Beyond Good and Evil

Chapter 9: Answer to Master

The TV flickered with the day's news. Robert paid little attention, having only switched it on to distract himself.

He rested his elbows on top of the dining room table, his hands in his hair. He exhaled a tense breath through his teeth, closing his eyes.

It had been an entire week since he had seen Alicia, and he missed her like crazy. But he intended to stay away from her for good this time. She didn't deserve to be muddled up in his past, especially since not all of it was silver plated jewellery.

James and Felicia were at his mother's, like they were whenever Robert was with Alicia. He'd taken them earlier because he needed solo time, to try and figure out what to do about this whole predicament.

If he stayed in her life, she was bound to get hurt, or even worse. But if he left, then he was hurting himself, as well as her. They had formed a really good bond over the past two weeks.

His phone vibrated and chimed with a text. Sighing, he unlocked it to see a grey bubble of text from Andreas.

Do you want me to pick her up?

It took him a moment to realise that Andreas was talking about Alicia. It was a Thursday, and she would be at university. He had contemplated going in and seeing her, but had decided it was best not to.

No

He dropped his iPhone back onto the glass, rubbing both hands over his face. It was quarter to six in the evening, but he was far from hungry. What he hungered for was not a substance of food, but something he had gone too long without.

He padded down the rickety wooden stairs, down into his dungeon, flicking on the LEDs.

The spreader bars rested neatly against the left blue stone wall, always there to haunt him with the memory of his mistake. He shivered, rubbing his elbows. It was chilly down here, he conceded, but his shiver had nothing to do with that.

He retrieved a black plaited riding crop from its place on the back wall, and slapped it against his palm. It didn't hurt, but then if anyone had heard the loud slap of leather meeting skin, they would have been rushing to him to ask if he was okay and had not hurt himself.

The leather itself still carried Alicia's scent: mangos and cream. He was certain it was her body wash, or maybe her perfume. But either way, she always smelled good when he was in her presence.

Alicia had enjoyed being down here with him. It had been evident in her glistening brown eyes, always looking at him as if he were the greatest person on earth, that she wanted to please and get along with, and dreaded leaving.

For a moment or so, he merely stood passing his hand underneath the heads of the riding crops, observing the feel of leather on his palm.

He narrowed his lips into a firm line, contemplating. If he was to go through with this idea, he needed back-up.

Alicia's house rose up in front of him near the end of the street, its brown tiled roof glinting white under the bright sunlight, the exterior walls painted a gentle shade of cream. The family lived in a singular storey, but Robert didn't particularly mind.

Sitting with his legs folded, slim fingers flicking through the day's paper, was her father.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jonas asked, casting Robert a brief glance.

He nodded, loosening his grip on the wheel. "I have to. I can't stand never seeing her again."

He and Jonas jumped out of the Volvo in unison. Robert had debated whether to take him, or take Niklas. In the end he'd concluded on taking Jonas as company, not just because he'd known Jonas longer, but because they had been best friends for what felt like an eternity. He'd confided in Jonas about things not even the others knew about.