Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Losing my mind, that is - very slowly.
So, here I am, lying in bed at two in the afternoon, trying not to misplace any more of my already fading mind. Not even reading is helping.
My stomach is in a constant clench, my body rigid, my head pounding, my teeth gritted. Tension has me strung tighter than a bow.
A knock on the doorframe brings me out of my head space. Lifting my head quickly, my vision swirls and I place a hand to my forehead to steady myself. Shaking my head a little, I see Boo stand there wearing a worried expression. “You okay, Deedee?”
“Fine, thanks. Just a little tired.” I answer quietly.
“Not sleeping well?”
Sleep? What is that? Running a hand through my knotted hair, I say, “Ah, no. Not so much. What’s up?”
Boo holds out a plate stacked with sandwiches, potato chips and fruit on it. It looks great but my stomach immediately tightens. Looks like this will be another wasted meal.
Smiling a completely forced smile, I tell her, “Thank you. It looks great.”
I don’t want to be mean to Boo; she’s only ever been nice to me, and even though I resent being kept here, she doesn’t deserve my bitchiness. Standing, I take the plate with a smile and put it on the nightstand. Her face falls as she questions, “You’re not hungry? You haven’t eaten much the last few days. Maybe eating would help your fatigue.”
Still wearing a strained smile, I lie, “Yeah. Sure. I’ll eat soon. Thanks again.”
Opening a book, I don’t look back up. I hear her leave and my body eases slightly. Not five minutes pass when Nox appears at my door, scowling.
Stomping over to the nightstand, he takes the plate and thrusts it under my chin. “Eat.”
I mentally sigh. I don’t want to deal with him right now. Taking the plate, I utter politely, “Thank you, but I’m not very hungry right now. I’ll eat later.”
“Bullshit.”
My head snaps up. “I beg your pardon?”
He leans down closer to me. “I said bullshit.” Not sure what to say, I lower my head back to my book and pretend to read. Nox goes on, “I get that you’re not very hungry. That’s fine. Actually quite normal in this situation. But I call bullshit on this change of attitude. What’s with all the pleases and thank yous? That’s not the fiery girl I met a week ago, and it sure as hell is not the girl I had under surveillance. What happened to her?” My body tenses further. Nox leans down and asks quietly, “Where’d she go, Lily?”
Suddenly angry, I whisper through curled lips, “You broke her, Nox. Happy now?”
My anger fades and is replaced with humiliation when he answers, “Hell no, she was a fucking hoot. This pitiful version of her makes me mad. I don’t like this Lily, bring back the old one. You know? The strong one.”
Dropping my book, I ball my fists tightly by my sides.
Nox spots it and says, “There she is. Just gotta figure out how to get her to stay with us because,” he scoffs, “polite Lily blows. She’s the type who wants a pity party. She’s the type who refuses to eat or get mad, or join us here in the real world.” Just when I think I couldn’t get angrier, I’m proved wrong when his lips touch the shell of my ear and he whispers, “She’s pathetic.”
It all happens in slow motion.
My hand slides under the plate and flings it upward. The sandwich, fruit and potato chips fly through the air and I watch with wide eyes as they hit Nox in the chest, neck, and stomach. My mouth forms an O and I start to apologize until I see his smirk.
This is no ordinary smirk.
This smirk is victorious.
Jumping up on the bed, my lips part and the last three days of compressed hatred eject out of my mouth. “You pulled my hair! No! Not only did you pull my hair, but you dragged me back to the house by my ponytail like I was a freaking dog on a lead!” Pointing to my pillow, I screech, “I haven’t slept in three days, Nox! Do you know what that does to a person?” I pace on my bed. “You were all like, ‘I’m sorry, it won’t happen again’ and just expected me to let it go. I’ve never had a man touch me in anger and you just blew it off like it was nothing. Know what I say to that, Nox?” Turning to face him, I bend at the waist and shriek in his face, “Fuck you! That’s what I say to that! Take your goddamn sorry and shove it up your ass.” Straightening, I hold my arms out by my sides. “Oh, but you’ll have to remove the stick you have up there first to make room.”