Into the unknown

Chapter 16.

Waking up in the morning, I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. My body felt lighter as I lay comfortably in bed, cuddling one of the pillows against my chest. As good as it felt to tell someone my darkest secret, I couldn't help but second guess myself. Was telling Valentino the right thing?

Darren had often reminded me what would happen if I told anyone; he would kill me and then kill them. Surprisingly though, I wasn't scared over the threat. I knew Valentino could handle his own, Darren would be stupid to come after him. His words from last night, 'you're safe now', took away any grain of fear that resonated within me. Like a Koala on a tree, I clung to ever letter of his sentence.

Maybe it was silly of me to put so much faith in three little words from a man who I knew hardly anything about, but my heart kept reassuring me that he meant what he said. They say the proof is in the pudding. Darren hadn't laid a finger on me in over a week, if that wasn't proof enough that I was safe here, I don't know what is.

My head, on the other hand, was still a little on edge. Once upon a time, I put my faith in my mother, who put her faith in Darren, and look how that turned out. The both of us trusted him and within a year he was a completely different person. Who was to say that a few months down the line that Valentino wouldn't change, too? Faith and trust were two scary concepts that led you into the unknown.

For now, I had to push those thoughts to the back of my mind and remind myself that not everyone was like Darren. Getting out of bed, I headed straight for the en suite, brushing my teeth and having a nice, hot shower, which temporarily washed away my concerns for the day.

Standing in front of the clothes rack, in a towel, I looked through the many outfit options that hung in front of me. A part of me was uncomfortable wearing these clothes that Valentino had provided for me, considering the whole reason I was here. However, the other part of me relished in having such a variety of gorgeous clothes to choose from. I was used to having to chose between two pairs of jeans for work.

Glancing out through the little gap in the curtains, I saw that it was quite dull outside, looking cold with a possible chance of rain. I decided on wearing a warmer outfit than I had on previous day. After putting on a red underwear set, I shimmied my body into a long burgundy skirt that rested above my belly button and a few inches above my ankles. I slipped my arms into the matching long sleeved top that circled the base of my neck and stopped a little under my boobs, showing off my midriff. The material of the clothes clung to my body, highlighting my curves, making me smile as I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

Taking a seat on the bed, I put on a pair of transparent block heels and fastened up the buckles on each side. Pulling my hair over my right shoulder, I opened the door and made my way through the familiar corridors, until I found myself in the kitchen.

"Hey, I was just coming to get you." Cristian greeted me by wrapped his arms around my waist. "You look stunning."

My eyes took a moment or two to adjust to his outfit, the gold paisley pattern of his suit jacket and trousers dazing me, standing out against the black of his shirt and shoes. The gold complimented his ocean like eyes, making them sparkle just as bright as the suit.

"Thank you." I replied, as we pulled out of the hug and my hands nervously smoothed down the material on my thighs, feeling a little bit shy as the feel of another pair of eyes on me. "You look spectacular!"

Sincere compliments were something I rarely got and I didn't always know how to act or respond to them. Of course, drunken men would often send me sleezy compliments when I was at work, but they made me feel uncomfortable. There was a big different between sincere compliments and sleezy compliments, every girl knew the difference between the two, and every girl reacted differently to the two.