Letting Him Save Me || ✎

Chapter 18

I just wanted to say, thank you for 10,000 reads!! 

Which POV do you like more? Clayton or Stella?

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Stella POV

I try to rub the lack of sleep from my face as I walk from my room towards the smell of food coming from the kitchen. I come around the corner and see Maryanne in a large black t-shirt, plaid pajama bottoms, and her hair is tousled from sleep. 

"Good morning!" She greets me with a smile. 

I smile in response as I approach the counter opposite her. 

"Do you need any help?" I offer.

"Sure! Do you wanna set the table? Three of us please."

"Three? Is your boss joining us again?" I ask.

"Yes, he is." She nods while flipping a pancake on the pan in front of her.

"Is that normal?" I question.

"Uh, recently yes." 

I nod my understanding as I grab plates from the cabinet in front of me.

I grab three sets of utensils, napkins, and bring them along with the plates to the table. I make the table look pretty Maryanne at the head of the table, with Mr. Reid and I facing each other. I stand back to admire my work and the elevator door dings, signaling someone's here. 

I turn around and see Mr. Reid clad in a grey suit walking towards me. I pull my black cardigan around my body covering my chest, remembering the night before. 

"Good morning Stella." He says, looking down at his phone. 

"Good morning Mr.Reid." 

He looks up from his phone and meets my eyes. 

"What have I told you Stella?" He says 

"Sorry, Clayton." I say turning away heading back towards Maryanne.

I huddle beside her, feeling safe beside her. "He's scary." I whisper to her.

"He's not that scary once you get to know him. He's just very controlling." She whispers back to me. 

"Am I going with you into the office today like we talked about?" I ask.

"Yes, after breakfast we'll get dressed and leave. Is that okay?"

I nod in response. 

"Go sit down Stella, he won't hurt you." Maryanne nods towards the table where Clayton has taken his seat. 

I meekly walk over to the table and take my seat at the table. His eyes follow me as I sit and I cower under his burning gaze. 

"How'd you sleep?" He asks, his eyes not leaving me.

"Good, the bed is really comfortable." I respond. 

"Any nightmares?" He asks.

My breath gets caught in my throat.

Does he know? I can't help but think. There's no way, he knows of the nightmares Stella, it's just a simple question.

"Nope." I shake my head. 

He glares at me with question, "Good, I'm glad." 

I smile as a response and look to Maryanne as she brings the last plate to the table and seats herself at the head of the table.

"Well guys, shall we?" She motions to the table and I nod. 

Not one of us moves to grab food as we wait for someone to grab first. I look up and my eyes meet up with Clayton's. He moves first except he doesn't grab his own plate, he reaches for mine. 

"Eggs?" He asks and I nod.

He puts eggs on my plate and moves on to pancakes.

"One or two." 

"One please." 

He puts two pancakes on my plate before putting the plate down in front of me. 

"Syrup?" He reaches for the bottle as he asks. 

I nod once more in response and his jaw ticks. 

"Words please, Stella." 

"Yes please." And with that he starts pouring the syrup onto the pancakes on my plate. 

The ringing of a phone interrupts the silence, and he sets the bottle of syrup down. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and stands from the table.

"I gotta take this." He says as he walks off.

I start cutting my pancakes and Maryanne starts serving herself. We both eat in comfortable silence as we both hear his footsteps returning. 

"I need to go. I'll see you both at the office." He says, his eyes not leaving his phone as he turns to leave.

The door dings twice, signaling the elevator has arrived and left carrying Clayton down to the garage. 

"Well, sweetie, you're coming with me to work today and we'll discuss schooling as well. I thought home schooling would be good. It's learn at your own pace and I can get you tutors if you need. If you don't like it after a couple months then we can try something else. Does that work for you?" 

I smile, "Yes, that sounds good to me." I appreciate her asking me, it feels good that my opinion is valued.

"Great, now let's hurry and finish up. I gotta be at the offie by 9 am sharp." She smiles as she grabs her plate and heads to the sink. 

I swallow my last bite, and head back to my room. 

I go to my plastic bag that lay here I left it yesterday. I open it up and pull out black jeans and a black skin-tight turtleneck. I go to the bathroom and run a brush through my hair, brush my teeth, and disrobe from my pajamas. I throw on the pants and tuck the bottom of the turtleneck into my jeans. I look in the mirror and feel plain. I go back to the bag, and pull out a light blue t-shirt that is way too big for me and throw it over the turtleneck. 

I grab the white converse I arrived in, and headed out to meet Maryanne. The clock on the wall reads 8:15am. I go sit on the couch and watch out the window as I wait to leave.

I don't wait long before the clicking of heels makes its way towards the elevator. 

"Stella." Maryanne yells. 

"I'm right here." I say to her, getting up from the couch.

"Oh, I'm sorry for yelling sweetheart. I didn't see you sitting there." She says looking up from her phone.

"Are you ready to go?" She asks me.

"Yep." I say before she presses the button on the elevator. 

A ding sounds out and the doors slide open, and we step into the elevator.

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This is more of a filler chapter as we start to ramp things up, thanks for reading!!