“I can go with you.”
“Not this time, Ella.You have to stay here, keep resting and follow your doctor’s orders.You are not going to leave the house.”
“I’m not helpless!”Ella snapped.The loss of her composure was so surprising to her, before Zee could admonish her in any way, tears filled her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Zee.I don’t want to stay behind.I want to have adventures with you.”
“I’ll take you on an adventure.Look, we said a year for this job.There are only a few more months left.”
“And then you’re going to renew the contract.”Ella scrambled up, her head against the headboard.
“Ella.”His voice came out clipped, his pinched expression.“I’ll talk to you before I renew the contract.”
“Like you did last time?”She covered her face with her hand and shook her head, tears spilling hotly down her cheeks.
“We can get through this.I have friends lined up to take you to your appointment with the physio, and Helena and Oliver are going to check on you.”
“No, I don’t want help and I don’t want people coming around.If I can’t be with you, I don’t want to endure anybody else’s company.”
“That’s enough, girl.Get over here.”
The cool command in his tone snapped her head up.
She glared at him, her anger making her jaw tense.
Ella knew she wasn’t being respectful and she was being ridiculous but her frustration had welled up too much for her to trample it down.
She dragged herself off the bed, standing there while Zee walked into the closet.
He came out with the implement she hated the most.
“Master…” The words stuck in her throat but she she knew better than to argue.
“You know what you’ve earned, don’t you?”His gruff tone made her curl her toes into the carpet.
She swallowed, trying to fight the frustration building in her chest.
“Yes, Master.”But she didn’t know if she meant it.
He held a thick piece of leather with a wooden handle—literally a strap, and it hurt like hell.
But she knew she deserved it.
“Did I tell you what was going to happen this week?”He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and she nuzzled into them, wanting to make amends.
“Yes, Master.”
“Did you snap back at me and tell me no?”The question made her shrink inward, shoulders curving as if she could make herself smaller.
“I’m sorry, Master.I’m not myself tonight.”
He slid his hand down, pressing his palm on the centre of her back and she exhaled, his touch was warm and gentle and she squirmed, shrinking like she didn’t deserve it.
But it wasn’t up to her.
“I know.But I’m not going to let this outburst go unaddressed.I will admit that I should have talked to you before I accepted the full-time job.It was a change that affected us both.But like the fool I am, I rushed in.”
He swept his palm up between her shoulder blades.A small smile tugged at her lips, the tension easing from her shoulders.
