Emily, Come Home

Seven

 As the weeks passed by, I had almost forgotten how we got here. I was no longer bothered by the fact that he had taken me against my will. I truly felt like I had fallen in love with him again. There had been no fighting, no threats. He never hurt me. It seemed like his claims of being better were true.

While things were going great, I still felt constrained. I hadn't talked to anyone in months. I missed being able to go out. I felt like I was going crazy, being locked away like a princess in some fucked up fairy tale. The only human contact I had was with him, and while it was nice to have that connection with him again, it wasn't enough.

I had spent the last two weeks trying to convince him to let us out of hiding. I told him that I could tell everyone that Frankie had the wrong idea about the situation. I could tell everyone that I ran into Gerard in Smalltown, USA, and we just reconnected. I told him that I wanted to be in a real relationship, not just this Beauty and the Beast romance. I told him that I would choose to stay with him, and honestly, I would've.

The more time I spent with him, the more I felt towards him. I was actually falling in love with him, and as insane as it was, I genuinely wanted to be with him. There had to be some way to convince him that I wasn't just trying to deceive him. I needed to find a way to let him know that I was telling the truth.

As I wracked my brain, there was a light tapping on the door. I sat up on the bed as it opened. His face lit up as he saw me, and he flashed a cheesy grin as he entered the room.

"Happy birthday, love." I tilted my head in confusion. "Did you forget what today is?"

"Is it really September already?" He nodded as he pulled a box out of his jacket pocket. He handed it to me and waited patiently for me to open it.

"It's not much, but it's something," he explained timidly. Inside the box was a silver ring with a sapphire heart.

"It's beautiful, Gee." He pulled it out of the box and slid it onto my finger.

"Well, I'm not sure if it's something that you remember or not, but it's also the eighth anniversary of when I proposed to you."

"I do remember," I smiled. "It was on my twentieth birthday. We had dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants that I'd ever been to, went to an art gallery, and then, we stopped by our favorite coffee shop. Afterwards, you drug me to that little park by the apartment complex. You were so adorably nervous. I still remember how the cool night breeze ruffled your hair and how the pale moonlight reflected in your eyes. I could never forget how gorgeous you were."

"I really didn't think that you would remember that," he blushed. I nodded as I took his hand.

"Gee, it's been almost a year. Do we really have to stay here? Can't we find a real home for us? I'm going stir-crazy." He put his free hand on the back of his neck and sighed.

"Em, there's a reason that we haven't left. Frank called-"

"Then, let me call him. If he hears from me and knows that I'm okay, he can tell everyone that he was wrong. That I'm not really in any danger."

"I don't know," he said warily.

"Put him on speakerphone. No funny business, I swear. I'll let him know that I really am okay and that I just overreacted. Plus, it is my birthday. He always calls me on my birthday. Please, Gee... The sooner we get all of this settled, the sooner we can start to rebuild our life."

"You mean it? No coded messages?" He asked cautiously.

"None. I have no reason to. I really do want to be with you. There's no need for me to run away," I assured him. He sighed as he stood up.