𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐙𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 (𝐄𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝)

CHAPTER 21 - SAFE -

CHAPTER 21 - SAFE -

ROSELYN.

My heart picked up pace.
This couldn't be happening.
No way.

Suddenly, Erling's eyes stopped at mine, when he noticed me standing at the stairs.
"Hey." He softly said and smiled.
My palms were sweaty and my voice was rusty.
Suddenly, Brody turned around and looked at me, with a false smile. "Oh, Roselyn. You didn't tell me, that you were getting tutored by your classmate Erling."

The closer I looked at his false smile, the more I recognized the restrained anger in his face.

"I-I." My voice was thin. I cleared my throat. "I forgot to tell you." I answered, quietly.
Brody looked back at Erling. "You guys can learn here."

"It's alright. We can go to my place. I don't wanna disturb you." Erling said with the kindness he always had towards people who didn't do anything bad.
Or, whom he didn't know had done anything bad.

"Oh, no. You're not disturbing. Make yourself at home." He glanced back at me. "I like the company."
In his eyes, I noticed anger, lust and provocation at the same time.
He liked, that he had that effect on me.

"Thanks." Erling smiled before looking back to me.
My heart was still pumping my blood like crazy.
I thought, I could get out of this house for at least 2 hours, and now I was trapped in here.

"Come." I said, quietly, looking at Erling, before slowly walking up the stairs.

I heard footsteps getting closer, which told me that he was following me.
When I arrived in front of my door, I opened and let Erling pass before entering myself and closing the door behind me.
Once, Brody was out of reach, I quietly took some breaths.
I hoped, he would leave me alone while Erling was here.

"You alright?" Erling suddenly stood in front of me and looked down at me.
I looked up and slowly nodded. "Y-yeah."
Quickly, I walked past him to my desk.
"Let's start."
I sat down and looked at Erling.
Hesitantly, he walked to my desk and took a seat at the chair next to me.
From his backpack, he gathered some material before placing it on the table.

We started with going over some vocabulary, then worked on my pronunciation and eventually did some tasks.
It's gotten later and later.
The last time, I checked the time, it was 8:15 pm.
I didn't want Erling to go.
It seemed like, Brody wouldn't do anything to me while Erling was here.
I didn't know if it was because he didn't want anyone to know what's going on in our home, or respect towards another male.
None of those things made anything easier.
I just hoped, Brody would really leave me alone while Erling was here.
The punishment, I was gonna get because I brought a guy home, would be painful.
But, I wanted to procrastinate for as long as I could.
"I think, you're good." Erling said and closed the book.
"Thank you." I bit my lip. "Without your help, I would fail the upcoming tests."
"Anytime." He softly looked at me.
My eyes were on him as well.

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't.
I wanted to tell him, to stay.
To stay, so I wouldn't get Brody's punishment just yet.
But, I couldn't.
Instead, I tried to talk around it.
"Are you hungry?" I asked, hopeful.
He seemed to be surprised by my question, which I noticed by his hesitant response.
"Uh-yeah, sure."

Inwardly, happy, I got up from the chair and walked to the door.
"I'll be back."

Quickly, I walked downstairs into the kitchen, even though I didn't want to run into Brody. But I had to make Erling stay here.
On the isle, I found an advertisement from a pizzeria.
I took it and wanted to get back to Erling instantly, but a hand around my wrist stopped me.
This hand forced me to look at him by turning me strongly towards him.
In pain, I contorted my face.
His hand still having a firm grip on me, he looked at me.
"Who the hell is that boy?"