Stay(101)

After getting her hair stick straight, Lily climbed into bed to nap before tonight’s work. A ring of purple circled her nose, but the bone was still straight, leading me to believe it hadn’t been broken. I closed my eyes and imagined my house, letting my mind take over. I was sitting in the dining room, a room we rarely used, since sitting down for a family dinner wasn’t an every day occurrence. Arianna sat, texting on her cell phone. Dad would scold her, damning technology. Mom would go into her rant about how she thought the constant usage of cell phones and tablets damaged family values. And I would smile and nod, pretending I agreed while I helped myself to a second piece of cornbread.

It wasn’t the first time I created that same scenario in my mind, but this time something was different. There was another person at the table with us, enjoying dinner and putting up with my parents’ crazy lectures. Jackson was deep in conversation with my father, talking about how important it was for children to read books instead of watch TV.#p#分页标题#e#

I smiled to myself, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Then heartache crashed over me, tearing into my soul. As much as I wanted to believe that could happen, a nasty little thing called realism chipped away at my happy vision, reminding me that the chances of both Jackson and I getting out alive, let alone together, were slim to none.

I took a deep breath and focused on the dining room. I could almost smell the hot bowl of my dad’s chili in front of me. Jackson put his hand on my thigh. His face was clean-shaven and bruise-free. The scars on his body had faded. I put my spoon down and put my hand over his.

Something glinted on my left hand. Involuntarily, I had put an engagement ring on my finger. My heart fluttered. It was stupid to think about rings and weddings. Deep down, I knew it was, but I needed a reprieve. I needed to think about shiny happy things.

My vision of a hall decorated with white and purple flowers started to darken and Nate stood in the shadows, holding a length of rusty chain. I opened my eyes and sat up, my hand flying to my chest. I took a breath and tried to slow my heart rate. I curled into the fetal position and pulled the blue blanket over my head.

When I couldn’t stop the dark thoughts from taking over, I sat up and looked around the shabby basement. With a heavy sigh, I threw the blankets back and swung my legs over the side of the cot. I walked over to the vanity, picked up a bobby pin, and pulled the rubber off the end. I turned around, eyeing the stairwell before scurrying over. I scraped a thin line in the dry wall, starting my three month count down to the day I’d be shipped off.





CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE





ROCHELLE RETURNED SOMETIME after sunset. She showered and immediately began getting ready for the night. I watched as she braided extensions into her hair, studying her reflection in the mirror. Rochelle was gorgeous. She was tall and lean, sporting a naturally toned body, despite her lack of working out. Her dark skin was flawless, and her cheekbones were to die for. Her breasts were large enough to make me wonder if she had implants, and her brown eyes were big and bright.

Her smile lit up her entire face, giving off a glow of innocence. She looked like freaking Miss America. Yet there she was, nothing more than a prostitute. Only worse. She was stuck in this life with no choice in leaving, and had no idea that this wasn’t what she wanted.

“I always wanted to go to Europe,” she said, her eyes flicking to mine in the mirror.

“What?”

“Travel. I want to travel.” She picked up another hair extension. “Maybe you’re going about this being sold thing all wrong. You’ll get to see Europe. How cool is that?”

I balked at her reflection. My mouth opened and closed several times, like a fish out of water. “There is nothing cool about being sold,” I finally stammered. “I’m going to a family that buys humans for graduation presents.”

“Yeah, but it’s in Europe. You might end up in a castle, or next to the Eiffel Tower or something. There are tons of great places to shop in Paris.”

“Right. Never mind being a forced sex slave in a foreign country or anything,” I spat.

“You have such a bad attitude,” she said and fluffed her hair.

“Can we stop talking about this?” I asked, squeezing my eyes shut. I felt dizzy again. It was a warning that the feeling of floating above my body was coming. I didn’t want my mind to check out. I needed a plan. I needed to think.

“Whatever,” Rochelle said.

I retreated under the blanket, shaking. I hadn’t left Iowa in years, and had never even been out of the country. Then there was Jackson … I closed my eyes before I started crying. My stomach twisted, and my head spun. I reached under my pillow and ran my fingers over the worn cover of Gone with the Wind, focusing on the way the old book felt.#p#分页标题#e#