Page 41 of His Captive

I hold my breath while he decides what he will do. As always, he’s right I’m very tender down there. But, that doesn’t stop me aching for him.

“I was just thinking, we should be more careful,” I say defeated.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, let me do the thinking, Lysetta.” He gives me a demeaning tap on my cheek, as he stands up and straightens out his suit. Then with a snigger, he leaves me.

I sit up on the bed. Concerned that Ethan seems to have no sense or logic, nobody could possibly be that unreasonable. He has to see the reasoning behind what I’ve said. I try not to think about the situation while I run hot water into the huge tub in the bathroom, soaking myself inside it for at least an hour- well it isn’t like I have anything else to do with my time.

I really regret my breakfast being ruined, my stomach now making all sorts of sounds, and who knows when my keeper will decide to feed me again, especially after our little disagreement before he left.

I’m towel drying my hair when I walk into the bedroom, and almost jump out of my towel when I see Buddy sitting on my bed. Looking down at the floor by his feet, I notice the massacre that would have been my breakfast has been cleared.

“Here, don’t tell,” he winks, throwing an apple at me. I snatch it from the air and smile at him as I sink my teeth into it.

“Ethan has left for town, that’s two days straight. He never does that,” Buddy informs me.

“You know what Buddy? I don’t feel like playing cryptic games today, you’re not gonna tell me anything about why I’m here or what all this is about, so I’d prefer for us to talk about something else.” I try a new tactic as I pull a brush through my hair.

“We could play an actual game, like Monopoly or Scrabble,” he suggests.

“Sometimes I know that Ethan lets me win on purpose, but you don’t have to do that if you play with me. I’m not a kid,” that lopsided smile twitches on his lips again.

I’ve learned more from Buddy in the last few minutes then I have the whole time I’ve been here. Apparently, Ethan doesn’t get out much, and he also seems to have a soft side, well soft enough to let Buddy win at Scrabble anyway.

“Sure Bud, go get the board. I’ll throw on some clothes, and we can play.”

“It’s on!” Buddy jumps up and rushes out the room, while I put on some yoga pants and a top that Ethan picked out for me.

We play Scrabble, and then a very long drawn out game of Monopoly before we hear the front door slam a few hours later.

“Guess the boss is back.” Buddy shrugs, sliding off the bed and making his way out. I tidy up the bed and stack the board games on the dresser. Footsteps thunder across the landing, and when the door opens, something rattles as it lands on the bed.

“You take one of those each morning. Take the first one now, and I will refrain from coming inside you for seven days, until they take effect, let me know when you need some more.”

“But wait, what…” I pick up the pack of pills and examine them in my hand.

“Birth control, that’s what you wanted. Right?”

“Um yes, but I didn’t see a doctor. How did you get these? How do I even know they’re genuine? For all I know you could be trying to poison me.” I hadn’t intended on saying that last part out loud, but my brain is still in shock.

Ethan huffs out a laugh.

“What's so funny? Forgive me for being a little paranoid when the man who is holding me against my will chucks some miraculously obtained birth control pills at me.”

“Lysetta. First off. You have been here for days and you have eaten every meal provided to you, barring your breakfast this morning. If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead already. Secondly, the pills are legit. I told you last night I own the town, the doc owes me. He wrote me out a prescription without persuasion.”

Ethan leaves me before I have the chance to thank him. And feeling surprised and a little triumphant, I immediately pop one of the pills from the blister pack and swallow it. I’m relieved that he’s listened to me, albeit a little begrudgingly.

Ethan doesn’t ask me to dinner, but I dress for it anyway, this time opting for the soft pink baby doll style dress and twisting my hair up to sit on top of my head.

I wait long past it turning dark to be summoned, but it doesn’t come, he doesn’t even send Buddy up with something for me.

I’m feeling brave after my earlier victory. Ethan had actually listened to me. That had to stand for something.

So that, and the fact I crave his attention desperately, is the reason I decide to leave my room.

My door hasn’t been locked, and when I open it the landing is deserted. I take small steps across it, tiptoeing down the stairs to the open hall. The whole house is silent, and I wonder if maybe he’s gone out again. Opening the door to his office, I poke my head inside, and find it empty.

I search the dining hall, and can’t find him there either. The wood cladded hallway is dark as I step farther down it, and my attention soon draws to a light that comes from a door at the end. I follow the light, to yet another undiscovered room in the house.

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