After I goaded him into kissing me we walked back downstairs. He was unruffled and I was the ever so obedient hostage.
"What took so long Ryan?"
"She wouldn't stop crying." He jerks his thumb towards me and starts to sit down. Before he sits down completely he grabs my wrist pulling me onto his lap.
"So? Ya'll didn't do anything? Cause this seems a little much Ryan?"
"I don't feel like showering and changing again. I also don't feel like waiting on her to do so either. This way no alcohol is spilt on us and she doesn't cry for falling on me. If you question my actions again I will have to ask you to leave."
"Okay." His cousin throws his hands in the air indicating he was backing off. "Do you want something to drink?"
"No. I've had enough and she doesn't drink unless I do or I fix it for her. I don't trust ya'll since Brad." We were sitting on the end of the couch so his left arm was resting on the arm of the couch and his hand was resting on my waist. I was still pretty drunk so it felt like he was touching me purposefully. It also felt like he was tracing small circles with his thumb on my hip. A few minutes later I was asleep on his lap.
"Bro did she really fall asleep?"
"Yeah. She's been exhausted. I think alcohol makes her tired."
I was hearing them talk but was still more asleep than awake.
"I need to wake her up though and get her to bed so I can properly say goodbye to you and father."
"Listen I understand that you had to beat her so much to get her to submit but don't you think that acting like this will cause you problems later on? I really think you have a thing for her."
"Cuz that is the problem. I do. If I had known who she was that day at her publishing company I wouldn't have spoken to her except to say sorry or watch where you're going. Trust me I'm fighting this shit like there's no tomorrow but Uncle Chris is more important to me than anything. Even her. I barely know her."
"How about this. Get to know her. It may just be left over sexual tension from when ya'll met and whatever the fuck has happened since last week. It might ease your infatuation. If that doesn't work go on a one night stand spree with me."
"I got to get her up to her room." I started opening my eyes when Ryan started shaking me waking me up fully. I was too tired to try and process what I just heard but I don't even care. I'll probably die anyways.
I look up at Pat and see her thinking. I was waiting for her to speak and she was tapping her pen on her knee. "Athea, did it ever occur to you that he possibly had feelings for you?"
"A few times but I figured that he was feeling bad and trying to show kindness and called myself crazy."
"I do want to know what prompted that question earlier."
"Ryan has made contact with me but he hasn't shown up. Like I said earlier though if I could convince him to come to see you with me then I'll contact him as long as he is safe because he was desperate. I don't want him in trouble because of how desperate he was to prove his Uncle's innocence."
"Did you know about any of the things he did considering he was a part of the mafia?"
"No. He was with me a lot. I have no clue about any of the dealings he has with the mafia. I knew he was a part of it."
"Did he make you feel safe?"
"After I stopped expecting him to hit me at every turn yes. He had already proven how far he was willing to go to protect me. Also, when I tried to escape and he didn't beat me within an inch of my life I knew something was different and he was trying not to hurt me anymore."
"Well you still have a couple hours before my next appointment."
"Two hours?"
"Yeah. It's just now nine in the morning. You got here at seven."
"You had an appointment that early?"
"Yes. It's the only time she can come see me."
"Oh. Okay." I was slightly shocked. I was starting to feel bad for coming in everyday but at the same time I really wanted to get help and I was paying her double her rate. Well my parents were. My thoughts started drifting to Ryan again and how I yelled at him this morning.
A month passes and he hadn't hurt me physically. He just hurt my feelings by yelling at me and confusing me all the time. Some days he was really kind and others it was as if my presence annoyed him. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about his attitude towards me changing every hour or so. One morning I had just walked downstairs and Ryan glared at me. I wasn't so scared to talk back to him now.
"What?" I ask rolling my eyes.
"Excuse me?" he asks looking at me like I just killed his cat.
"Every time I come down in the morning your attitude towards me is different. Sometimes it changes every hour. If I'm such a damn problem then let me go."
"You are still my hostage and you're being annoying."
"For god's sake Ryan I get it. You hate that you've kissed me twice now. I still don't know what the problem is besides you want to drink but can't with me here. You've still thrown parties. You don't drink. If that's why you're moody then fucking drink. I'll lock myself in my bathroom."
"That's not the problem. The problem is the legal system is taking forever to let my Uncle go. I've been getting ransom for you since that first week. I have nearly enough to get him out. Well, I have enough to get him out. I've already paid it but your father fucked us up pretty bad. I don't know what else you want from me. I have other things than to worry about your poor feelings." Ryan was standing five feet away from me.
I was tingling in anticipation for him to touch me. Anything because I really wanted to prove to him that he was weak. I also wanted to try to prove to myself these feelings I have aren't real. It wasn't working to well because every time he treats me badly I get upset and cry for a few minutes every night.
I wink at him and hop onto the bar stool.
"Did you really just wink at me?" He went back to being kind and right now I'm hearing a playful tone. I loved messing with him because he could be mad at me for no reason and I could do something semi flirtatious and he is completely disarmed.
"Yeah. What about it?" I start half spinning on the stool because I was bored and wanted to infuriate him with my movements.
"I'd have to say you're the one with unresolved feelings."
"Unresolved? I do this for fun."
"Okay Athea. Get down now. Party tonight remember." He taps my temple as if to jog my memory.
"Yup." I say popping the p and try to hop down but fall into an unsuspecting Ryan and cause us to hit the ground together. We both grunt and my hair falls forwards as I get my knees so I can get off of him.
"I swear this is your favorite position." I feel his hands touch my hips and hold.
"I swear you like it because you always hold me like this." I say and scrunch my nose at him as he scoffs. "I can't help it I'm clumsy."
"You're an expensive hostage." He says absentmindedly playing with my hair. I was holding back a smirk and amused expression. "What the hell do I buy you for your hygiene needs?"
"It's mane and tail and idk about the body wash. I think it's lavender. Either way it calms me down at night."
"Not very much. You still wake me up screaming. I've learned to let it be and make sure you're okay after I hear it stop."
"So those nightly visits aren't a dream?" I exclaimed shocked. "I'm so exhausted by them I thought I was dreaming of you coming in a checking on me." His face turns slightly red and he turns his embarrassment into a scowl.
"What do you dream about?"
"You killing me or my family. I calm myself down most of the time after I finally wake up. Oh or you're beating me again. It really gets my adrenaline racing." I feel his hands tighten on my hips and scowl.
"W-" Ryan starts but is cut off when the front door opens. The next thing I knew I'm on my butt on the floor. He was crawling around the island to get to the kitchen and starts rummaging around. "You need to be more careful Athea! Stop falling all the time."