Taken From Home

Taken From Home part 3

     Over the next week I had as little contact with Max as possible, only seeing him at meal times; for I had decided to share them with him. At first I spent my days in my room reading the books there and trying to come up with a way out, but that soon got boring so instead I decided to explore my living quarters further. The house was actually quite roomy but it didn't take long for me to find my favourite room, a cozy library with plush chairs by huge windows looking out onto golden fields. It also housed a old movie projector that I spent my nights - after I figured out how it worked - watching my favourite classics. This all occupied my time and I rarely thought of Max who was always around somewhere; but he never bothered me. I started thinking that maybe he'd get bored of keeping me here since I never spoke with him anyway; but that abruptly changed one evening. 

     I was in the library and had just finished a book and was looking for another, I was climbing up one of the ladders so I could get a better look at the top shelf. I grabbed a book and was just starting to come back down when my foot slipped resulting me crashing to the ground; landing heavily on my right ankle. The ladder, disrupted by my slip, swayed and began to fall, fortunately to the side rather then forward onto me; the impact of it hitting the floor resulted in Max rushing to my aid.

"What happened, are you okay, is anything broken?" He asked kneeling beside me. I couldn't help smiling at his wide eyes expression and his caring tone.

"My ankle hurts, but I don't think it's broken."

"Let me take a look, may I?" He asked gesturing to my foot. I nodded, watching him as he carefully removed my sock and rolled up my pant leg to reveal my swollen ankle. He gently touched it; moving it around testing what hurt.

"It's just sprained, nothing to serious but you should stay off it for a few days. You'll have to stay down here though, stairs are going to be a little hard to use," He said letting go of my leg standing up offering me his hand. "I'll help you over to the couch."

     I hesitated for only a moment before taking his hand letting him guide me over. He propped my foot up on a pillow and then left to go get some ice, after I was all taken care of he stood there looking at me for a minute as if he wanted to say something. But he just shook his head and bid me a goodnight. He was almost out the door before I stopped him.

"You don't have to go, we could watch a movie." I offered smiling, using his same line he said me the first night I was here. But instead of declining like I did he accepted my offer, stepping back into the room and began setting up something to watch.

     It was tense at first but we soon relaxed, and when the credits began to roll I felt comfortable enough to ask the question that had been gnawing at my mind since the beginning.

"Can you please tell me why you took me, I just want to understand what you want from me."

Max let out a sigh, turning off the T.V moving around to face me. "I don't want anything from you Isabelle, I did this to help you-"

"How could you possible think this would be in my benefit?!" I shrieked wishing I could get up, get away from him.

"Belle just listen, you asked now I'm answering." He said looking at me waiting for a reaction, once I nodded he continued talking.

"I've been watching you for seven years, ever since you were ten. Just a little girl who longed for slides and shorts but got stuck with dresses and tea parties, sure as you got older you rebelled a little, but you were still thrown into things you didn't want to do just because of your parents. I knew you weren't happy, you didn't belong in that world. So I brought you somewhere where you would, where once you got comfortable you could-"

"You aren't wrong," I said cutting him off. " I wasn't happy surrounded by all that, but that doesn't mean you had to take me, I would have been gone in a few months anyway."

"I knew that, I kept telling myself to keep my distance and forget about it, but then I saw you in that cafe looking so hurt and broken that all I could think about was getting you away from them; I am sorry."

"But not sorry enough to let me go." It wasn't a question, I already knew the answer.

"No, at least not yet."

     I just sighed, telling him he should go, that I was tired. When the truth was I needed to be alone, I had a lot to think about that night. It was around three in the morning when I came up with my answer; and fell to sleep more at ease.