Free to Feel [Temporarily (??) Discontinued]

Chapter 32

Catherine cleared her throat. The silence was unnerving and she didn't like it at all.

"Hey." She smiled and nodded at Jared. "Have you been waiting for a long time?"

"No, uh... No. I've just arrived myself." The man shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "Um... Hi."

Sam looked down and cowered behind his sister, who rolled her eyes and raised her chin, wanting to appear bigger than she was - even though she was already intimidating. And that's when it dawned on Cat. Oh right.

"Hey, I think you've already met, haven't you?" She smiled and stood between Jared and the redheads just in case. "Maya, Sam, that's Jared, my friend. Jared, these are the... People I told you about. The ones from the photo centre."

She had to stop herself from calling them slaves. Even though technically that's what they were, admitting it would be stupid. She didn't have any reason to do it, besides, Jared already knew about it.

"Oh yes, I believe I've seen them at the photo centre." The policeman smiled and held his hand out. "Nice to meet you again."

Sam turned away, whereas Maya let out a growl and hesitantly shook his hand, as if afraid of that motion. Confusion swept over her face when he didn't squeeze her hand to crush her bones or immediately pull away in disgust.

"Anyway. Shall we?" Catherine smiled and walked towards her bedroom, placing her hand on Heather's shoulder absent-mindedly. The guy with purple hair looked at her in surprise and then gave a tiny smile. "Raven, can you please cook dinner for us?"

"Uhm.. Is Jared going to stay for dinner?" She raised an eyebrow. Cat glanced at him, an dthe men cleared his throat.

"If... If it's no trouble. I would hate to be a burden." He confessed and shrugged. Heather gave a polite smile and a nod, Raven nodded as well, rubbing the handle of her knife, whereas Maya and Sam settled in their corner of the couch and began to stare at each other, communicating without having to speak. So it was probably a 'yes' from them too.

"Of course it's not" Catherine smiled. He was a really nice guy, she trusted him enough. However, there were more important things they needed to do now. "But how about we finish up with the stories first?"

"Ah. Of course." Jared sighed and walked past her in the bedroom, glancing at Heather. "Although I don't think it's going to be good for Heather to listen to that... Might be pretty traumatic."

"No, I can handle it." The slave shook his head and gulped, probably more afraid of being alone than of his memories haunting him again. Cat gave him a smile and gently rubbed his hand, leading him into the room behind her and closing the door to give everyone at least some privacy.

"So... What is it you want to tell me exactly?" Jared sat down on the bed. Catherine hummed, sitting down beside him, and Heather immediately curled in a ball by her side, resting his head on her lap. Cutie. She gave a distant smile and took a pen and a notebook from the bedside table. Would be easier if she took notes like this and then edited them on her laptop.

"Oh, just... You know... Things you remember about Heather's attitude..." She behan to stroke the hair of the guy in a soothing manner when he tensed up. "You know, his behaviour, his habits... Things that showed how broken he was."

Jared hummed and sighed, looking up.

"Well..." He hummed. "He didn't know what clothes were and how to wear them, for one thing. He couldn't put on his pants or his shirt and underwear just freaked him out."

"I... I'd barely had to wear that before." Heather grumbled and blushed, looking away. Catherine took the notes and looked at him in pity. Was he ashamed?! But it wasn't even his fault! It was the fault of those bastards who'd broken his mind in such horrible ways that a teenager - he was a teenager when he was bought by Jared, as far as she remembered - didn't know what to do with human clothes.