Gilded Cage

The gigantic bald guy shoved me inside the extremely expensive black SUV. He forced me to sit opposite to the handsome man in a suit and then closed the door, leaving us alone.

“Yes, she’s here, thank you.” He said on the phone as I looked out the window. He hung up and the silence was dense on the car as I refused to look at him.

“Why is it so hard to love me?” His voice was low after several minutes and I was completely done.

“Because you fucking scare me to death!” I punched the seat as I looked at him, feeling the urge to scream and tear this man apart while he just looked at me with patience.

“Why would you say that?” He asked me, casually pouring both of us a drink and handing me it. I frowned and looked away and he placed the glass on the hardwood of the table.

“I’ve escaped three days ago, and here I am. It’s not that hard to understand.” I said after taking in a few deep breaths to swallow my frustration.

“I’ll never hurt you.” He said matter-of-factly.

“Is kidnapping ok to you? Keeping me prisoner, do you think that will make me love you?” I asked him, squinting my eyes at his almost inexpressive features.

“I’m giving you a life worthy of a princess and keeping you safe. You’re free to do as you want. Christ, you can have boyfriends, if that’s what you want. I just want you to stay.” He talked so calmly it made me sick.

“I don’t want any boyfriends, I just want peace and freedom!” I shouted, punching the seat again.

“Working to death, is that your perspective on freedom and peace? Is that why you’re so eager to run away?” He mocked me and I felt like stabbing him to death.

“You’ll never understand. You’re hurting me by forcing me to stay here with you. I’ll never love you as long as you try to force it out of me. It doesn’t matter how many gifts, roses, traveling. None of it matters to me, it never mattered. Money never attracted me, I never chose anyone based on their paychecks. Besides, I never know whether you are a businessman or a mobster. I was never your girlfriend, or fiancé as you tell everyone. We just slept one night and then you decided I was yours to keep. You’re insane, James.”

“All businessmen are mobsters, in the end, doll.” He simply stated, hitting the closed window to the driver take us somewhere else.

We were quiet for a few minutes and I felt the tears running down my face but I didn’t care he saw them anymore.

“I know you’re upset now, but let’s just have a nice dinner and then we can talk about it in the morning with clear heads, ok?” He asked me and I sighed. I could never escape this man.

“Buck, no. Let me go.” I tried to argue, feeling defeated.

“You know I can’t do that, doll. Gotta keep you safe.” He said, offering me one of his deep stares and I buried my face in my hands.

“Who’s gonna keep me safe from you?” I asked him.

He simply looked at the window when I looked at him. 

No one. 

No one would keep me safe from him. 

"It's not as bad as you see it." He said quietly and took a sip of his drink. I let out a humorless chuckle and he looked back at me. 

"Every day you keep me prisoner it feels like my soul is slowly sliding away." We stared at each other. 

"You'll change your mind someday." He breathed out. 

"Someday I might. By then you'll only have an empty shell of the person I was. The soulless embellishment you want me to be. You'll be happier than ever. I will be completely gone."