Ellie's P.O.V
The next morning I woke up alone, still curled up in the mess of thick blankets and fluffy pillows. I sat up and looked around to see Mason was no where in sight. I was still slightly weak from being sick but my stomach didn't hurt anymore which was a plus. So slowly I crawled out of bed and made my way to the bedroom door to try and look for Mason. I wouldn't get in trouble for just walking around to find him...right? I decided to take the risk anyway.
Entering the dining room I could see Mason in the kitchen, facing the stove as he was making something and his back was turned to me. I could hear the sounds of popping and sizzling as a light scent of freshly cooked food wafted into the open air. Quietly I shuffled my way over and stood next to the edge of the counter.
"Hi..." I say softly, worrying that I said it too quietly.
He seemed to have heard me, looking over his shoulder and smiling at me, "Good morning princess."
My cheeks heated up out of my control from the nickname, "Morning."
"Are you felling better today?"
I nodded and tucked my hair behind my ear, "A little."
"Good." He turned back to the stove, poking the food around in the pan, "I'm making eggs, your stomach should be able to handle it."
"Okay."
While he cooked I took the time to wander around the apartment a little bit. I didn't dare touch anything or go up to the windows since Mason was keeping his eye on me from a few feet away. Instead I looked at pictures that were propped up on shelves, pictures of Mason and his parents when he was little. His brown hair swept over his eyes as he still had the biggest grin on his face. It was so hard to think that the little boy was capable of taking the life from someone and trapping another.
Without thinking of where I was going I wandered off a little too far until I was standing in the small entrance hall where the front door was. The door is right there, all the locks and handle were just a touch away from being free. So I stepped in front of it, my brain screaming to run now while I had the chance. But my heart on the other hand told me to stay. That as long I was good and stayed with Mason I'll never be alone again.
My hand still reached out and turned the lock, twisting the doorknob so the door opened just a crack. Light came in through the small opening as well as the sounds of cars and people down below. It was just so easy...just step through and run, but I was conflicted.
Eventually I took a breath and went to shut the door again but a hand came out over my shoulder, pushing the door shut for me and turning the lock. My breathing hitched and my heart started racing as I felt body heat against my back and a breath over my ear.
"What do you think you're doing?" Mason whispered into my ear.
My hands started to tremble as I brought them closer to me, "I-I was just-"
He flipped me around and trapped me against the door, his hands on either side of my head, "Escaping?"
"No! I wasn't-"
"Even if you did escape, where would you go?"
I just stared at him, my palms on top of the cold door as I pressed myself against it to stay as far away as I could from Mason.
His eyes stared into mine, full of anger, "You can't go to your parents, you don't have friends any more, and your sister is dead. All you have left it me."
Hearing this I knew he was right. I had no one else to turn to but my anger still bubbled up within my chest as he mentioned Leah and my friends. I knew Leah was a terrible person but she was my family and everything I had left. Mason shouldn't have been the one to make that choice of when she was supposed to leave. And I knew that Jaxson and Sophia weren't my best of friends but at least I had them. That was more then I could ever ask for and he was the reason they avoided me.
"That's because you tore everyone away from me!" I shouted, bringing
my hands up and shoving his chest.
He managed to stay in the same spot and grabbed my wrists to pin me to the door, "Because they were no good for you!"
I stared at him as he spoke.
"Leah never loved you! Your own parents didn't want you! There were no friends you had who would do anything for you! But I would, I care about you Ellie. I love you."
His lips pressed to mine and I couldn't help but melt into his touch. But before I fell for his gentle movements I found my strength again and pushed him away. He huffed out a breath as he titled his head, eyes narrowing at me. I started to get a scared since I wasn't able to tell what he was thinking.
"Looks like you can't be trusted yet." He finally says.
My eyes widened as I started to panic, "No wait! Mason!"
Not listening to my pleas he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder and carried me off somewhere. I pushed on his shoulder to try and wiggle out of his hold but he kept a firm grip on me. We got to his room where he dumped me onto the bed. As soon as he let me go I scooted away from him but he grabbed my ankle and yanked me towards him. With my ankle in his hand he lifted the chain attached to his bed and locked me up with it.
After I was pretty much immobile he roughly grabbed my chin, making me look at him. I stopped struggling against his hold and looked up into his blue eyes.
"You can make this really easy for yourself Ellie. I can be your lover or your nightmare if it has to come to that. I'd prefer it not get to that point though. Either way you are staying here with me."
With a few more seconds of his eyes piercing through me he lightly tossed my chin from his grip and left the room, slamming the door shut in the process which made me wince. Now locked up again I didn't know what to do instead burying my face into soft pillows and crying.
(Time skip: Three days later)
For the next three days Mason didn't try to talk to me. The only times we saw each other is when he came in to give me food or unlock me so I could go to the bathroom. No conversation or anything beyond that. By the third day I became so desperate for his affection. I missed the way he kissed and hugged me like no one else had and that feeling was controlling me. It was like a drug that I was so addicted to the point where I felt like I would break if I didn't get it soon.
The door opened and Mason came into the room to deliver food. I watched his movements carefully as he set down my food on the night stand before walking away. Just before he left I stood up from the bed. I couldn't take it anymore and didn't care how care how crazy I sounded.
"Okay..."
He paused, his hand on the doorknob when he looked at me, "What?"
I took a step forward right to the chain's limit, "I promise I'll be good. You can trust me, I won't try to escape. Just please...I miss you."
His eyes widened with surprise but as soon as he registered what I had said the biggest smile came over his face. He walked over, holding my face in between his hands and joined our lips in a sweet kiss. I completely melted into it and clutched onto his shirt like he would disappear if I let go of him even for a second.
He pulled away and showered my face in kisses, "I'm so happy to hear you say that."
Mason then picked me up then sat me back down onto his bed. He knelt down to my ankle and pulled out a chain that was underneath his shirt, two keys dangling on the end of it. After using one of the keys the cuff that trapped me fell onto the floor with a clatter. I felt so relieved to have that extra weight off of me.
"Can we just stay in bed today?" I ask as he stood up, tucking the keys under his shirt again.
"Of course."
Mason lifted the comfy blanket and we crawled under the covers together, spending the rest of the day in each other's arms.
...
Onto the second week of our school break Mason allowed me to walk around the apartment, under his watchful eye of course. I didn't attempt to try anything though because I was afraid if I pushed my luck with him one more time I would lose it entirely. But since I was behaving, in his words, Mason was incredibly sweet and loving. The kisses and hugs were endless, jokes and giggling filled the empty apartment, and I've never felt so happy in my entire life. Even though I was here against my will it didn't feel like I was.
One of the days we spent the time cleaning around a little bit together. Currently we were in the kitchen, Mason wiping down the sink while I was washing the counters. Getting a little hungry I opened the fridge to look for food, seeing that there wasn't actually much left on the shelves.
"Hey Mason?" I ask, peeking over the top of the fridge door.
He looked over his shoulder from where he was standing, "Yes princess?"
"I think we need to go food shopping."
He stopped what he was doing, dropping the rag he was using into the sink and walked up next to me to see for himself.
"Huh, I guess we do. Let's go to the store then."
I thought it was strange how he just pushed the fridge door shut, grabbed my hand, and lead me to the front door. As we put on our shoes and grabbed our things we needed he watched me the entire time. It was like he was testing me if I would run off and get help which scared me. Because if I failed and he caught me again...what would he do to me afterwards?
Together we walked out of the apartment and went down to the lobby in the elevator. My hand tightened a little around his, making sure I was extra careful not to do anything that could anger him.
As we walked out of the building there was a police officer standing at the entrance of my building, questioning a women that probably lives there.
"Looks like they found Leah..." Mason whispered in my ear, goosebumps spreading all over my skin as he said that.
We passed the officer without him noticing us and headed to the store. This shopping trip was no different from the previous ones we've had made before but I was a lot more cautious of what I was doing. Mason also made sure to stay close to me, watching each of my movements so I wasn't doing anything I wasn't supposed to.
Mason and I wandered the store together to collect the food we needed for dinner and such, snacks, and treats along the way. At some point I was trying to look for something and accidentally wandered away from Mason while he was distracted. I wandered down a random aisle still looking for the thing I was searching for when I finally realized I was apart from him.
At first panic set in because I was apart from Mason. Would he be mad at me over an accident? But then the thought set in that I was away from Mason. There was a worker that was restocking shelves in the same aisle I was in just a few feet away. I couldn't help but think of running up to him and telling him that I was kidnapped. The thoughts continued with me being safe in some sort of break room, Mason being arrested, and I would be free from him. But I took a deep breath and calmly walked up to the worker.
He looked up and smiled, "Hi, is there something I could help you with?"
"Y-yes, um..."
'I've been kidnapped by my boyfriend who is obsessed with me.'
I wanted to say those words so bad but they stayed stuck inside my throat. As I was struggling to say this I had thought about what Mason said to me days ago.
'Even if you did escape, where would you go?'
He was right. Mason was the only person I could go to. I had no family, no friends, just him. If he was arrested there was no telling where I could end up since I wasn't an adult yet. And when I was good he showered me in loving affection I have been deprived of my entire life. He was the only one who loved me in the way he does. Even if it was a little too much.
"Hey, are you okay?" The worker asked.
I looked up at him, showing a smile, "Y-yeah, sorry. Can you help me..." I sighed, "...with finding this? I can't find it anywhere."
I told him what I was trying to find in the first place, biting my tongue about Mason. As soon as the worker told me where to go I went down the correct aisle and found the item I was searching for. Not too long after I felt a pair of arms wrap around me tightly, making me jump out of my skin and sent my heart skyrocketing in an instant.
"A little jumpy are we?" Mason whispered into my ear.
He forcefully turned me around and held my face in between his hands. I stared at him with wide eyes, afraid about what he was going to do.
"Why were you talking to that worker?" He asked, his voice low.
"I-I was just a-asking where to find this. I'm sorry."
He looked down at my hand to see me clutching onto the item I was looking for so hard that my knuckles were white. For a moment he just stared at my hand before sighing. A small smile spread across his face as he kissed my forehead.
"Am I going to have to tie our waists together every time we go to the store so we don't lose each other?" He joked, changing to a light tone of voice.
I laughed lightly, mostly relived that I didn't anger him more, "Maybe."
Grabbing my hand we continued our shopping, Mason making sure not to lose sight of me this time. After we were done we paid for everything and shared the plastic bags to carry as we walked home. The police officers were no longer around the apartment buildings as we made our way back home. Once we got back the two of us put all the food away then relaxed for the rest of the day.