Page 13 of Where We Began

Five maids eyeball us as we enter. I count each of them, recognizing Emma and the bony woman. What's interesting is how surprised they are to see Dominic beside me. That cinches my ability to trust him—if he was spying on me, they wouldn't be shocked to see us together.

He passes me a muffin.

Climbing into a chair, I sniff it. “Aren't you going to eat?”

“I ate already.”

I look at him pointedly. “My mom would say you could use another meal.”

He goes a tad pink where he's siting next to me. We both face the French doors that lead out to a beautiful grassy yard. In the distance, I can see a patch of pine trees surrounded by a chain-link fence.

“What's that?” I ask, pointing.

“The preserve.” He sees my blank face, and says, “It's where Father keeps animals for hunting.”

My eyes widen. I want to ask more, but I'm so hungry. The muffin is different than the ones Mom makes. It's got big chunks of sugar stuck on top, blueberries staining the fluffy bits purple. The first bite causes me to whimper. “Oh, wow. That's so good!”

“Don't talk with food in your mouth,” Emma snaps.

Rolling my eyes at her, I grin at Dominic. He laughs and pours me a glass of orange juice, handing it over. I drink deeply, reveling in the explosion of tangy sweetness.

I'm just starting to feel relaxed when Annie strolls in. Her attention slams on me, twisting the food in my stomach. I wish I hadn't eaten at all. “Here you are,” she says, walking towards us.

“It's where you told me to go,” I reply.

“Not you.” She stands behind her son, hands on the back of his chair. “Dominic, your father just settled into his study. He wants to talk to you.”

Dominic's color depletes from his cheeks. “Okay.”

Annie shifts her stare to me. “But, I think he should see you first, Laiken.”

My limbs become cold.Don't let anyone see that you're scared.Holding my head high, I take another bite of the muffin. It muffles my words. “Show me the way.”

Her eyebrows make perfect arches. “Dominic can. Seems you two are getting friendly.”

He's looking at the food on the table, but not seeing it. Not really. The gloss has left his gentle eyes, and what remains is exhausted defeat. His mother is drilling him... working to make him feel ashamed. Does she not want us getting along?

Clearing my throat, I look straight into her eyes. “You're right. We've become fast friends.”

Dominic gawks at me. The milky-color of his skin does a slow burn back to health. There are sparkles of pride in his eyes. It thrills me to think I made him so happy.

Annie hasn't quit watching me. Her hands are tense on her son's chair. Every maid has stopped working to watch our show; she whirls on them with a frown. “I don't pay you to stand around with your mouths flopped open!”

They rush back to work as Annie leaves. Dominic breathes easier; I slide my drink to him. He lifts it up, hesitating. There's a smudge on the rim where my lips were. Tilting the glass back, he chugs the juice. The knob in his throat moves like a fishing lure in a river. It's fascinating.

“Okay,” he says, setting the glass down hard. “Let's get this over with.”

Together we climb from our chairs. As we round the table, heading for the exit, I take a final glance back at where we were. I don't know why, but I want to check on one thing—and when I see it, confirm it, I smile shyly.

His lips left a smudge on the empty glass,

right on top of mine.

****

THERE ARE A LOT OFpeople walking through the hallways. Each of them nods politely to Dominic. Most avoid looking at me, or they stare when they think I can't see. Do they know who I am? Why I'm here?

I wonder if any of these adults could be allies, like Dominic. There's a chance they could help me—but even if so, I don't know what I'd ask them to do. My situation is becoming clearer as time passes. I'm free to roam, but not to leave. I'm here to keep my dad in check. There's a ton I don't know... maybe Dominic's father will explain the rest.

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