our gentle sin

love in the dark

22.

JENNIE POV

I wasn't sure how long I had been in here. I had nothing to tell the time. I think maybe it was late afternoon. Irene had come in to give me lunch a while ago. Sometime before that she had brought me breakfast, locking the door whilst she sat and spoke to me. I had stayed quiet.

"I'm doing this for your own good, Jennie," she had said. "You will thank me for it one day."

I wouldn't thank her for it. I would hate her. I was already starting to. I hated her for locking me in here. I hated her for keeping me from Lisa. I would never forgive her for this.

"Don't look at me like that," she said firmly. I knew I was shooting her daggers. "I don't know how this happened, Jennie. I had complete faith in you that you would never stray, which is why I let you near Lisa in the first place. Her hold on you is strong, but you are stronger. You will get over this."

Still, I didn't speak. I even refused to take a bite of the food she brought, from both breakfast and lunch.

"You can't starve yourself!" She insisted when I didn't eat the second meal she brought.

I had no appetite. How could I when I had no idea where Lisa was? I couldn't imagine how she had felt last night when I didn't turn up. Maybe she had left anyway and decided to give up on me. Surely I wasn't worth all the trouble she was going through just to be with me. It would be easier if she just left. Maybe she would go back to Mina. The thought made me feel even sicker.

There's nothing to do in this room. There's a window that's locked. A bed that I've been in since I picked myself off the floor last night. There's even a bathroom through the door on the left. Irene had made sure to put me somewhere so that I wouldn't need to leave the room at all, especially with her personally bringing my meals to me.

She couldn't keep me in here forever though. Sooner or later, I would come out. Maybe I should play the remorseful role, it might get me out of here quicker. Even if Lisa had already left, I would leave to find her. She had to know the truth. She had to know that I had chosen her.

I watched as the sky dimmed and turned dark. My eyes were starting to droop, tired from pure boredom. I thought of Lisa before I fell asleep.

+

When my eyes opened next, it was still dark outside. I hadn't woken up from my own accord; something had woken me up. I think it had been the door opening, because now I could hear faint footsteps getting closer. Someone was in the room.

I froze in fear. Irene knocked before she came in, and she didn't sneak around in the dark. My eyes widen, staring at nothingness as I feel the bed creak. They had just gotten onto the bed, next to me.

They shuffled closer to me. I could feel the body pressed faintly on mine. A hand was placed on my arm and my body tensed.

"Jennie," a voice whispered. "Wake up," the hand shook me gently.

I inhaled softly and almost gasped. I knew that smell.

"Lisa!" I shot up and turned to her. I could faintly make out her features in the dark, but I knew it was her. Throwing my body forward, I hugged her tightly. So tightly that I heard her grunt at the impact, but I didn't loosen, burying my face in her neck as she hugged me back. "You're here!"

"I'm here, Jennie," she assured me, rubbing my back.

"I thought you thought I had changed my mind," I sobbed into her neck. "I thought you left me."

"Never."

Lisa lets me cry softly against her, holding me and soothing me until I stop. When the tears dry, she tries to pull away.

"No!" I panic and keep her in my grip, shaking my head.

"You can let go, Jennie," she says gently. "I'm not going anywhere."

"No," I shake my head again. "This is your fault. I thought you had left me, and now I have separation anxiety. I'm never letting go again."

She chuckles and pulls me so gently and softly that she manages to slip herself out of my grip.

"Everything's okay now. I'm here for you, Jennie," she cups my face. My eyes are adjusting to the dark and I can make out her face clearly now.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Sister Rosie found me earlier and told me what happened. She helped me sneak here to you."

"Are we leaving?"

"Not tonight. I'm going to come to get you tomorrow."

"No! You have to take me now, Lisa. She's making me take my vows tomorrow. It'll be too late. Please don't leave me here," my voice broke and I held back more tears. Too much could go wrong between now and tomorrow. I wanted to leave with Lisa now.

She shushed me and kissed my forehead. "Do you trust me, Jennie?" I nodded my head slightly. "Then don't worry. I have a plan, and even if it fails, I'll break in and get you out of here anyway. Okay?" I nodded again. "I'm not leaving you here, Jennie, I promise. All you have to do is wait for me to come tomorrow. Can you do that?"

"You'll get me out of here?"

"You have my word, Jennie."

"I'll be ready."

"Good girl." I could feel my cheeks heat up at the praise and was grateful Lisa couldn't see me blush. "Just pretend everything is normal and don't say anything to anyone. You don't have to do anything else."

"Okay."

"I have to go now, before we get caught." My body panicked and reacted accordingly, launching myself back into Lisa's arms and holding her tight again. "It's okay, Jennie. I promise I'll be back."

I didn't want to, but I knew I had to let go. I knew Lisa could taste my tears when she pressed her lips to mine. I trusted her. She said she would get me out of here and I believed her. She wouldn't let me down.

She kisses me again and reassures me before she leaves the room. I start to feel sick again when I hear the key turn and the door lock. I hoped she made it out of here safely. I hadn't asked her what her plan was, and she hadn't told me. Probably for the best, I would be worrying about all the things that could go wrong if she had.

She told me she would come for me tomorrow, but she hadn't said when. I hoped it was sooner rather than later. This room was starting to suffocate me now that she had gone.

I wasn't able to fall back to sleep. I was too nervous, too excited and just too overwhelmed. Hope had seeped back in, and I prayed that all would go according to Lisa's plan and that I would be in her arms again very soon.