Ms. Calloway (Book 2 in the For Better Or Worse Trilogy)

Chapter 14

  For the next two weeks, the Berkshire family supervises my every move. I don't sneeze without them knowing. The security is excessive, suffocating, and overwhelming. Even back home, I had more wiggle room to work with than this. Is this what it's like to be in military school? There's no going in or out of the Berkshire family home without a 'buddy'. Work? Not anymore. Apparently because that's one location that is permanent on my schedule. It wouldn't take much thought for someone to find out where I was on a Friday at 9 AM. Without my work, being in Seattle feels like a complete lie. Like I'm some kind of fraud. What does someone like me have to do in a big city, if not work? The worst thing is being unable to have any contact with anyone else, besides the Berkshire family. Not even Skylar. It isn't until now that I realize she's become a constant in my life. And that's the exact reason why I have to keep my distance. She is an essential part of my daily life. Her life can be in danger just because she's my friend. However, that fact alone still doesn't soothe me because it still means that I'm alone around people that I'm not even sure like me.

After that night with Roman, with much reluctance, I agreed to the protection that his family offered me. Even though I knew I wouldn't have as much freedom, security seemed wise to have. Honestly, around Roman, I pretended that I wasn't about to break under fear, but alone, I was struggling. I didn't realize by accepting security from the Berkshire family that I was also signing away my complete freedom. There's this new life with a long list of rules that I must follow for my own survival. And if I fail to, those few rights that I do still have will be revoked. It's psychotic. I want to argue. But, then I'm reminded that everyone I love is at risk. After that, Sawyer the compliant is back. I need to get out of this house and do something frivolous for a little normalcy. The thing is, no one in the Berkshire family would help me with that problem. Probably because they want to respect Roman's wishes, but also because half of them can't even bother with me. There's only one that might help me with the ultimate jailbreak.

"Scarlette?" I peek inside the office to find the dark haired woman with her legs resting on the desk and flipping through papers. There's an intense focus expression painting her face until she hears her name and her expression turns softer.

"Hey, princess. How's your tower treating you?" She means it playfully. If only she knew that's exactly how I feel.

"Actually, that's the reason I wanted to see you." I give a quick look over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching me, before slipping inside and shutting the door behind me. When I look back to Scarlette, her feet have returned to the floor and she's looking back at me with a genuine curiosity. She looks like she'll do anything to make my life easier here. The thought is comforting. She'll help me. I know it. As unsuspecting as possible, I walk towards the desk. "I need to get out of here."

I'm not even halfway through my request when she starts shaking her head. "No. Nope. Not gonna happen. Roman will kill me."

Desperate isn't a word I would typically use to describe myself, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I press my hands on the desk and lean forward. "Scarlette, please. Only for a little bit. Those dark gray walls are suffocating me. I'm pretty sure I'm hallucinating and making shapes out of the paint from staring at it for so long.. I can't live like this." I must look pathetic, but the words are true. No matter how embarrassing they are.

She sighs heavily, letting the black chair swallow her as she leans back, staring at me intensely. That look is a mystery to me. Is she considering my request? Feeling bad for me because of the desperation reeking from my voice? Or annoyed because I can't take a hint?

"You're lucky pretty girl tears are my weakness." She pushes away from the desk, standing in a way that feels like she is filling the room and I'm only a speck of dust. "Meet me downstairs and I'll take you shopping."

My eyes lower to the black sweatpants hanging from my hips and my black and white striped long sleeve shirt. I don't know if I should take her suggestion as an insult or a lovely offering. I decide to take the offer and nod. A shopping trip isn't exactly what I was looking for, but I will take anything I can get. Leaving the room behind and making a beeline for my 'dungeon', I'm suddenly stopped by a roadblock with the same features of a Berkshire, but not nearly as charming. "You won't be safe here forever, Princess. Eventually, you'll have to return to the real world and there are no knights out there waiting to save you." Just as quickly as he came, he left, leaving me stunned behind him. Did he really just say that? A cold shiver races up my spine while my stomach twists into a knot. I've never felt more physically ill than I do at this very moment. It's not until I hear Scarlette shouting my name from downstairs that I realize that I've been standing as still as a statue for several minutes, going over that brief interaction in my head over and over again. Swallowing down the growing lump of vomit in my throat, my mouth somehow finds the ability to form words while the rest of my body is stunned from fear.

"I'll be right there!" Big red blinking warning signs flash rapidly in my head like they would in one of those old cartoons. Go Back. Save Yourself. Death Ahead. Final Warning. Her life had quickly become one of those games where you're given two paths and you have to choose between them. Either go this way and be killed, or go this way and be killed. Neither choice sounds very appealing. Yet, it's becoming clear that I'll have to make a choice whether I like it or not. 

This has been quite the hiatus. Hopefully you guys have missed the characters as much as I have! Thank you for those who have stuck around ❤

Like and comment!

Please share!

What do you think Elijah meant by his passive aggressive comment?