Pretty When You Cry ୨୧ Rafe Cameron

twenty

'Morning sunshine,' Rafe shook Isla awake. There was a different feeling to waking up in Rafe's bedroom now that she didn't have a choice. A tense feeling. She wanted to run away, go home. But then Ward would just find her, send her off, and kill her friends. So she couldn't do that. She didn't even have her phone, her friends were probably worried sick.

'Just stop,' Isla said as she sat up.

'Text your friends back, tell them you're fine. It's been going off all night,' Rafe said.

Isla took the phone and read her friends text messages to her, a series of 'where are you' and 'text me back' texts.

Rafe watched her carefully as she answered, making sure she didn't tell them anything. When she finished he snatched the phone back and put it in his pocket.

'My dad says we should go out to lunch. Make yourself look pretty,' Rafe commanded.

Isla nodded. She hated that he had the power to boss her around. He controlled her every movement now. She wasn't sure how much of it she'd be able to handle before she broke. She hated even being around him, and now she had to follow him around like a puppy.

'You should curl your hair. It always looks nice like that,' Rafe said. Isla couldn't tell if this was a compliment or a demand.

'Don't compliment me Rafe, don't talk to me when we're alone, when there's nobody to prove anything to,' Isla answered.

'I was trying to be nice.'

'It didn't work.'

Isla headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. When she got there she found a variety of things. An outfit with a note attached saying 'wear this', a collection of makeup products, a straightener, curling iron, dryer, shampoo, conditioner, hair brush. She had to admit the products were much nicer than what she had at home, but she'd much rather be getting ready in her own bathroom.

She got in the shower and used the expensive hair products. They left her hair feeling healthier than ever. It shined as she dried it. She curled it, fearing Rafe's reaction if she didn't. She put on the makeup as well, which made her look almost unlike herself.

She put on the dress that was chosen for her, an ebony off the shoulder long sleeve tight fitting dress that fell to her ankles. She also put on the jewellery she was given, a pearl necklace and earrings.

Despite how breathtaking she looked, she felt tainted with, like this was a version of her that only existed under the Cameron's command. She looked herself in the mirror and said over and over 'a million dollars, you're doing this for a million dollars'.

When she came out of the washroom Rafe was standing outside the door, wearing a black button up and some black pants with a gold chain. Isla hated how after everything a little part of her stomach still had butterflies at the looks of him.

He scanned up and down her body, taking her in. There was something particularly striking about the way the dress hugged her hips, her waist. He also enjoyed the way the off the shoulder showed her collarbones, which were decorated beautifully with the necklace he picked out.

'You look like a real kook,' Rafe smirked.

'I feel like an idiot,' Isla sighed.