“I know. But you’ve kept yourself away from people for so long. It’s time you immerse yourself back into society. Now, make me proud today.”
“You’re really letting me go outside? What if I try to run?”
“I’m sending a guard with you. One for your protection. And two because I’m not naïve, Katya. I figured you would try to run. The guard will make sure you don’t.”
Alek is keeping me trapped. He is forcing himself to become my future.
And I’m powerless to stop it.
Chapter Six
Katya
Two young women arrive at the house. Alek introduces them as Nina and Susanna, his surrogate daughters. Despite being only seventeen and sixteen, they somehow feel older than me, like they’ve lived a life I haven’t. And that’s probably true. I haven’t lived much of a life since I was eight years old and everything before that is all a blur.
“This is Katya,” Alek says to the girls. The older one, Nina, offers me the tiniest smile, while Susanna rolls her eyes at me. Nina seems like an effortless beauty with her brown hair and pretty features while Susanna is trying harder with her blonde hair. I can tell it’s dyed from her roots.
“Not nice to meet you,” Susanna mutters. I flinch, taken aback. Have I done something to offend her?
“Be nice,” Alek warns. “A lot has happened for Katya in a short span of time. You two are going to help her pick out her wedding dress today. So make it happen. Help her choose something nice. I expect you all on your best behavior. Now, go with Ian. He’ll make sure you’re all taken care of.”
“Ian?” I whisper.
“The guard who’s going to watch you today.” Meaning the guard who’s going to make sure I don’t run today.
Alek ushers me and the girls out of the house. The moment I inhale the fresh air, a sense of panic overtakes me. Being outside is too much. I’ll never survive.
I bend forward, sucking in deep breaths.
“What’s her problem?” Susanna mutters.
“I don’t know,” Nina responds. “Hey. Are you ok?” Her tone isn’t exactly nice but it’s not horrible either.
“No,” I force out, squeezing my eyes shut. “No, I’m not all right.”
“Should we go back inside and get Alek?” Nina asks her sister.
“Who cares? I didn’t even want to come here today. I say we just leave her like this.”
“But Alek will know if she didn’t get a wedding dress. We have to go shopping.”
“Nina, you are such a suck up to Alek. I don’t care what he thinks. I’m not doing his chores for him.”
“Well, I don’t want to get in trouble with him.”
A hand touches my back, startling me so much I jerk upright. Nina jerks back herself.
“Sorry,” she says, raising her hands in surrender. “You just seemed like you were not ok.”
“I’m not.” I press my hands together, trying to get control of how I’m feeling but it’s impossible. I feel like I’m going to die.
Susanna rolls her eyes again and sighs like I’m the most dramatic person in the entire world. “Are you done yet? Let’s get this over with.”
“I’m not ok,” I snap back, unable to help myself.
“You don’t get to talk to me like that.”
“Like what?”
