“Which part, sweetheart?” He tilts his head in question, waiting for me to answer.
I stare back at him with disgust, and I hope it hits him as hard as it can, as it is destroying me inside right now. I look over Mimi and she’s speechless. Her eyes reddened and tears spilling.
“It’s going to be fun girls, don’t look so disappointed. A new life awaits, ya?” Charles says hands in his pocket.
“Fuck. You,” I say, one tear spilling down my cheek, but I quickly straighten up, not wanting to give them any satisfaction of their doing.
Joe takes a few steps towards me, lifts my chin and looks into my eyes, and I see the man I trusted with every part of me in front of me. I see…
I see him…
I see the man I’ve always trusted.
He has a plan. He needs me to play along, and I do…
I spit in his face. Joe barely flinches, shoving my face away.
Charles laughs, he’s so predictable, it’s nauseating. I bet he’s one of those guys that can only handle missionary at the risk of coming too quickly.
“Oh, mate! She’s a firecracker that one. They’ll love her,” he says in his British accent, and as beautiful as it sounds, bile rises in my throat.
Joe extends his hand to a tissue box on the nightstand, he wipes his face and steps closer again, and closer, his face buries into my neck and whispers, “I’ll always love you.”
My breath stutters when he bites me, and a scream pours out of me as my eyes meet his.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he says, leveling out for Charles to hear. The authority pouring out of him is downright hypnotic, and I’m saying a small prayer that I am not misreading him at this moment.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs have us all look up, and a man I don't recognize descends into our hell, phone clutched in his hand. His expression is triumphant as he approaches Charles.
“Great,” Charles says, clapping his hands together once.
“The phone call we were waiting for. Right, Joe?” Charles smiles at Joe as he takes the phone and places it on speakerphone.
“Edward, great to hear from you mate. How are ya on this God given beautiful… what is it? Saturday?” Charles asks, stepping closer to Joe, sounding like he’s hosting a tea party for basic bitches. I really need to get back to Liam.
“Let’s get right to it,” the man, Edward on the other line says, and Joe visibly tenses, his eyes discreetly falling on mine, pinning me to where I am with the intention to freeze me in place.
“Wonderful, do you accept the price you were given?” Charles responds and asks.
When I hear those words, my heart plummets to the pit of my stomach. A price? My mind races to process what's happening—they're discussing a sale. They're selling us. This man on the phone is a buyer.
“Yes, that works perfectly,” Edward says without a moment's hesitation.
Joe's face breaks into a triumphant smile, and something dark and violent surges inside me. Joe presses the mute button on the phone.
“Ask him what price he was given,” he tells Charles in a low voice, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
Charles unmutes the call, his voice oozing with false warmth.
“Excellent, and just to confirm… The price agreed on was…?”
“217,565 euros,” the man responds immediately.
My eyes widen at the number. That's it? That's what our lives are worth to these monsters? From a blurry echo, I hear Charles's fake goodbye, and my mind spirals.
The atmosphere in the room shifts instantly, and my hair prickles when Charles ends the call with a quick tap and looks directly at Joe.
He chuckles nervously. “That’s not the price we discussed, mate.”
