Ephemeral

Biding Time

I stared at the bed that was in front of me. I had an arm on the crutch that was at my side, which was supporting my bad leg. It still hurt to walk on it, but the pain killers that Aidan had told me to take helped lessen the pain. I was feeling a bit groggier and less energetic than I was earlier in the day – before he...

There was an uncomfortable feeling that filled me when I examined this seemingly harmless bed. I could feel the way the sheets stuck to my skin as I struggled on them, desperately trying to free myself from his clutches when he tortured me with food.

I swallowed and blinked, seeing Aidan pull down the covers to reveal his side of the bed. The blanket folded into an angle while he remained standing at the side. I examined the bed – seeing how it looked in my mind the last time that we were both on it.

From the sheets to the pillows...everything looked fine.

"Vienna," Aidan called the fake name. I didn't respond at first, still looking at the bed. The same bed that I had endured a terrible food torture on not even twelve hours ago. "Vienna," Aidan spoke louder, eliciting a flinch from me.

I forced my eyes to look over at him while he smiled.

Smiled.

I wished I could say that it was blank, and it was empty...no, it was gentle. He was reminiscing about a happy memory while I couldn't have been more disgusted at what he was no doubt going to insinuate.

"I enjoyed our intimate moment together this morning," he said.

I narrowed my eyes at his expected off handed comment. "That's not what I..." I lied and then shook my head. I stared at the carpeted floor where the maid had been shot to death. The carpet was still wet from the cleaners.

A person died in this room.

Everything in this room was going to scar me sooner than later.

"Do you need help?" Aidan taunted from his side of the bed.

I closed my eyes, not believing that this man in front of me had absolutely no shame in sleeping in a room that someone had died in. He had killed that person without any remorse...because, of course he did.

It seemed like Aidan didn't have an ounce of any human empathy – which was already proven on multiple occasions.

"Vienna..."

"I don't need help!" I snapped, opening my eyes to look at him. Aidan's face was passive – expressionless. I swallowed nervously, wondering if that was going overboard given my predicament. I was already walking on egg shells with the psychopath. He had killed a maid just because I wouldn't hold his hand when he offered it to me.

"I..." I began to explain.

Aidan didn't move from his spot.

He didn't say a word.

I clenched my hands tightly, every second feeling like a long drawn out minute. At any minute or second – Aidan would explode and do something reckless and inhumane just to prove a point.

"I'm going to sleep in the closet..." I took my crutch in both of my hands and used it more like a cane. I took a hobbled step when Aidan let out a bone chilling laugh. I stopped where I was, not wanting to turn to look at him.

I didn't want to see what sort of face he would be making.

"Vienna," he addressed me.

I shook my head slightly – not me.