If Only She'd Loved Him

Chapter 25

Friday 5:20 pm

Megan huddled on the bed trying to collect her thoughts. Her stomach made little murmurs. On the table in front of the window lay a tray with some cut up sandwiches and a glass of cider. Erik had brought them in, untied her hands and left, all in silence.  Giving in to her hunger, she went and wolfed down the food. Licking her lips clean, she wiped off her face with a paper napkin. Stomach full, she attacked her next priority: the bathroom. As she washed her hands, she thought she heard footsteps outside. Megan found herself looking up in the mirror, twisting her fingers through her hair, doing anything but going back to her room, where she was almost positive Erik was waiting for her. She laid her ear against the door, but heard nothing. She couldn't stay in here forever, could she? Taking a deep breath, Megan opened the bathroom door only to have her fears realized. Erik was sitting on the bed, hair falling across his face in a tangled wave.

"I could hate you." His words shocked her. A snarl crossed her lips.

"You? You could hate me? News flash for you, I hate you and always will."

Suddenly Megan didn't want to face his voice anymore. She turned her head to the side, but Erik reached for her. "Look at me," he commanded. Slowly she raised her chin and stared him back in the face, then looked away, unable to face the gleam in his eyes any longer.

Flush with victory, Erik simply tapped her on the shoulder as she turned away. "I think the time has come for us to discuss the future," he said. "I'll be waiting for you in the next room. Call me when you're ready, and love," his thumb dug into her chin, "don't take too long. That would make me unhappy and when I'm unhappy—" He paused as Megan filled in his sentence with a whisper.

"—I'm unhappy."

Erik left the room without locking the door behind him. Sliding a comb through her head, Megan tried to think, to plan what she would say, but her mind had gone blank. Shivering, she sat on her bed, trying to pull herself together, only when she felt she could delay no longer, did she call out to Erik.

"I'm ready." You utter looney-tune, she added in her head. He appeared in an instant, surveying her like a painting.

"Nice, you look nice, sweetheart, but I want to see a smile on your face when you see me."

"Fat chance," Megan muttered under her breath, but he got the gist of what she said.

"Still haven't learned," he sighed. "I thought you were brighter than that, but you will. After tonight you'll understand just where you are." He slid his hand under her arm and half escorted, half pulled her out of the room. He didn't let go until they reached the sofa where Megan saw a chessboard set up on the wooden coffee table.

"Sit." Disengaging his hand from her arm, he pushed her on the sofa. He waited until she had rearranged herself, then sat down next to her, pulling the chess game towards them. "You're so into games, Megan. I thought I'd give you a chance to win your freedom." Unbelieving, but hopeful, she reached for a pawn. He snatched it from her hand.

"Slow down. I didn't say what game, now did I?"

"But, but, you set up this chessboard," she protested. "What else could you mean?"

Erik leaned back and grinned. Ruffling his hand through her hair, he pulled her even closer to him. "Games have consequences, sweetheart, winners and losers. I already have you. Why should I risk losing you?"

It was just another ploy. "Fine!" Megan snapped. "What the hell do you want? To taunt me every chance you get? To remind me that you're stronger? Just what do you want from me?"