The Essential Bride

The Essential Bride (9)

Waking up Saturday morning was harder than I thought it would be. I opened my eyes and stared out my window into the blinding sun. Every time I blinked it felt like I was rubbing sand paper against my eyes. My mind was cloudy, probably from drinking last night. Roughest day after my birthday ever... but then it all came back in a flash.

Leon had given me a ride home, and had explained to me the entire ride home that he owns me.

"What is going on?" I groaned to myself, rubbing my eyes with my hands.

"Nothing much, you" A voice asked, making me jump in bed so far that I banged my back against the wall, and pulled my knees up to my chest. I stared at Leon in shock. My room was a light pink, the trimming off white, and everything oddly color coordinated due to my Mother. The first thing I noticed was how out of place he looked. He was wearing his normal dark jeans and black V-neck t-shirt.

"You" I stuttered unable to take my eyes of him. "How did you get in here?" Leon smirked like I had told him a funny joke.

"The front door" He laughed and I glared at him. Suddenly I realized I was in a skimpy undershirt, no bra and little boxer shorts. I grabbed the blanket that was around my feet and thrust it around my chin.

            "You can't be in here!" I insisted hating how comfortable and cool he looked. He was sitting in the pink fuzzy chair that was in the corner of my room. Leon must have moved all the clothing that was once in that chair because it was no longer there.

"And yet... here I am" Leon threw his hands in the air, throwing me a stunning smile. "I only came here to discuss a few things I didn't get the chance to last night. I understand it's a lot to take in, and I'm trying really hard to contain whatever anger I may have towards this situation purely so you don't get mad at me... but it's really difficult." At the end of his statement he gritted his teeth, making me whimper. For a second there he looked horrifying. "You lost your chance to make decisions for yourself the second you turned eighteen, and I'm being a very nice guy by letting you still be here but I'm warning you now you're making a horrible decision by not going with me now."

I stared at him, "you're..."

"Please stop with the name calling. I am not crazy. I'm just getting you to realize what is right in front of you." Leon explained standing up. "You are being stubborn and not coming with me tonight I presume?"

"Or ever" I yelled, jumping out of bed and meeting him in the middle of my bedroom. "I will never go anywhere with you." I promised, gritting my teeth trying to look half as menacing as he did moments ago. I didn't want him to know how horrified I was.

Leon shook his head. "I give you one more week here, but in this week you are saying your final goodbyes. You will not be working at that strip club. You will not be going anywhere near that place. You are taking this week to make amends with whoever you think deserves it, and tying ends... do not try to get away because frankly Ma Cherie, you'll fail." He said all this so easily. "Consider me an overpowering, overprotective... boyfriend and don't do anything you think would upset me."

Without thinking I pushed past him and went to my bedroom door. "Get out!" I said throwing my door open. "Get out of my house!" And as I turned around to face him I noticed my bedroom was already empty.

After my shower I realized it was almost noon. I couldn't spend any more time in my house. I was already tired of looking over my shoulder expecting to see Leon there. I pulled out my phone and dialed my best friend.

"Hey my beautiful best friend, how does it feel to be eighteen?" She answered her phone, and my heart ached at the familiarity. What if Leon succeeded in what he wants? What if I really do leave with him? Will I ever see my best friend again? "Last night was a blast, that blonde Patrick introduced you do, Mitch." Stephanie made a sound like she was sipping fine wine. "Can you please get on that?"

I felt cold all over, but ignored it. I should have seen it coming, Leon had said they would have forgotten him, and we weren't even half way at my house at this time. It terrified me to know that he could do this. It would be so easy for him to take me and hide me.

"Yeah..." I whispered my voice sounding hallow because my thoughts were elsewhere. "Listen, though I did have an absolute blast last night I was thinking about going out and having just a girl's night. It will be just the two of us on the town. It's sounds like fun, we haven't done anything like this in too long." There was no way she could say no. I never wanted to go out.

"Oh my God, yes. I mean I'll have to cancel plans with Patrick but that's easy. He will totally understand, he sometimes jokes that he thinks I'm cheating on him with you because of the amount I talk about you. I think this will be a blast. Where do you want to go?" I smiled at how excited she was.

"I've missed you Stephanie." I laughed, and we continued the conversation, giving details. Stephanie agreed to be my ride, even though when I said I would need to go pick up my car she got really confused. Apparently I had driven myself home last night with no complications at all, and when I checked my driveway my car was sitting there. It made my blood pressure spike, angering me more than it probably should have.

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