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“Daddy,” she called out to Mark. “We need more players – can you and Cia’s daddy come and play with us?”
“What do you say, sweetie?” Mark said in a very strict parental voice.
“Please, Daddy.”
I swear the look of male pride that Mark shot at Gabriel made me want to vomit. I don’t know what kind of problems Anna had, but I doubted they could be fixed in two weeks. That woman had to learn how to stand up for herself, because it creeped me out how Mark acted like her goddamn owner or something.
“Good girl. Yes, we’ll play with you,” Mark said and joined us at the small table where I had already spread out the game.
“Your Daddy told me you went to the woods today,” Mark said to me with a smile.
“Uh-huh,” I answered, picked my first card, and moved three steps forward.
“And as I explained to him, we like the woods too,” he lowered his voice. “There are no cameras.”
I honestly didn’t know the hidden meaning of his words but I gave him a strained smile.
“Your Daddy mentioned he is looking forward to a bit of private time, and I offered to babysit you if needed.”
Gabriel at least had the decency to try and dismiss that comment, but I knew it was true. Gabriel and Therese had been flirting since we arrived and he wanted to be alone with her. Most likely because he wanted to have sex with her.
I clenched my jaw and played the board game, but I didn’t talk except short answers to direct questions.
I was happy when it was time to go to bed but more than ever I wished I could be alone. For someone like me, who is used to being alone eighty percent of the time, being with others constantly drains me.
I wished I could pause this stupid program and take a time-out to catch up to all the emotions inside me. Especially my jealousy toward Therese.
I had no right to feel possessive about Gabriel – it was lame – but try to explain that to the knot in your belly.
“Do you want a bath?” Gabriel asked me when we were back in the cabin.
“No,” I said and curled up under the blanket still fully dressed. I didn’t even want him to undress me or brush my teeth. I just wanted to be left alone.
“What’s wrong?” he asked and sat down next to me.
“Nothing, I’m just tired.”
“Hey, if I said something wrong, tell me.”
I shrugged his hand off me and pulled the blanket over my head, trying desperately to stop my tears.
But I couldn’t.
From deep inside my wounded soul, heartbreaking sounds of sorrow broke through and I had a complete meltdown, sobbing in a fetal position.
At first Gabriel tried to comfort me and when that didn’t work, I heard him call Bruce, asking what to do, but even that didn’t stop me.
I cried like… a five-year-old.
?∞?
Gabriel
I had been warned about this, and knew it was to be expected. Still, to see it actually happen was worse than I could have ever imagined.
Cia was falling apart and I couldn’t reach her. She was sobbing her eyes out, and after being with her for days it was impossible not to be deeply affected by her pain.
I didn’t know what else to do but call Bruce.
