Lex stares at me, but his eyes don’t engage with mine; I am made of glass and he’s looking right through me. I go ice–cold.
“I’m bored with you,” he declares with malice, and my stomach drops as if it’s been tossed out the window like trash, my heart along with it. He lets go of me and walks away, never glancing back.
I push back the pain and use it to stoke the raging fire of anger that is quickly bubbling to the surface.
“You’re a liar!” I yell at his back, trying desperately to dam the tears that threaten to tumble down. My mind is racing. What can I say to make him turn back?
“Lex, don’t go,” I plead. The past few weeks have been a big ball of ecstasy; emotions flying everywhere, letting him do things to me I never thought I’d do. But I find myself longing and needing those touches now. We can’t be over. I can’t have been one of his playthings. I thought I was more than that to him.
It was a mistake to say it, but I said it anyway. The words fell from my mouth whether I wanted them to or not.
“Lex, I love you.”
“You mean nothing to me,” I hear him say, and the pain in my chest increases. He doesn’t look back; he keeps marching towards the elevator as if I were inconsequential, no longer worth his time.
I want to shout and declare my love to him again and again, to make him see reason, but I bite my tongue. I walk after him, my bare feet padding across the tile floor, and I keep my eyes fixed upon his retreating back.
“Lex! You can’t just leave me.” I launch into a run as he steps into the elevator, and I fully realise this is not a game; he’s not playing. This is real; this is the end, game–over.
The reflective elevator doors slide shut just as I arrive; too late to stop them closing. I prod the lift buttons frantically, but it’s no use; I’ve never been able, or allowed, to step out of this apartment since that very first night. Lex has full control over Chamberlin Tower in his father’s absence. And he is able to lock down all the security systems in the apartment; only he has access to them and only he can leave or enter.
Moments pass by as I stare in disbelief at the barrier in front of me. My reflection is distorted, warped by the metal, much like how I’m feeling inside.
What am I going to do now? I have no clothes, no way to communicate with the outside world… Lex has been my only contact for the last few weeks. Surely he wouldn’t forget that?
I notice a large dark suitcase standing upright in the shadows by the elevator.
Curious, I unzip the lid. I already know what is inside, so it’s no surprise to find all of my missing clothes that Lex had taken away, neatly folded within. He planned this, I think.
Well, at least I wouldn’t be naked anymore; I had been getting by with the silk robe and towels. Lex loved the idea of me waiting at home, naked for him. It was twisted, no doubt about that, but I loved it, too. It had opened my eyes, given me a weird sense of freedom. And since the apartment is climate–controlled, I am never really cold unless I linger on the balcony for too long.
Still in shock, I grab hold of the handle and wheel the suitcase towards my room, the plastic wheels squeaking in my wake.
Chapter Three
My eyelids flutter open, and I turn over to face Lex, to snuggle into his warm body, but the moment I do, the events of last night hit me like a sucker–punch, and I remember: he’s not there. There’s an empty space in the double bed where he should be, and I touch his pillow: cold.
Normality, I tell myself; I have to get back to normal. Erase the summer weeks and pretend they never happened. It’ll be the only way to move on.
I groan.
How could I have let this happen? What the hell was I thinking?
I gather up the duvet to my chest and weep into its folds. I let myself have a moment of sadness before yelling, “Get up!” But I don’t move, persuading myself there’s no reason to. My heart is crushed and with it my will.
The elevator dings, and the waterworks stop. I frown; this is all I need… I’ve lost it, gone crazy. I’m hearing things. I don’t dare move.
Footsteps echo down the hall towards my room, and I quickly wipe my face. I smile; I knew he’d come back, I lie to myself.
I bolt from the bed, whipping back the covers and launching myself at the door.
My mother’s tanned face looks back at me, and I have to blink rapidly to make sure I’m not hallucinating.
“Mom?”
“Hi, sweetie,” Loretta says and gives me a brief hug. “Are you still in bed at this hour?”
I stand mute.
“Did you forget we were coming back today? Well, never mind; aren’t you going to ask me how the honeymoon was?” She tilts her head to the side like an eager puppy.