“I expect you to be going to sleep by ten. No later. Teeth brushed, lights off.”
I nodded again. Most likely, I’d be fast asleep by then. Last night had been long.
“Tomorrow, we are going to talk.”
If he said so, I thought.
I looked him up and down as he looked around the room. For once, it appeared like he was unnerved by me, which was a laughable thought. I was at his mercy, ready to be used in whatever way he deemed fit. Yet he was the one that wasn’t able to look at me.
He was dressed in tight black jeans and a matching shirt that was just as tight. He didn’t look comfortable dressed like that.
When my eyes went back to his face, it was pinched in worry and acceptance. I didn't think he was thinking about me. I was merely someone who was just here out of convenience tonight.
“Actually,” he breathed. “I won’t be home at all tonight. I’ll be back in the morning with breakfast.”
That was a surprise.
Me, alone in the house. Sure, during the day was fine. But nighttime was different.
My heart began to beat heavily in my chest. Now, I knew that sleep wasn’t going to be my friend.
“I’ll be out taking what I need from someone who’s of age. Not a little kid who disobeys my orders.” His gaze turned to glare like he knew what I had done.
What would he do, though? What, leave me to the monsters that wanted me from outside? Join the club. Sir liked to taunt me to them. I could survive them. Maybe.
“Light off by ten,” he repeated before turning his back on me.
This time, he left the door wide open. I could see into the room across from the hall, right where he sat all the books right in the doorway. I knew they’d be out of reach. But that wasn’t going to stop me from being stupid one more time.
I waited until I heard the front door open, and then close. It was louder than it had before, like he had slammed it.
After pacing around the room, glaring at the leash and cuff a few times with nothing better to do, I toed the line of the doorway. Looking both ways, there was nothing but a few pictures.
Why did he leave the door open? Was it another test? Or was it a form of punishment for the books?
Stepping out of the room, I went as far as the chain allowed.
Did Sabastian forget to measure this direction when he made the leash?
On the other side of the hallway, I could reach the room. And the books. Easily, actually.
Bypassing the books, because I was already going to be in trouble, I wanted to make it worth it.
Never before had I tested boundaries. But really, that was least was my worry. The man said I could only go as far as it allowed me to. And this room was where it led.
Flickering the light on, I blinked against the harshness before the room came into view.
Why didn’t Sabastian put me in this room instead of his?
There was a small bed off to the side, covered in light green colors. The walls were a soft pale cream, small picture decals dotted about. Maybe they were stars, but I couldn’t be sure.
A bookshelf was beside the bed, a stack of markers sticking out of the cup on top.
Other than a dresser, and a TV that hung on a wall, there was also a white desk and a box of what appeared to be toys or stuffed animals.
The room was more for a kid but looked a lot like the room I once had before Sir took it all away. And after that, I lost having markers, using them all up, and never got to have anything else after that.
My hands itched to take a marker, or a colored pencil, to a page and color. Or to do a puzzle. Or, better yet, have something soft in my grasp to hold onto.
