Love Me Not? (I)

Chapter 12

12

Reece

I opened my eyes and groaned to myself. My head is pounding from when I fell. I reached my hand up to touch the spot and froze when I heard chains rattle. I sighed, irritated. Chained, once again; this time to the wall at my wrists, ankles, and waist. I'm in a different room and my mouth tastes terrible.

I wiped a hand against my dry, cracked lips. The least they can do is give me food and water...

I glanced around and saw only a simple light hanging from the ceiling near the door, some fifty paces away from my current position. Well, it seems like I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.

I touched my head and felt bandages there. I must have cracked my head a good one yesterday. Today? Last week? Time has completely escaped me since I came here. Is it morning? Noon? Night?

A loud click echoed in my room and I shifted my position. Jack stepped in with a small tray and a first aid kit. "May I come in?"

"Who the hell is kind to their prisoner?" I snapped at him. He entered anyway and locked the door after him.

"I hate the way they're treating you." He said as he set the tray down. My mouth began to water at the sight of a bowl of chicken and dumplings. And, on top of all that, my stomach growled loudly.

He chuckled. "I'll feed you once I re-bandage your wound." He said as he pulled out a thin pair of scissors.

"But-"

"No 'buts.' I'm feeding you, no matter what." He said sternly as he cut the bandages on my head away. I winced and flinched away from him. "Sorry." He wet some gauze and cleaned up my wound. "Would you like me to check your side as well?"

I hesitated. Can I trust him? He seems nice enough and he seems like he cares, but he's my kidnapper. I can't trust him near me, and something is telling me to try and keep him away. He just doesn't feel right.

"No, no. I think I'm good with my side." I told him.

"You sure?" He asked. "Can I at least check it?"

I bit my lip. "Fine." Once my head was cleaned and wrapped, he lifted up my shirt and carefully unwrapped the bandages there. I clamped my lips together to keep him from knowing I was in pain.

"When did this happen?" He asked as he lightly prodded around my slow healing injury.

"T-two weeks-ish? Maybe a week and a half?" I answered with a question. "I have no idea how long I've been here."

He "hmed". "It's healing quite nicely. This stitches can probably come out now and you can deal with just the bandages. May I?"

Well, since he's already there and seems to know what he's doing... "Fine, go ahead." I looked away when he pulled out a pair of smaller scissors and lightly pressed them to my skin. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine something else to keep my thoughts off the pain.

Rainbows.

Unicorns.

Flowers.

Being outside.

My parents smiling at me.

Asher...

Asher. I haven't seen him in a while. How long has it been? Is he worried? Is he trying to find me? Does he even care? I could feel the tears pricking at my eyes at the last thought. Of course he cares. Didn't he say that he liked me the last time I saw him? And then I tried to turn him down but was interrupted with white chocolate being shoved in my mouth.