Chapter 8 – Not So Sweet Sixteen
Chapter 8 – Not So Sweet Sixteen
Present
I entered the first room I found after climbing the stairs, and locked myself in. Tears rolled down my cheeks, when I thought back to everything that had happened. Shadrach was holding me hostage, he was forcing me to stay with him without even heeding to my wishes. And for some reason, the fact that he didn't care about what I wanted hurt my feelings much more than it should have. I was already hurting, and bad. And then he had manhandled me, showed me just how helpless I was in front of him, and that broke me.
Is this really how you treat someone you call your Queen?
Five Years Earlier (16th June 2013)
I quickly diverted my gaze elsewhere, and from the corner of my eyes, I could make out a ghost of a smirk on his face. He found out I was checking him out, and he was proud of it. The situation got really awkward for me, and then he cleared his throat.
"If you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you going to Rachel's house?" He asked me.
"I can't go home in such a condition, hair disheveled, make-up smudged, short dress," I replied.
"So you're not supposed to be wearing that?" He asked.
"No, I just wore it because Klara asked me to. She said my initial clothing wasn't suited for a night club like Diandro's. I guess I... Trust her choices," I explained.
"Didn't seem that way when she told me to drop you home," Shadrach smirked.
"Yeah, not all of her choices I guess," I mumbled.
"So how old are you again?" He asked me.
"Fifteen," I replied. "Well more like sixteen, I just turned sixteen a few hours ago."
"You only just turned sixteen?" He asked, surprised. "You're quite beautiful for someone your age."
"Um, thanks?" I replied awkwardly, shifting in my seat. That wasn't true. Well not entirely at least. Sure, I had straight, waist-length, raven, black hair with blonde highlights, green eyes that some people would kill to have, and a pretty nose as some people would tell me, but I wasn't the most gorgeous kind of girl out there. I was slightly chubby, and had a tiny, black spot on my forehead in between and slightly above my eyebrows, that just ruined the entire vibe. Good thing I could cover the birthmark up with make-up, but I couldn't say the same for my body.
"So today's your birthday," Shadrach commented, sighing.
"Yeah," I replied, looking down at my thighs.
"Gosh I'm so sorry for making you cry on your birthday," he said apologetically, and I offered him a very small smile. "Also, I really don't think they should've taken you to Diandro's. You're way too young for a place like that," he commented.
"You sound like you're some oldie," I muttered, more to myself, but he heard me and chuckled.
"I'm just nineteen, but that's still three years older than you," he chuckled. I chose to remain quiet. "Well, we're almost at Galaxy Mall. Please direct me from here."
I nodded, sitting up straight.
Present
"Alizabeth?" Shadrach called out, knocking on the door. I didn't give him a reply.
"Aliza, open the door. Please," he begged, his tone somewhat regretful. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry for being mean and harsh with you. Just please open the door, Love."
"I don't want to. Go away, Shadrach," I replied, hugging myself.
"I'm sorry, Alizabeth. Please, just open the door. I'll break it down if you don't," he warned, and I huffed, walking to the door. I unlocked it and opened it, and then walked away from it, not sparing Shadrach even a glance.
"Aliz-"
"Don't."
"Just listen to me," he breathed, walking up to me. He gently took me by my arms, and turned me around to face him. I yanked his hands off of me, and stepped away from him, but didn't turn away.
"I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry for being so harsh, without realizing how much you must be hurting. I know I've taken you from your family, and I know it's been without your permission-"
"You mean kidnapped. You've kidnapped me," I gave him a sarcastic smile.
"Alright, fine. I've kidnapped you. And then I've been harsh to you. It isn't right, and I'm sorry," he replied, sighing.
"If you're sorry, let me go," I said, crossing my arms.
"You know I can't do that," he replied.
"What's it going to take, Shadrach?" I yelled, frustrated. "Do you want me to break down again, cry like a baby all day? Is that when you're going to let me go? What should I do? Try to kill mys-"
"Enough!" Shadrach yelled back, making me flinch and shut up. He stepped closer to me, and cupped my cheeks, making me look into his eyes that were showing a series of emotions, but mostly fear.
"Don't ever dare to say something like that again, Alizabeth. Do you understand?" He said, uttering each word slowly. I gulped, staring into his eyes for a moment, before I found the audacity to shake my head.
"I'm not just going to say something like that, Shadrach. I'm going to do it," I replied, defiantly stepping away from him. "I will keep trying until you decide I'm not worth it, and let me go."
Something sparked in his eyes, and rage enveloped him. Not the kind where he'd lash out on me, but the calm one.
"You try to hurt yourself even once, my Queen, and I will keep you in chains for your entire life. Do you get it?" He warned, taking a threatening step closer to me. His expression was dead serious, and it sent a chill down my spine, but I refused to show my fear to him.
"Not if I succeed the first time," I spat, not blinking even once. He stared at me for a moment, before a chuckle escaped his lips, his expression turning dark, almost frightening, with a menacing smile. He stepped towards me, and this time, I stepped back, my back hitting a table. He took the chance to cage me with his arms, his hands placed on the table on either side of me, and he leaned in, until I was looking right into his eyes.
"You hurt yourself, my Love, you let even a scratch appear on your beautiful body, and I promise you: I am going to burn down your entire world, starting with your fiance, his family, your family, and if I feel like it, all your friends too, until you are left with no one to go back to."
His tone was so threatening, his eyes filled with such determination, that my legs began to tremble, and tears instantly escaped my eyes. I knitted my brows together and gulped, before finally managing to find my voice.
"You're a monster," I whispered, my lower lip quivering, as I tried to make my breath steady, "and I'm never going to be yours. I... hate you."
"I'd rather see you well and hating me, than a single scratch appearing on your body, my Queen," Shadrach replied, pulling away from me. "At least now you'll think a billion times before trying anything stupid."
And with that, he walked away, slamming the door of the room behind him, as I fell to the ground catching my breath and crying.
Five Years Earlier (16th June 2013)
"Yeah, stop by that white car," I told him, and he did as he was told. His guards had stopped following us some time earlier, and Shadrach had brought me to Rachael's place in a matter of twenty minutes, even though it was supposed to take at least a fifty minutes.
Yes, I almost died that night.
"Here we are," he said.
"Ye-yeah," I replied, feeling slightly guilty for accusing him of kidnapping me. He smiled at me, making me internally swoon because of how good he looked. Now that I was finally calm, my horny side was starting to kick in. But did that mean I was going to stay a second longer with him? Nope.
"Uh, I should go," I said and started to get off, but he grabbed my hand, making me suck in a breath.
"Relax," he said immediately, in a soothing tone. "Wait here," he said and then let go of my wrist, getting off his jeep himself. He walked round it and opened the door for me, and that was when I properly noticed how high the jeep was. I'd probably fall if I tried to jump off of it wearing such high, pencil heels. I also noticed how tall Shadrach was, because even though the jeep was so high, his head was still almost reaching mine.
"Come on," he said, offering me his hand. I looked down at it, feeling slightly uneasy, and blinked as I felt a tingle in my right hand - the hand I was about to place on top of his. "Hey, it's okay. I know you're still afraid, but you gotta trust me," he pointed out. I nodded awkwardly and placed my hand in his, before trying to jump off the jeep. Of course, I failed miserably, and fell into his arms, while managing to twist my ankle in the most painful of ways.
"Ouch!" I cried, while involuntarily wrapping my arms around his neck. Shadrach wrapped one of his arms around my waist and the other a bit below my ass, so that he was holding me up in the air. "My ankle!" I said, my face contorted into one of pain.
"Did you twist it?" He asked, making his grasp around my body tighter, so he wouldn't drop me on the floor.
It was no use, to be honest, as I had already twisted my ankle. Like what more harm could falling do, right? Which is why, I tried to push him away.
"Let me go!" I scolded, still in pain.
"Shut up, you'll fall face first on the ground," he replied, upset.
"No, I won't! Get away from me!" I yelled.
"You know you were right in being afraid of me," he whispered in a warning tone, making me freeze. A chill ran down my spine as I stared into his midnight eyes, the slight annoyance in them making me shiver. I didn't dare to reply, and instead remained completely quiet as he carried me to an old bench placed outside Rachael's house. He gently placed me down on it, and took his jacket off, before placing it around me. I held onto it as I silently appreciated the gesture of kindness; I was feeling cold since a long time, but I want going to say it.
He got down on his knees and was about to touch my foot when I stopped him.
"No, stop!" I said, blocking his hand with mine.
"Just relax," he told me, and moved my hand away. He took my sandal off and gently touched the top of my foot, leaning down to examine it. "So, although I'm not a doctor, this is not swollen or red, which I assume is a good sign. Well it's not swollen or red as yet, at least," he told me and I nodded.
"My sandal," I pointed and extended my hand so he would give it back to me so I could put it back on.
"No, you're not wearing it again. It could hurt your foot," he told me.
"How do you expect me to walk without my sandal? There are a number of stones on the ground, I could hurt my foot even more, and I can't limp wearing a heel in the other foot, because I'm sure I'll twist that one too," I pointed out.
"Wow, who said you're walking?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.