After what felt like an hour of arguing with Ryan about my big mouth to his uncle and being inappropriate we head downstairs to attend the party that I decorated and chose the music for. A medium paced song comes on and Uncle Chris comes to find me.
"Can I get that dance now?" He holds his hand out to me and I'm hesitant because everyone will see and I don't know how I feel about it. However, I didn't feel like I was in any position to argue or decline considering the situation and the people who surrounded me.
"Um.. Uncle I don't think that's the best idea." Ryan intervenes for me. It was as if he could read my thoughts.
"Why not Nephew?"
"It doesn't seem like Athea is too comfortable with dancing in front of everyone with the man her father put behind bars. It's different when she's attached to me at the hip after that first party but this is different."
"No this is the best thing. Think about it. I don't hate her for what her father did and me dancing with her will show that and if anyone starts talking about how I shouldn't have you and myself will put them in their place."
I place my hand in Uncle Chris' hand and walk with him out to the dance floor. It was just the living room with the furniture pushed out of the way. The song went to a Disney song and I recognized it from Cinderella when she dances with the prince. Funnily enough I was thinking of Ryan when I put this song on the playlist. I feel myself blush as I try to discreetly look for Ryan and see him standing at the front to get me out of the spotlight as soon as possible if people start talking.
"There's no need to bow your head to them. You are with me. If they don't get the message like I said I will make sure they know to leave you alone. Even some of them that I consider family believed that I committed the murder."
"That's not why I was blushing." I said and mentally slapped myself. I saw Ryan watching us intently and turned my head before he could see how red I was. Uncle Chris turned his attention away from me and around the room. He couldn't see where I kept looking as he hadn't caught me yet. Out of reflex when his back was to Ryan again I looked at him. The song ended with my back to Ryan and his Uncle looks at me and says, "It's my nephew isn't it? He makes you nervous like he's going to lose his temper any minute now?"
"No. Not exactly. He hasn't hurt me since the first two months when I was in the cellar."
His eyes widen in surprise and with a knowing look he twirls me right into Ryan who catches me. "Sorry Ryan." I say quietly.
"Why don't you go get some wine from the cellar?"
"I don't want to go down there." I say in disgust.
"You need some fresh air. It's cool down there. I'm not locking you back up." He says in my ear holding my arm tightly. I walk down to the cellar and see everything has been removed. The mattress is gone and so is the bathroom bucket. There is no sign that I was ever down here. I walk in front of the wines and try to figure out which wine Ryan may want for a toast to his Uncle. I was stuck between five when a few people walk downstairs cornering me.
"I don't know why he danced with you. You're father put him in jail." Someone sneered at me.
"I don't know why Ryan is so protective of you. You should still be locked down here." I was hanging my head so I didn't say anything to anybody.
The last person went to far and said, "I think she's sleeping with Ryan and came up with that whole rape episode to get special treatment."
I look up and see that one was a woman and the other two were males. I was biting my tongue trying to remind myself not to say anything. When one of the men spoke up saying that I couldn't even fight my own battles.
"For your information you pig, what my father decides in court is his job ruling not mine. I work in a publishing house and to be honest I thought Uncle Chris was innocent." I point to the first man who said something to the second man, "He's only protective because of jackasses like you and he doesn't want me to go back bruised and bloody if he decides to send me home alive." I look to the woman and realize that she could be jealous of the fact that I get to sleep in the room with Ryan. I haven't seen him bring another female home since he got me. I haven't even heard another females voice in this house except for the parties. "You can be a jealous old hag all you want but I'm not sleeping with Ryan and neither of us have tried to sleep with each other. Secondly, Ryan doesn't over react to shit like rape so unless you want to feel the terror I felt when I was stuck in that corner being touched when I didn't want to be then you best shut the fuck up." I said and turned my back on them. I knew I shouldn't have turned my back on her but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to cause a bigger scene.
I felt someone grab my hair and jerk me back. The men grabbed either one of my arms and the woman raised her fist about to punch me when Ryan comes down with his Uncle.
"What the fuck is the meaning of this?" I look and see Ryans' father standing in the doorway with Ryan right behind him.
"She disrespected us."
"No she didn't. You three initiated a response from her. She was taking everything ya'll had until you doubted her ability to fight. If I remember correctly from my son, Athea, put up a good fight when Ryan grabbed her. She didn't break until around the end of the second month. If I'm right, a week before the first party."
Ryan throws the guys off of me and pulls me to him. He wraps one arm around my stomach to keep me next to him. The only problem is that I was in front of him and I could feel every angry word.
"The next time any of you touch her or disrespect her in my house or around me I will slit your throats. Do you understand?" Ryan says darkly. I knew if I looked up his eyes would look black and that's when I knew things were bad.
An hour after the incident I was drunk and Ryan helped me upstairs into his bed. I needed a drink considering I almost got beat by a jealous witch and her two cronies.
"Ryan." I giggled. "Ya know, I think you were a little jealous about me dancing with your Uncle." He sat on the bed next to me which was probably a bad mistake.
"No. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm sorry if I caused you problems with those three tonight."
"No. I think if it was just the woman, Kaitlyn, you would have whooped her ass." He makes a face as if he can't remember her name.
"Really? You think I could have hurt her?"
"Heck yeah-," Ryan stops talking for a second. "Athea... um..." I straddled his waist and leaned forward. In turn it caused him to lay back on the bed and stutter which was insanely cute. "You know this doesn't have to happen every time you or I are drunk."
"This is the only time I can actually do it though because I won't the other times." I say sticking my lip out pouting.
He put his hands holding my waist trying not to let me make a fool of myself. All I'll do tomorrow is act like I don't remember while it solidifies that I have a real attraction to him. Out of nowhere he grabs my face and pulls me down to kiss him. I was shocked in my drunken state and relieved.
I was caught by surprise and it took me a minute to kiss him back but when I did I nibbled his bottom lip. I opened my mouth slightly and felt his tongue dart in my mouth. I would have kept going but he pushed me away. A minute later Ray bursts in the door and looks between us shaking his head.
"Ryan..seriously?" Ray walks out shutting the door.
"You kissed me first this time." I say pointing at him while giving him a playful look.
"I don't know when I'll be able to again or if I'll be able to again." He rolls me off of him gently. "Go to bed. I need to clean up."
"Athea, I would like to speak with Ryan before ya'll leave. If you will just sit outside and wait." Pat says. I knew she wasn't asking but demanding.