Love Hurts ((ON HOLD))

Chapter IV

The sun was too bright, even as Malisa tried to find the darkest alcove in the manor's library to meet Demetra. After the conversation with her mother, she was unable to sleep. Too much was said, and too many thoughts bombarded her mind even after hours of attempting to find sleep.

And now that the sun was above the horizon line, she attempted to get comfortable on the chaise tucked in the corner, but her body ached and her head was pounding with each obnoxious ray of sunlight that infiltrated her eyelids.

"You look horrible."

Malisa forced an eye open, immediately regretting it as the sunlight sent another jab of pain through her already pounding skull. Demetra, in her conservative dress and chocolate brown hair pinned on top of her head, assessed her with her storm grey eyes that seemed to intensify depending on the weather. Only a few years older than Malisa, Demetra was incredibly intelligent and well beyond her age, but she never made Malisa feel like she was anything less than— the complete opposite of her parents.

So much so, despite her personal hell, she gave her tutor a half-smile as she slowly propped herself up on an elbow.

"It was worth it," Malisa admitted. Under Demetra's assessing gaze, however, she now wished she had time to bathe before her lessons.

Her tutor took a seat on the edge of the plush chair across from her on the other side of the alcove, placing the books in her arms in a stack on her lap. "Are you ever going to tell me their name?"

"It's not important," Malisa murmured. The more information she kept to herself about Ander, the better they both would be. That her mother knew now was more than she ever wanted; if her father found out, he'd find some way to make it so they could never see each other ever again, and her chances of getting away from them once and for all— on her own terms— would be gone before she began.

"It might be," Demetra said thoughtfully. "I suppose, though, how serious can something be when you're too afraid to introduce them to your parents?"

"I'm not afraid!" Malisa sat up, too quickly, and immediately regretted it. Pressing a hand to her pounding head, she continued. "And what does it matter to you, anyway? I'm here, aren't I? I made sure to come home before you arrived."

"And it's still a wonder you did so without being caught. Again." Demetra signed." Have you ever considered... maybe... that the sneaking around might not be the healthiest thing for you? And perhaps you should consider someone your parents already approve of?"

Malisa groaned again, lying back down on the chaise and covering her eyes with her arm. "Are you here to tell me that I should accept that I'm nothing but a body to be sold to the highest bidder?"

"What?"

Demetra's tone alone told Malisa that was not the case, and she looked up at her mentor to see her pallor had grown quite pale.

"You're being sold?" Demetra's tone remained incredulous.

"Well... somewhat." Malisa sat up, now facing Demetra. "Last night my father insinuated as such, but I just need to bide my time until I can finally find my way out of here—"

"You could come with me."

Malisa wasn't sure she heard her correctly, but the look on Demetra's face told her she had.

"What good would that do?"

"It would give you the chance to find yourself, to discover who you truly are outside of your parents' smothering. And I could continue to teach you, and—"

"You sound like you've put a lot of thought into this."

Was that a blush Malisa saw on her tutor's cheeks? It was still hard to focus through the exhaustion.