Broken

Chapter 4

The curtains were briskly separated and sunshine momentarily blinded Lexie as she hurried to crush a pillow over her eyes. Groaning in what felt like agony, she didn’t dare move, afraid her head would split from the pressure of a massive headache.

“Get up, Lexie, won’t don’t have all day.”

          His voice was one she had become accustomed to and she winced, wondering what punishment he would deal out for the atrocious way she had behaved last night. Crap.

“Head-hurts-too-much.” Came her muffled reply.

“I’ve got some aspirin for you-“He began, and watched in amusement as her slender fingers stretched out into the air toward the sound of his voice.

“You’re going to have to do a lot better than that.” He chuckled as squinted eyes cautiously peered out from under the pillow.

                He finally relented and extended his own hand to meet hers as they exchanged pills and she quickly swallowed them as if her life depended on it.

“Water?” He asked, reaching for the pitcher and glass on her nightstand.

“Mmm,” was his only answer and she sat up, eyes like slits, gulping the water ferociously.

After finishing the glass and setting it aside, she looked up at him curiously, her innocent eyes making him want to go soft on her.

Right after the thought entered his mind, he mentally shook it off. Thoughts like that were dangerous and most definitely shouldn’t have been floating in his head. He had to treat them all the same.

Lexie glanced up to see an odd look pass over her instructor’s face before he pulled his eyebrows together and composed himself.

“Something on your mind?” She asked, knowing he wasn’t going to answer.

“Let’s talk about last night, shall we?” He sat down on a chaise lounge, extending his legs onto it to get more comfortable.

                Lexie grimaced. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She didn’t meet his stare.

“Sure you don’t.” He paused for a moment. “If you need, I can bring you the recordings to freshen your memory.”

“No!” It escaped from her mouth unwanted and it was too late to cover it up. She sagged her shoulders. “You caught me once again, Master.” She looked at him straight on, her pride unwilling to do anything else.

“Now the question is, what are we going to about it?”

“Let it slide?” She knew he wouldn’t, but she had to ask.

“I don’t think so. I’ll explain the logistics of your punishment later. Right now, you have been requested for a meeting with my superior.” He got up from his chair.

“There will be an escort outside your door in half an hour. You really don’t want to be late.” He was about to walk out the door but stopped. “Oh, and this time, don’t forget your manners.”

                Lexie sprayed perfume on her neck and set it back down on her vanity table. She looked up but instead of staring back at her own reflection, the wall greeted her. She closed her eyes and breathed.

                It unnerved her that she didn’t have a mirror. She didn’t know the reason for it. It wasn’t that she was obsessed with looking at herself. But she didn’t realize how much she could miss something that she had always thought so insignificant. She couldn’t apply makeup without wondering if she had messed up, or if there was a piece of her hair sticking up. But most of all, she couldn’t tell what she looked like. If she still looked like the same girl before-