Page 51 of The Watcher's Bride

He opens the door to a beautifully decorated bedroom. A large king-sized bed with a wooden frame and white linen canopy hanging above it dominates the space. On either side are two bedside tables and lamps. There are two doors, presumably the closet and bathroom, and a couple of comfortable-looking chairs and a table in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that dominate the exterior wall, the duck-egg blue curtains drawn.

I hear the sound of a cat meowing seconds before I feel something brush against my legs. When I look down, it takes me a moment to register what I’m seeing.

“Josef!” I cry in delighted surprise, bending down to pick up my beloved cat and burying my face in his fur.

“All of your things from home have been packed away in here. Your books are in the office, and I added an extra bookcase for them,” Leonid explains before adding with a small smile at Josef, “He’s missed you.”

He softens and I’m reminded of the man I was fond of. The man I thought he was. The man that I could see myself loving if I wasn’t so messed up and obsessed with my faceless watcher.

“Thank you… Leonid.” I force myself to say his name, to show my gratefulness for this small mercy he has granted me.

It means more than he can know to have Josef here, and I’m not so foolish as to risk being ungrateful. Perhaps we can at least aim for a civil marriage, if not a happy one.

He inclines his head in acknowledgment. “Please, call me Leo.”

“Thank you, Leo,” I reply a little sharper than intended.

He nods again in understanding. “I’ll let you get some rest. The kitchens fully stocked, should you get hungry and wish to make yourself something since you didn’t eat much tonight. Or I could fix you a sandwich now,” he offers.

I shake my head, still unable to stomach the thought of food. “No, thank you. So I’m not confined to this room?” I ask cautiously.

He seems surprised by the suggestion. “No, of course not. This is your home.”

Home. As if it could be anything other than a prison. Despite how comfortable the cell is, I won’t kid myself into thinking I’d be free to leave. I nod in acknowledgment, and he waits for a moment, as if contemplating saying more.

“You look beautiful,” he blurts out. “I didn’t tell you earlier.”

My heart ices once more and I look him in the eye defiantly. “It was the same dress my mother wore on her wedding day. My father made me wear it as a punishment, to remind me of what he did to her, of whatyoucan and will do to me,” I say accusingly.

Anger flashes across his features and I worry that I’ve gone too far before I realize it’s not me he’s angry at. “That bastard,” he mutters. “I didn’t know, didn’t think…” He falters for a moment, trying to find his words. “I will never hurt you, Nora,” he promises softly.

“You already have.” The words come out as barely a whisper, the fight gone from me again, and I resume my focus not to cry as the lump rises in my throat.

“I know. I know that’s how you see it and I will always regret that there wasn’t another way. I promise I’ll make it up to you, if you’ll let me,” he says gently.

I don’t know if he can. Or why he’d want to. I’m so drained and confused, I don’t have the energy to talk it out with him anymore.

“Alright then, I’ll leave you be. If you need anything, just let me know. Good night, Nora,” he says softly, longingly, and dare I say it, even lovingly before gently closing the door behind him.

I’m so confused and thrown off by the unexpected turn of events that I don’t know how to feel, or what to make of it. This was not how I anticipated things going. Is it just another manipulation? Or does he genuinely care about my well-being?

Josef wriggles free of my grip and pads around my feet, stretching and meowing. At least he seems happy and well taken care of. The worry of what happened to him has been eating at me since I was kidnapped.

I walk into the bathroom and tear off the dress and underwear. My need to get out of my mother’s dress so great that I don’t even think about what might happen if Leo returns to find me standing here naked. I try not to think about it as I turn on the shower, then pull out the hair extensions and remove my makeup while I wait for the water to get warm.

I take a long, hot shower as if I can magically wash away the events of the day. When I feel a little more like myself, I step out and wrap one of the fluffy white towels around me. After brushing my teeth and putting on my pajamas, their soft well-worn fabric soothing against the skin that I’ve scrubbed raw, I climb into bed. Josef hops up beside me and I stroke him, finding comfort in his presence.

I glance at the window. The curtains are open, but I know there’s no watcher standing in the shadows. My mysterious protector has left me.

For some reason that makes me feel even more alone than ever.

As I reach to turn off the bedside lamp, I notice that the only photograph I have of my mother is in the frame. Her eyes are bright and full of hope. I look at her face, seeking solace but finding none.

Only now, alone in this strange room, do I finally allow the tears to fall.

Chapter 32

Nora

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