Stop. Breathe.
Sitting down on the corner of the bed, I clench my fists tight in my lap and close my eyes. I’m safe right now. There is no danger. Maybe Maggie forgot. Fine, that’s stupid, she wouldn’t forget about me. Maybe she got distracted.
Or maybe Liam told her not to feed me. I can’t delude myself. I’ll never make it out of this if I do that.
Footsteps again. My eyes fly open and hope lodges itself in my throat as the sound gets louder. Relief floods me when the doorknob turns.
Then it freezes in my veins when I see who’s standing on the other side. Not Maggie. Not even Liam.
Selina.
“What are you doing here?” I blurt out.
She has the nerve to recoil like she’s either hurt or surprised or both. “Ouch. Hello to you, too.”
Yeah, whatever. “Is there something I can help you with?”
She snorts, folding her arms as she leans against the doorframe. There’s something cat-like about her. Long and lean and graceful, but with an edge. And claws. “If you want something to eat, you’re going to have to make it yourself since Maggie is out sick today.”
It even annoys me that she refers to Maggie like they’re friends or something, but then again, they could be for all I know. I have no idea how long they’ve known each other.
“What’s wrong with her?” I ask.
“How would I know?” She rolls her eyes, then jerks her head in the direction of the kitchen. “So yeah, that’s the point. You have to fend for yourself.”
Right. This seems completely legit. “I’m not supposed to leave the room.” Geez, am I this broken down? Like a beaten dog afraid to come in out of the rain. I hate how submissive I sound, but I also don’t trust her. And I don’t put it past Liam to test me. That’s probably what this is, too. A test to see if I’ll defy him when given the chance.
I just really wish Selina wasn’t the one administering the test. From the very beginning, it’s been obvious she has a problem with me. I still haven’t forgotten the way she tripped me up when they first brought me here.
She has the nerve to sigh like she’s bored with the discussion. “Suit yourself. I just thought you should know I’m not cooking food for you. So if you’re hungry, you have to take care of yourself. That’s it.”
I am hungry. Very. The sort of hungry that won’t let me think about anything else but food. “Liam doesn’t want me walking around.”
“He’s not going to care as long as somebody’s watching you. I guess I can handle that much.” She rolls her eyes like it’s the most ridiculous idea imaginable.
I could make it fast. I don’t need anything super involved. I would even take peanut butter and jelly, if I can find some. “All right, I’m just going to fix something quick,” I decide when hunger wins out.
“Whatever. I don’t need your whole life story.” She reminds me of a cat again as she slinks away, leaving the door standing wide open. I wish I could shake the sense that I’m taking my life in my hands when I step through it and go to the kitchen.
She’s waiting for me, perched on the counter with her legs crossed. I wonder how they met, not like I’m going to ask. I doubt she would give me a straight answer, anyway. I piss her off just by breathing.
So instead of letting my curiosity take control, I look through the cabinets and pull down a jar of peanut butter. The sooner this is over with, the sooner I don’t have to look at her or breathe the same air.
“The two of you seem to be getting pretty close.”
I don’t bother answering—besides, what would I say? She’s trying to get under my skin. I don’t have to understand why to know that that’s what she’s doing. The why doesn’t matter, anyway.
“It’s a good thing his reflexes are so fast. Otherwise, you might not be here right now.”
So she knows about that. Well, I guess she would. He would tell his team all about what happened at the cemetery. It’s not important. None of this is important. All I can do is grit my teeth while smearing a thick layer of peanut butter on a slice of bread.
“I hope you don’t think there’s anything personal in that. He simply still needs you a little longer.” She says it with a snicker, like it’s the most unthinkable idea ever. Him actually wanting to protect me. I’m sure she’s right, but I have to wonder if she believes herself. Why would she need to say it if she felt secure?
Because she’s jealous, and it’s obvious from the way she had to claim him when she came in and saw us watching a movie together. Something totally innocent, but it shook her. Like he’s hers and nobody else’s. I guess if I cared about him, I might wonder just how close the two of them have been, but it’s none of my business.
Even if I can’t help but wonder. It’s not like I have much of anything else to keep my mind occupied.
“How does it feel?” Her voice has an edge to it now. Like it’s pissing her off, not being able to get a reaction. “Being here, but not having anything of your own? What’s that like?”
