part of this crime was beneath her.
"Is that a yes?" Benji asked me. I looked at the young lawyer. He had a tablet in his hands.
"She was there." I confirmed.
He held out the tablet. There were mugshots displayed on the screen. "And these two men?"
"Tom and Harper." Their names came out of my mouth without me even realizing. "They're the ones who did it. He drugged me." I pointed at Tom. "And he's the one who..."
Lex shoved the tablet away from me as my chest hitched. "Let me talk to her." He said, his voice controlled.
"Mr. Luthor, I'm not sure-"
"Now!" Lex snapped. Rowe flinched, and opened his mouth to argue, thought better of it, and opened the door to the hall.
"I'm coming in with you."
The two men left, and after a moment, the door to the room where Bianca was opened. I wrapped my arms around my waist, trying not to cry. After a second, Benji put a hand on my shoulder.
"Everyone thinks you're incredible, you know." He said gently. "Especially me. I've-I know everything. Luthor had me mockup the false documents for you to stay with him."
"Who else even knows about me?" I asked bitterly. "Because every time someone sees me with him, they act like its this huge shock."
Benji said nothing. I got the feeling he was trying to find the best way to word an unkind truth. "Whenever you see a woman with a man who is as...successful as Lex, and when there is such an age difference-" He was stuttering. "And the circumstances under which you became, um, involved, are so odd-"
"People think I'm a gold digger." I finished. He turned bright red.
"Ah. The term 'sugar baby' has been thrown out, yes." He coughed.
"What about you? What do you think?"
"I didn't know what to make of you, but now that I've met you, I can see that you're very genuine, Ruth."
A thud from the next room caught our attention. Lex had slammed a fist down onto the metal table.
Bianca was sneering, her cool composure intact. "You think she's worth all this, Alexander? Did you tell her the truth?"
The truth? I frowned.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Bianca." Lex snarled. "Only that you abducted and tortured my-"
"Your little doll? Come on, Alex. You really think this is going to last? You remember all the girls before her, right? They lasted what, two, three months before you got bored?"
"Ruth's different." Lex looked a little shaken. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.
"Is she, though? Because she looks just the same to me. Young, sweet, innocent. Just to your taste, right? Is she worth all this, if you're just going to get tired of her?"
I turned away from the glass, blinking furiously. "What is she talking about?" I asked. Benji cleared his throat, adjusted his tie, looked anywhere but at me. "Benji. Please."
He hesitated, and seemed to deflate. "You really don't know, do you."
"I'm getting tired of people dodging my questions." I dug my nails into my palms. "I can handle it."
"Lex has-had-um, particular....interests. He's never been serious with anyone but you, and to some extent, Bianca." Benji tipped his head to the side. "But he has a certain bad habit of-"
"Younger women." Something clicked into place in my brain. The way the staff used to look at me. The business partner in the darkened hallway. He won't mind sharing. He never has before. "Got it."
"Ruth-"
"I said I got it, Benji."
Lex was smiling widely now, his eyes dead, like a shark. A tingle of liquid fear went up my spine as he stared down at Bianca. "We're engaged." he said calmly.
In an instant, her mask slipped. "You're what?" She shrieked.
"Engaged. To be married. Ruth is my fiancée." Lex said calmly. "And in about five seconds, Rowe is going to take you away. You and your cronies are going to plead guilty, because if you don't, it won't be the government delivering justice. Have a good time in prison, Bianca. Let's hope the Bat doesn't hear of your....crimes."
There was dead silence. No one moved. And then the door slammed open, and Lex came in. He took in my hunched shoulders, Benji's twisted face.
"How much did she hear?"
"Everything." I said. "I heard everything."
"Ruth-"
"I want to go home."
We left as quickly as we came, this time with neither Rowe or Benji accompanying us. Every part of my body was tired, exhausted. I was relieved that this nightmare chapter was over, that the people who had ruined me were being brought to some justice, but my mind kept replaying Bianca's words through my head.
I wasn't angry. I wasn't even surprised. How long had I known, subconsciously, about the other girls? Did I even have a right to be mad?
I waited until we out in the sunshine, the car rolling between skyscrapers, before I spoke. "How rich are you, exactly?"
Lex looked at me, his expression quizzical. "I don't know the exact number. Four billion, give or take a few hundred million. Why?"
"Okay. How many girls have stayed with you before me?"
"Ruth-"
"Just answer, Lex." I spoke sharply. "I want to know."
"I'm not sure. But I am sure that none of them meant anything to me, darling."
"That's even worse." I made eye contact, as we stopped at a red light. "Did you think I was going to be like one of those girls? Young, easily manipulated? Innocent?" I laughed a viciously at the last statement. "Did you plan to just use me and dump me as soon as you got what you needed from me? Or was I not to your taste?"
My words ricocheted around the car like poison darts. I felt, for the first time, in control, and I wanted answers. We pulled onto the highway, and Lex stepped on the gas.
"I told you to trust me." he said calmly. "Explicitly said to trust me, and so I'll tell you. No. I never thought that you were like them. You didn't even know who I was until I told you. You were worried about me wasting resources on you. You kept secrets. Yes, you're young, and so innocent it kills me, baby. But you're different. You always have been. You're letting Bianca into your head."
I looked away, out the window, down the long road. "Benji said people think I'm a sugar baby."
"Benji's an idiot. Am I forgiven, my love? Or do I need to prove to you the truth?"
He lifted a hand from the wheel, and I placed mine it it. Lex liften it to his mouth, kissing it without taking his eyes off the road.
"You're forgiven." I smiled. "But. You have to tell me stuff like this from now on, okay?"
"Alright, my love." Lex smiled. "From now on, no more secrets."