Cece woke up with the feeling of sunlight on her face. She was lying on a couch near one of those floor to ceiling windows. She squinted at first, trying to understand where she was, then she held her hand out to cover her face. There was an uncomfortable feeling settling in her belly. She tried to move slowly. Her back ached, so did her head. She felt cold.
She took some time to adjust herself in this unfamiliar room. She was lying on a small, single bed, covered under a thin blanket. The room was small, although it bore the same characteristics as the living room she saw last night. There was minimalist furniture, upholstery, other than beige and light brown; she couldn't find any other colour in the room. She shivered at the thoughts, and remembrance of the last night.
And then she remembered what she was missing. With a jolt she pushed herself up in the bed.
She was still in Gavin's house.
She removed the blanket and looked down at herself once again. She was still in the night dress, bare feet, her hair was a mess hanging around her neck, and there were a couple of bruises in her forearms and her legs. She remembered the times she fell last night, which caused the bruises. She tiptoed to the corner of the room where a mirror stood like a solitary observer, head held up high.
She looked like a mess. No surprises there, she thought. The discomfort in her belly recoiled. Never in her life had she found her own face this unfamiliar; staring into the mirror was like she was staring into somebody else's face.
Ruby's face, she corrected herself.
She had a dream again, this time it was an interaction between Ruby and Gavin that revealed some things to her. Such as the fact that Ruby lied about her real name, and her real name was Celia, much like herself. Cece's head hurt. She trudged back to the bed and sat down grimacing.
She needed to go home and take care of herself. She was going down with a fever. A nerve wracking pain originated in her lower abdomen surged through her body. She clutched her stomach with both hands and tried to think. What was the date today?
Somebody was knocking on the door.
She ignored it the first time.
She ignored it the second time too.
The third time, she heard her name being called. "Cece, I am coming in. I hope you're sober."
Gavin entered the room with a tray in his hand. The smell of fresh food made her stomach grumble. She watched as Gavin put the tray on the bedside table indifferently. There was nothing on his face, neither anger, nor guilt, not even any query. He wore a white shirt with denim, glasses in his eyes, his hair undone. He looked like a grumpy university student, Cece thought. She couldn't help but sigh.
Maybe it was the effect of the dreams, she thought. This man was going to be her doom.
"You fainted last night. Take the medicine after eating," he said almost in a robotic tone.
"What is that?" Cece asked. There was no reply. She tried to sit up, only to make the cramp worse. An involuntary moan of pain came out of her mouth.
Gavin frowned and looked at her. He didn't say anything.
"I need to go home, Gavin," she said, which sounded more like a croak.
"I can't let you go," he replied with the frown intensifying.
"I need some stuff, and I can't get them here," Cece said. In her mind, she searched for better words or ways to explain what she needed without having to explain much.
"Tell me what you need, I'll arrange everything," Gavin said resolutely. "You wll not go back. You will start writing here, and write until your work is done, and I get a satisfying result out of it."
"What do you mean?" Cece repeated every word he said in her mind. She shivered again.it was becoming intolerable with every passing moment. She needed medicine, and—
"You heard me. I cannot let you go back now."
"Why? What do you think I am going to do once I am back?" Cecec shouted. "Gavin, I need medicines, and—"
"I told you, you will get everything you need here. You're not leaving this place anymore."
"This is kidnapping." A sarcastic smile broke out. "You know I can get you arrested for this."
Gavin stood unmoving. His eyes fixated on her face, his hands rested in his pockets. "What is wrong with you?"
"What is wrong with me? Well, a psycho is threatening to keep me in a place without my consent, that's what is wrong with me. What is wrong with you?" Cece finally sat upright, knowing very well what was going on with her. She needed some supplies as soon as possible.
"Your face looks red. If it was me, I'd take the food and medicine first," he said. He proceeded to leave the room.
"Gavin, don't leave. I am not done yet."
With an exasperated sigh, he turned. He raised his brow questioningly.
"You cannot keep me here against my will," Cece said, trying her best to keep her voice normal. She didn't want to lose the argument with childish temper and tantrums.
"Actually, I can. I will remind you, if you don't. You signed a contract with me, where it was clearly mentioned that in order to protect the work, I may take any necessary measures."
Cece bit her lip. She remembered reading this clause, but could that be used in this manner? If she went to the police, would they not be able to help her? Joe didn't mention anything about it. Her mind and body froze.
"Gavin, don't do this," she said again in a rather pleading tone. "I beg you. I will not tell anybody anything."
Gavin took a step forward and laughed. "What do you have to say to others?"
"Huh?"
"What can you say to people that can harm me? That there is a woman here who looks like you? That the woman is literally fading as you are breathing and gaining health? That I kidnapped you for no reason? Who will tell you this? Oliver or your cousin Mia? Do you think they will believe you and do something about it?" He came closer. His eyes lit up cruelly. A smile played on his lips, a menacing smile that brought goosebumps on her skin.
"You cannot do anything, Cece. The only thing you can do right now is to eat and take a rest, and let me know what else you need. Be assured, I am not going to throw you into a dungeon."
Cece didn't know what to say. Mia wouldn't be worried if she vanished for a couple of days, even weeks. Oliver would be worried probably, but what could he do? Nobody knew Gavin brought him here. Even if they did, with Gavin's influence and money, nobody would go against him. She sniffled.
"What do you want?"
"You know it very well," he said.
"You wanted me to write a story. I did and you didn't like it. Do you think that's enough reason to keep me here?" Cece took a deep breath and raised her hands up. "You want me to write a story, and I will do so, I don't see why I need to stay here in order to do that?"
Gavin looked perplexed.
Another long and awkward silence ensued. It made her nerves tensed, how impassive he looked. His sight looked vacant, was he convinced? Was he trying to conjure up another reason why she should be kept in captivity? Abruptly, he shifted on his feet.
"Gavin?"
He started leaving the room without any explanation, any response. Cece raised her voice. "Gavin, are you listening to me?"
"Right now I have far more important things to take care of. Eat and rest." He advanced to the door and said in a low and softened tone.
"I need some important things, like right now."
He turned with annoyance etched on his face. "What do you need?"
Cece felt her face and ears heating. She lowered her head and put her hands over her belly to ease her cramps. She started to think whether there was a decent way of telling him what she needed without the embarrassment. He was not an adult, why couldn't he just take the hint? Her eyes started burning. Since last night she had been trying to save her tears, she didn't want to shed them now. She is not thirteen anymore that the sight of blood.
"I need tampons, and a fresh pair of clothing."
Gavin's face turned red in an instance. He stood there still, utterly baffled, for a while. Cece smirked at first watching him losing his words, after that she felt something inside her chest. A strange fluttering was there, a nice feeling that was not supposed to be there. Not after the way he treated her yesterday. A sweet, golden warmth appeared inside her, something she had never felt for anyone else.
Not even for Oliver, whom she was developing a pretty strong bond with.
"I will ask Sandra to get whatever you need and meet you."
He was about to leave when Cece stopped him. "Can I ask you one last question?"
"That is already a question."
The curt reply made Cece conscious of her status. The warmth was fading now.
"Last night, I had another dream, I saw you and myself in my dorm. I need you to tell me whether that was just a dream, or a memory?"
Gavin took a minute to contemplate his answer. "It was a shared memory, but it did not come from you. It came from Cece, the one sleeping in my room. Since it has already started, I am expecting more of such dreams."
"What has started?"
With no other word, Gavin left Cece alone with her questions and a terrible cramp.