Lahni
I was happy to be working again, the house was getting claustrophobic being there all the time. Eric begrudgingly agreed to my return— not without rules of course.
A bodyguard drives me to and from work and waits outside in a car for me until the day is through. Annoying, yes. But according to Eric necessary.
I understood his concerns and his fears. We had many talks about everything, and although he respected my decisions he couldn't be further from liking them. My first day back had been refreshing, I felt somewhat normal.
Taking orders, serving people, running around, and being on the go all day, I miss it. Keeping busy is what's kept me from going insane despite all I've been through, never giving my mind a break to even think about my problems and sorrows, I couldn't get stuck and trapped inside myself, I had to provide and take care of me, no one else was going to. That was always my mindset, even now though I live with Eric I hate him paying for absolutely everything.
I can't even go into a damn gas station and pay for a snickers.
Like? The one thing I can get away with is Amazon orders, which he scowls at me for. "Why didn't you use my card?" I always shook my head at him in disbelief. As the day finished I wiped down tables, sat the chairs up, mopped, and swept. I had missed doing this every night, this place became a huge part of me, my routine, my life. Angie's hiring gave me an entirely new life in general, if it wasn't for her I'd probably be sleeping in my car.
The closing took a minimum of an hour, as we had to clean and sterilize all the playrooms, stage, floors, and kitchen. I finish my closing rituals for the kitchen and register. I began walking out to the parking lot, bidding everyone goodnight as we all walked out going our separate ways.
It was dark out, a small dim light was all there was for the parking lot, I was gonna bring that up to Eric. I spotted the SUV my bodyguard was in, the windows were tinted so I couldn't see in but he was in the same spot he had been in earlier so I didn't question anything. I get next to the door and hear the unlock button,
as I climb into the back seat, I get my purse sit in, and settle into my seat.
"No stops today Roger, straight home," I say not looking up, he says nothing and we begin rolling forward.
I looked out the window, it had been raining, the dark sky was cloudy, the mist hanging low, the roads were full of puddles, and the condensation blanketing everything in a chilled embrace. It had been 20 minutes and our usual scenic route home hadn't been the same as usual.
I wondered why we were taking a different way this time, but for all I knew this could be a different route for safety measures. So I said nothing for a while until a little over half an hour had gone by, getting home didn't take this long.
"Hey Roger, You're bringing me home remember?" I tried joking, but I was met with silence, my heart started thumping against my chest.
I slowly reached for my phone and hit Eric's contact, before putting it face down.
"Hey is everything okay? I think we're going the wrong way sir" I say trying to sound humorous and not worried.
I see his hands clench the steering wheel and alarm bells begin ringing in my head loudly.
"We're going the right way Love"
At that moment everything stopped—my heart, my breathing, and the world around us stopped spinning on its axis, I wanted to scream but nothing came out, instead a lump formed in my throat, and my heart palpitating at rapid speeds. He adjusted the rearview mirror so I could see his eyes now. The eyes that haunted me in my nightmares stared back at me, a glint of danger gleaming in his coffee-ground orbs.
"Miss me?" He chuckled tauntingly, I could see the satisfaction forming in his face at my reaction and realization of the situation I was now in.
"Andrew?" I say almost like a question even though I knew well it was him, my voice sounded depleted of all oxygen.
"Long time no see Lahni" He smugly smirked, a twisted grin playing on his face. There was no way this was happening to me right now.
My heart felt like it was gonna explode, I turned my phone over and saw the call had ended, I clicked on it and it read 30s, my data was off we were in a dead zone, I had no idea what Eric had heard or how much.
I start to dial 911 but as I do he reaches back and takes my phone tossing it out the window.
My heart sank in my chest, that was my last hope, this was it. The day I've had nightmares about for years, Andrew coming back for what was his and revenge. I had no idea where he was taking me, or where we were.
Even if they track my phone to where it's at I'll be long gone and they'll not have a clue, all I could think of is how fucked I was, how I'd never see Eric alive again. I went over this morning in my head.
"You know you don't have to go," He says a disapproving look on his face.
"Yes I do," I chuckle "I can't let him continue controlling my life like this, it's driving me crazy waiting around for what it feels like the world to end"Eric sighs at my words, his pretty face scrunched up in defeat but understanding.
"I understand, I'm just worried,
I don't want anything to happen to you, I need you to come home to me"
He whispers resting his forehead against mine, his arms holding mine.
"I know and I promise I will, everything is gonna be okay" I reassured him, he nodded and forced a small smile, he kissed my forehead his lips lingering longer than usual as if he was savoring it.
"Then get going and don't be late,
I heard your boss is a real dick" He jokes, I snort at his comment and wave to him as I get in the SUV with my bodyguard Roger.
Tears had begun brimming in my eyes without me realizing it.
I almost forgot the predicament I was in as I remembered Eric's lingering kiss this morning, the last time I may ever know such a tender moment.
"You're awfully quiet princess, what's the matter? Don't want to play with me?" Andrew mocks and the rage in me begins boiling to the surface like never before—every argument, every time he hit me, every time he put me down, and sexually assaulted me.
Every single painful moment I had endured became the forefront.
I could almost feel my brain's chemistry changing.
"You know I can't refuse games," I say in a sultry tone, I didn't even recognize my voice as the words left my lips. I knew if I was going to survive this, I'd have to try to play along, I couldn't give him the satisfaction of breaking me again, I had to play his games against him, and that's what I was going to do. I don't care how long it takes me to earn his trust or what I have to do, I have to let go of who I am right now and be who I need to be to survive this, and that means doing anything necessary to see another day and give Eric time to find me, no matter how long that takes, I couldn't sit here and feel sorry for myself, to let Andrew see me crumble again. I wasn't that broken and bruised girl he left on the floor in the bathroom, I was past that, I may not have realized until now but that wasn't me anymore and it would never be again. I had the upper hand, he still saw me as weak and nonthreatening.
His smirk reflects in the rearview mirror at my words. "Then let's play" He chuckles, the sound of his laughter was the beginning of the end. I let a smirk play on my mouth, which makes him eye me like a piece of meat dangling over a lion's den.
He was intrigued, my attitude throwing his game off slightly but he regained his composure.
"We're going to have so much fun" He mutters lowly, I shivered at his words.
You can't let this affect you, you have to be all in, you can't let him see your real emotions, you must play his twisted games back to him, entertain him. It felt like choking on my vomit.
"I'm sure we will" I whisper seductively, I see his eyes blazing with desire as he looks at me in the mirror.
"I knew you missed me" He hums.
I swallowed back the bile that wanted to come up as his words, and instead, I let out a quiet giggle.
I was never going to be the same, whatever version of me that's coming out to keep me going
is going to taint my soul with
her actions.
I've always heard people say in support groups I've gone to,
"You can't punish yourself for what you did to survive" but I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself for what I'm about to do, for the things I'll have to say to get through this, betrayals to my being.
Eric, I'm so sorry.
YOU ARE READING
Exultation (18+)
General Fiction"This room is going to be your most pleasurable days, and your most painful. I'm going to pleasure you to the point you can't handle it, till the point you're screaming and lose your voice. I'm going to hurt you in the most delectable ways, that mak...
