Consilium (Lawyer Kylo Ren x Reader)

Chapter 5

Rey took you home, a bundle of sun and energy that managed to brighten up your confusing afternoon. You weren't much for conversation, head stuck in the clouds as you tried to parse out your feelings and thoughts.

Though you were thankful that you were coming away from the meeting with a new apartment, the excitement you felt about it was overshadowed by the way Kylo Ren had your mind spinning. You felt like a broken record stuck on repeat when it came to Ren and every time that you seemed to fix it, these mixed signals kept luring you in.

Rey either didn't notice or was being polite about your measured distance, carrying on with her stream of consciousness and continuing on before you could answer one of her prompts or questions. Probably because she could sense they weren't going to be answered.

When she dropped you off, she did so with a bright smile. She reminded you that the office was at your disposal and to not hesitate to reach out - either through the main line or the personal one.

"You are Kylo's special client after all," Rey beamed, winking as if you both shared a secret. Too bad you weren't in on it.

Why did Rey seem to think that Kylo had taken a unique interest in you? You wish someone would just clue you in on things instead of alluding to something ulterior happening.

Did he really think of you as special? Or was this just a bizarre tactic to keep you engaged and complacent throughout the grueling process of divorce? To entertain the poor housewife who can't even get a job on her own?

You left the car feeling even more down than usual, despite the forced friendly smile you threw Rey's way before leaving. You didn't like this tug of war feeling and you weren't about to let another man play with you for his own sick enjoyment.

From now on, you'd just have to see the mixed signals as a "no" instead of a "maybe". That's the only way you'd escape all of this without looking like a fool in the end. You'd already been made out to be a fool for much too long.

***

There wasn't a lot of time for you to dwell on your new resolve in the following days. You had finally found a place to lay your head to rest at night, somewhere affordable and safe, but until then you were still sleeping and staying at Orson's - a dangerous affair.

Everyday was a fresh nightmare, as if he spent his work days brainstorming all of the degrading things he'd yet to call you and then came home eager to try his new insults out. They hit their mark every time, fresh wounds opening over old insecurities, trying to force you to look at yourself as weak and small again, needy for his help and guidance.

But you weren't his toy anymore. You had somewhere to go - you just needed to survive the week leading up to it.

***

Packing was going to be the easiest part of this whole process. You didn't have a lot of things to call your own and after years of dreaming of running away, you'd practically been packing in your head for what seemed like a lifetime. You knew exactly what you were going to put away in your one suitcase - just enough to have clothes and toiletries and necessities to get by.

The new place came fully furnished (a blessing) and it's not like you were eager to take any keepsakes from Orson's place. You would be more than happy if you never saw any of these trinkets or books or blankets again. Everything domestic and comforting about this house was just a farce to hide the atrocities that occurred within this so-called home.

Unfortunately, all you wanted was a clean break and you knew that was the last thing on Orson's mind. He was intent on making you suffer for this embarrassment, for daring to defy him. In just a few days, though, you would finally know peace. All you had to do was put up with it for just a little longer, but it was becoming harder and harder to swallow his abuse when the end was in sight.