escape.
“Please, Father,” I beg even though I know I shouldn’t as tears stream down my face, “I love him. Do not take him from me. He brings me such happiness—“
His hand strikes my face, cutting off my words as I stumble backward, falling to the floor from the force of his strike.
“He does not love you. He wants your money, you ignorant child.”
I shake my head, covering the spot where he hit me with my hand as I sob, “He does love me! He does not care about the money. He said he would have me without it!”
“He took the money I offered him and ran.” His words are low and filled with a hateful glee. “You know nothing. He used you and your sister.”
I gasp, staring at up him through blurry eyes.
“That’s right,” he hisses, bending over to get close to my face. “I know all about your stolen moments with him, and how your sister aided you. Nothing gets past me.”
“What money?” I whisper, all the fight in me dissipating. “How much did you give him, Father?”
“Enough.” He straightens and turns around, his back to me. “Get up off the floor.”
I stumble as I try to get up without assistance, my clothing making it difficult to squat as needed to rise. When I am standing once more, he is back in his chair and staring at me.
“Do you remember me telling you what would happen the next time you disobeyed me?”
I nod, unwilling to say another word for fear he will hit me again, even as the panic returns at his words.
“Then you should prepare for your wedding to a man of my choosing. You may leave me now.”
He goes back to writing and I do as he bids.
On the way to my room, I start making plans to run away.
With or without Theo, I would stay here no longer.
~*~
The next few weeks fly by.
I returned to work on Sunday to keep myself occupied, only to find the diner in perfect working order.
Nicole really knows her stuff, and as the wedding preparations pick up, I’m glad to have her help.
Tobias’ mother calls me every day with more decisions to make.
Then, when he and I get the chance to speak, we discuss how she’s driving us both insane with her questions. He doesn’t talk about the work situation, instead choosing to send me random pictures of people he’s dealing with making funny faces during the meetings.
I continue to keep the dreams to myself.
Dreams that are so vivid they seem real.
I’m not sure what to make of them; nor did I have any idea I had such an imagination.
The names all start with the same letters in them all. The man’s face is Tobias, and I’m the girl.
After the most recent one, I had woken up to discover myself sobbing.
As if the sadness were my own.
As if my father had slapped me so hard I’d fallen to the floor.
And I wanted then to stop.
I don’t know what the point of them is, but I don’t want them anymore.
I had a bad feeling I wouldn’t like the ending of the most recent one.
And that evening, on the eve of our wedding, that feeling proved correct.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I’m in bed when I hear a noise outside the glass doors that lead to my balcony.
Recognizing the secret tap we’d come up with, I make my way over as quick and quiet as possible to let Theo in.
His dark eyes sweep over me as he slips inside. “I was afraid he would hurt you. I needed to see you.”
“Oh!” I toss my arms around his neck, sobbing into the crook of his shoulder as he envelops me with his. “H-he hit me!”
“Shh.” He strokes my hair as I cry. “You must stop crying so we may make a plan to leave.”
I lift my head and stare at him, eyes round. “Y-you didn’t t-take his money?”
He removes one arm from around my body, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing my eyes with it. After he’s finished, he holds it up for me to take.
“Of course I did,” he says with a grin. “We shall use it to start our new life.”
I wipe away the remnants of my despair, happy with his plan. I have no qualms
“Please, Father,” I beg even though I know I shouldn’t as tears stream down my face, “I love him. Do not take him from me. He brings me such happiness—“
His hand strikes my face, cutting off my words as I stumble backward, falling to the floor from the force of his strike.
“He does not love you. He wants your money, you ignorant child.”
I shake my head, covering the spot where he hit me with my hand as I sob, “He does love me! He does not care about the money. He said he would have me without it!”
“He took the money I offered him and ran.” His words are low and filled with a hateful glee. “You know nothing. He used you and your sister.”
I gasp, staring at up him through blurry eyes.
“That’s right,” he hisses, bending over to get close to my face. “I know all about your stolen moments with him, and how your sister aided you. Nothing gets past me.”
“What money?” I whisper, all the fight in me dissipating. “How much did you give him, Father?”
“Enough.” He straightens and turns around, his back to me. “Get up off the floor.”
I stumble as I try to get up without assistance, my clothing making it difficult to squat as needed to rise. When I am standing once more, he is back in his chair and staring at me.
“Do you remember me telling you what would happen the next time you disobeyed me?”
I nod, unwilling to say another word for fear he will hit me again, even as the panic returns at his words.
“Then you should prepare for your wedding to a man of my choosing. You may leave me now.”
He goes back to writing and I do as he bids.
On the way to my room, I start making plans to run away.
With or without Theo, I would stay here no longer.
~*~
The next few weeks fly by.
I returned to work on Sunday to keep myself occupied, only to find the diner in perfect working order.
Nicole really knows her stuff, and as the wedding preparations pick up, I’m glad to have her help.
Tobias’ mother calls me every day with more decisions to make.
Then, when he and I get the chance to speak, we discuss how she’s driving us both insane with her questions. He doesn’t talk about the work situation, instead choosing to send me random pictures of people he’s dealing with making funny faces during the meetings.
I continue to keep the dreams to myself.
Dreams that are so vivid they seem real.
I’m not sure what to make of them; nor did I have any idea I had such an imagination.
The names all start with the same letters in them all. The man’s face is Tobias, and I’m the girl.
After the most recent one, I had woken up to discover myself sobbing.
As if the sadness were my own.
As if my father had slapped me so hard I’d fallen to the floor.
And I wanted then to stop.
I don’t know what the point of them is, but I don’t want them anymore.
I had a bad feeling I wouldn’t like the ending of the most recent one.
And that evening, on the eve of our wedding, that feeling proved correct.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I’m in bed when I hear a noise outside the glass doors that lead to my balcony.
Recognizing the secret tap we’d come up with, I make my way over as quick and quiet as possible to let Theo in.
His dark eyes sweep over me as he slips inside. “I was afraid he would hurt you. I needed to see you.”
“Oh!” I toss my arms around his neck, sobbing into the crook of his shoulder as he envelops me with his. “H-he hit me!”
“Shh.” He strokes my hair as I cry. “You must stop crying so we may make a plan to leave.”
I lift my head and stare at him, eyes round. “Y-you didn’t t-take his money?”
He removes one arm from around my body, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing my eyes with it. After he’s finished, he holds it up for me to take.
“Of course I did,” he says with a grin. “We shall use it to start our new life.”
I wipe away the remnants of my despair, happy with his plan. I have no qualms
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