Page 53 of Bound To Me

We got out of the car, and Michael grabbed my hand, holding on tightly. Was he afraid I’d make a run for it? At this point, he could put me on a fucking leash for all I cared; I was obsessive Jackie all over again.

The high-heeled, Beverly Hills-looking realtor checked Michael out as we walked into the bright house. It was two stories, and the stairs led up to the front door on the top floor. A deck surrounded it, offering spectacular views of the greenery and hills all around us. I could see a hot tub on the deck below, enclosed by a polished wood fence. The house was furnished, and the living room was bright, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows on each wall, giving a perfect view of the neighborhood. The kitchen was white and modern, and down the hall were small bedrooms. The stairs led down to a huge, open bedroomon the lower floor, the entire space bright and airy. I had never been in a house so astonishingly beautiful.

“What do you think, sweetie? Do you want this one, or should we keep looking?” Michael asked in front of the realtor as we looked out the bedroom window, the views just as amazing downstairs.

I felt like a fucking Princess with Prince Charming. It was all too fucking good to be true, but I didn’t want to accept that. I wanted to forget about reality and live in our pretend fairy tale world for the rest of my days.

“Um, I don’t know, what do you think?” I asked quietly as I looked up at him, his deep gray eyes boring into mine.

He smiled briefly. “You can have anything you want. Just tell me.”

I wanted to pass out. I had been fucking poor and barely getting by for my entire life, and Michael was continuing to lure me in with his charm and money.

“Um…I like it here.” I smiled.

God, such a fucking weak, shrill voice, Jackie.But that’s what Michael liked.

He suddenly turned to the realtor. “We’ll take it.”

* * *

Michael was able to put down twenty percent on the $1.25 million house we had just seen. He put it in his name, of course; he couldn’t risk me taking anything from him. We headed back to the hotel right after, and I almost had a panic attack when I spotted Elliott standing outside the entrance.Oh, fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.Did Michael even know what Elliott looked like, and vice versa? Obviously, Elliott would know it was him when he saw him with me. I wanted to warn Michael somehow sohe wouldn’t react and try to hurt Elliott when he inevitably approached us.

“That’s Elliott,” I said quietly, my eyes fixed on him as the car stopped.

Michael quietly scoffed. “Oh, how fun. Let’s go tell him to fuck off.” He was out of the car before I could even react; I only watched in horror as he came around to my side of the car and opened the door for me.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off the unaware Elliott as I stepped out. But he finally turned and saw me with Michael, just as Michael took my hand and pulled me towards him.

“Jacqueline.” Elliott’s confused face scanned me before he looked down at my and Michael’s interlocked fingers. Then he angrily looked at Michael.

“Elliott. Nice to finally meet you,” Michael said chipperly, as if this wasn’t the most awful and heartbreaking thing in the world for me—and probably Elliott too.

Elliott’s jaw clenched, and he took a step towards Michael. His fists were clenched, and his chest puffed out.

“You’re really fucking lucky I didn’t bring my gun with me, because I would shoot you right in the fucking chest for what you’ve done to Jacqueline,” he growled, his voice deep and low.

Michael immediately laughed, turning to me and shaking his head. “Jacqueline? No.” He shook his head again, then turned to Elliott. “She’sJackie.And she’s gotten over the past, and we’re looking ahead now. Aren’t we, baby?”

Michael turned to me, and my cheeks burned with embarrassment and shame. I only nodded and looked down at the ground, unable to look at Elliott any longer.

“What has he done to you? What’s going on? Please, Jacqueline. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Just tell me the words and I’ll fucking clock him right now and we’ll get the hell out of here.”

He was speaking about Michael as if he wasn’t there. My heart pounded, and guilt sank into my belly; I felt like I was about to pass out.

“Are you being forced to do anything right now, Jackie?” Michael asked, almost mockingly. “Tell him.”

I shook my head, still looking down at the ground.

“Fucking look at me and tell me then,Jackie,” Elliott muttered angrily.

My eyes darted up to Elliott’s. He looked so fucking angry and heartbroken…and desperate. I hated myself because I was the cause of it all. I wanted to tell him that he was too good for me, that I had warned him at the beginning. I wanted to tell him that I loved him and he needed to run far, far away from all of the destruction I caused. But I couldn’t—not in front of Michael.

“I’m not being forced, Elliott. I’m…I’m okay,” I said quietly as I nodded.

Elliott shook his head in disbelief.

“No, this isn’t right. I know this isn’t you, baby. You told me you snapped out of it yesterday, now you need to snap out of it again,” he defended, almost pleading with me.

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