Phoenix ✔️

Chapter 8: Unlike Brothers

"Well, it's not bad. It could've used a little bit more pepper, but it's not bad. I'll let you off easy this time, because you're still learning, and I don't want you to fret too much," Colin assures, as he finishes up the last of his meal. His attempt in being easy on me is futile, because he was the opposite upstairs.

My eyes stay glued to my plate, as I pick at the last of my food with my fork. I can't even bear to look him in the eye right now. How can he be so upbeat and normal after what he did to me? Is he completely oblivious as to what he did to me? Does he even think that this is an okay thing to do people? 

Nausea stirs at the bottom of my stomach as I eat the meal that he forced me to make. I stare at my plate, as I try to finish my meal, but it's hard to face him when I'm still in so much pain from what happened upstairs. I don't even know what to do at this point. He's robbed me of so much so far, with almost all of it impossible to get back.

I don't know how I'm going to ride this out. As I'm thinking to myself, he takes my plate away from me to wash it, while I don't move a muscle. Seeing his face makes the stirring nausea inside me go haywire. I can't help but want to punch him in the face, and just run out of there for my life.

Eventually, he comes over to where I'm sitting, and he notices my solemn face. His hand squeezes my face, and he turns it to face him, while looking straight in my eyes. Those eyes that were once dying of hunger now have a new feeling in them. They're triumphant, like a wolf that successfully got to its prey.

They dominate over their victim in such a way that's viciously, yet horribly triumphant. It's almost like he's proud of all the pain he has caused me so far. All I fear is that those wolves of eyes are not done hunting and slaying their desired prey.

"Hey, what's wrong? It's okay," he assures me, and he leans in to plant a kiss on my cheek. I shake my head and lean away from his face, as he tries to embrace me forcefully. It causes me to get out of my chair and back away from the dining table.

"Hey, just relax. There's nothing to be afraid of," he calmly assures me, as his hands clamp on my arms and try to hold me in place. I know that's the biggest lie in the world, because of everything that's happened. He leans in, and my hands push against his chest to get him away from me. My bottom lip quivers, and fresh tears blur my vision.

"P-Please. Leave me alone. Let me return to my family. I want to go home to my brother and sister. I miss them so much," I plead, as his lips make a feather-like contact against my neck. He leans away, and he looks into my eyes.

His look at first is neutral, subtle, even nonexistent. Then, a smirk is sewn on his face. His eyes have an evilly humorous look in them. He starts to laugh evilly, as if he's an evil scientist in a bad action movie. His fingers wipe the tears that start to form in his complex eyes.

Confusion blooms inside me like a small flower, and its nectar drips into my bloodstream for it to travel to all parts of me. When he stops laughing uncontrollably, he looks me into the eyes and shakes his head.

"Oh, you are too funny, Nicole. You really think I'm going to let you go back to your family? You have such a vivid imagination. When you're with me, you're mine. You're mine, and you will be mine for the rest of your life. And don't you even think of running away. Because I'm always going to be around you, and I'll always find you when you escape. Plus, do you really think that your family members really miss you? They didn't fight for you when your mom married you off to me. They didn't try to stop her, or get you out of the marriage," he states, with a possessive look in his eyes.

My hand balls up into a fist at his words. My teeth clench as his insults sting my ears. No one dares to talk about my family like that. He has no right to talk about Dominic or Elena like that. I'd kill him if he talked about my family in such a derogatory way.