A Slave to Love, Broken Hearts, and Everything In Between

Chapter 1: Tortured, Part 1

Kiana POV   

Today was a bad day.   

Granted, all I'd done so far was have breakfast, lie in bed, and stare at the ceiling while contemplating all the many ways my life could be a whole lot worse--therefore I should be a little more grateful--so it wasn't really that bad of a day. Not technically. Some people were at work. Or school. I got to be at home in bed. Got to sleep in even. A lot of people would kill to have a day like that.

Not me.

The buzzer rang, even more loud and obnoxious than usual, and as much as I wanted to ignore it, bury my head under my pillow and pretend I hadn't heard it, I couldn't. I was the only one home and no one was expected to be coming over until dinner time, so I should at the very least check to make sure it wasn't important, like if Katie forgot her phone or her key or something after she left for her exciting first day of school.

I really hoped it was a mistake though. Someone buzzing the wrong apartment for a package maybe or a food delivery. Then I could get right back into bed and keep being miserable in peace.

"Hello?" I asked, trying not to sound as glum as I felt to whoever was unfortunately on the other end of my intercom.

"Hey, darling."

"Ace?" My surprised knocked some of my misery away. My phone had been eerily silent all morning, but of course, everyone had busy lives now unlike me so it made sense. Even then, he usually did text a heads up. "What are you doing here? Don't you have to work?"

"I had a break, thought I'd come hang out for a bit. You busy?"

"Oh." Did I want to be around him? Anyone for that matter? Not really. No one needed a front seat to my pity party. "Um...actually..."

Silence stretched as I fumbled for an excuse.

"What's wrong?" He asked. My voice was probably full of static from the speaker and he couldn't see my face, but damn it of course he could tell something was up. Any other day it wouldn't have even been a question, he would already be halfway up to my apartment by now. I just didn't have it in me to be more convincing.

"Nothing, I'm good."

"Sorry. I probably should have texted first, huh?"

"No, no. That's not it."

"Then what is it?"

Damn it. Walked right into that one. Taking my finger off the button so he wouldn't hear me, I thunked my head against the wall next to the intercom, muttering 'I'm so stupid' and punctuating each word with a smack. It didn't really get it out of my system, it just made my forehead hurt, but I needed an outlet for my stupidity in order to reply at some point before he got even more suspicious and worried.

"It's nothing, okay? Don't worry about it. You should get back to work," I said.

"Kiana..." he was half insistent and half worried, and fully done with my inability to come clean. I felt bad. I promised I'd be better and already I was pushing him and everyone else away.

"I'm just having a bit of a bad day, that's all," I admitted.

"Why?" His voice was louder, clearer, like he was leaning in closer to the speaker, as if proximity would help him glean information as to what was wrong or get me to let him upstairs.

"Don't worry about it, okay? I just need a day to wallow then I'll be fine."

"And do you need to wallow alone?"

I didn't really want too, but he was only here on break and he didn't need to deal with my immaturity on top of all his actually serious work problems. "Yes."