Love Games

Forty: Captive in the house

"The night you surprised me with a kiss, my world was caught up in yours," he continues, his voice becoming more emotional, but cold at the same time. It is as if he is talking about a game he has planned from the beginning. "I have watched you for a long time, long enough to know everything about you. But I've been waiting... for the right moment."

The silence that follows is heavy. His words echo in my mind. "Watched?" I whisper, my eyes wide with shock. "All over me?" Slowly, a picture comes into focus that is even more terrifying than before. None of this was an accident. I was no accident.

"I thought it was all... spontaneous," I say, my voice shaking slightly. I try to accept what he has just admitted, but the feeling of being trapped deepens. He was there, always one step ahead of me, controlling every part of my path before I even knew what was happening.

"Jack," I say, taking a step back, "who are you really? What do you know about me?"

Jack steps closer, his eyes never leaving mine, but I see something different in him now. Something that has been hidden under a mask of control.

"I know enough," he replies, his voice deep and tense.

"I know who you are, where you come from. I know your fears, your dreams. And I know you thought it was all a coincidence." His voice is lower now, almost too calm, as if he has already accepted the truth he is holding back.

"None of what happened was a coincidence," he continues.

"I admit, I was there, in front of you, watching you, before you even knew about me. Dave... the thing with Dave was an opportunity. I knew I had to act before someone else took you away. And that kiss... it was the moment I realised that our worlds were truly intertwined.

I swallow, trying to make sense of his words.

My heart beats wildly as I try to control the whirlwind of emotions.

"You were watching me? Watching?" I repeat, as if I can't believe what I'm hearing.

I look at the floor, trying to find something tangible in this moment, but the floor seems to disappear beneath me.

"What have you ever told me that was real?" I ask, my voice harsh now. "Have you ever been honest with me?"

Jack is silent for a moment, his face tense.

I can see him weighing his words, as if deciding how much more he can reveal.

"I never meant for it to backfire like this," he says finally. "Everything I did... I did because I couldn't let you go. You may not believe it, but I did it all because I love you."

"Love?" I can't hold back any longer and sigh.

"How can you call that love, Jack? When everything you've done is based on deceit? On control?"

He doesn't move, his face remains serious. "Love isn't always easy," he says slowly. "Maybe I've protected you in ways you don't understand now. But believe me, there are things in this world that are far more dangerous than me bringing you here."

I feel trapped in a maze of his words, with no easy way out.

I raise my hands to my head, as if trying to wake up from a nightmare. "And now?" I ask quietly. "What am I supposed to do with all this? How am I supposed to trust anyone when you haven't even been honest?"

"I know it's hard," Jack says, his voice softer now, almost patronising.

"But now that you know the truth... we can start again. Here, in this house, away from everything. It may not be easy, but you can trust that you'll be safe here."