He pulls away, his dark eyes penetrating mine as he clasps my cheeks in his palms. “I love you. I’m the only one who ever has and ever will.”
“I know,” I assure him. He’s been telling me that since I was a little girl.
“When you hate me, remember it’s only temporary,” he pleads, his forehead coming to rest against mine.
“I don’t hate you.” I sigh, placing my hands over his. It would easier to run if I did, and although I tell myself I hate him, there’s this love for him that overrides everything when he is tender.
His eyes close, and a pit expands in my chest as he whispers, “Not yet, but you will.”
Three
Willa
Two days later…
My stomach somersaults as we drive into the city, the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention. There’s a shift in the air, in Milo’s demeanor. Things are changing.
“Where are we going?” I ask for the third time since Milo came to my room and told me to get dressed and get in his car.
Just like the other times, I get nothing in response. Rain begins tapping across the window, sounding so loud amongst the silence. A dusting of goosebumps springs over my flesh.
When we pull up to a tall apartment building and park, Milo slips out and comes around to my side, taking me under the arm. “Who lives here?” I ask in amazement, soaking up the walls made of glass. It’s stunning and looks expensive.
A doorman opens the door with a tip of his hat, gesturing to a reception area. It’s more like a hotel than an apartment building. Milo tightens his hold on my arm as he walks to the woman manning the desk. He flashes a card from his pocket, and the woman smiles a bright red-lipped greeting, nodding her head for him to proceed.
We go to an elevator, and he inserts the card. I want to ask to see it, inspect it, ask where he got it, what it means, but I’d have to swallow the lies he would give me if he answered at all. The silence and not knowing is maddening. “Milo, are you going to tell me where we are and what we’re doing here?”
“Just keep quiet,” he warns me.
The doors slide open directly into an apartment…if you could call it that. It’s beautiful. Marble floors and walls, black and white art dominating the decor. Maybe the owner is an artist.
Movement draws my eyes to a slim man in a navy-blue suit approaching from the living space. Dark hair with some grey sprinkled through the sides. His smile is warm as he holds a hand out for Milo to shake. His eyes, however, focus on me, doing a slow sweep of my body. A cold hand curls around my spine. Who is he and what am I doing here? I fidget on the spot, feeling exposed under his gaze.
“Come through, will you?” he asks with a smirk. It crinkles his eyes and causes my feet to stumble over themselves.
“Careful,” he warns as Milo tightens his jaw.
The man takes a seat on an oversized couch. The room is bigger than our entire house. It’s all open with a back wall of glass that looks out into the city. The lights from the outside world make me feel less lonely.
“Well?” Milo asks, his hands balled at his sides. I’m not sure who he’s talking to until the man crooks his finger toward me, summoning me farther into the room. I look up at my brother, who jerks his head for me to do as I’m told. Sucking in a deep breath, I step forward, the plush cream carpet like quicksand beneath my feet. His eyes penetrate me, inspecting, taking in every nuance of my body.
What have you done, Milo?
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” His smile and endearment disarms me. I find myself moistening my lips to answer him, not wanting to be rude despite how uncomfortable I feel.
What have you done, Milo?
“Willa,” I murmur, trying to force a small smile to my lips. I’m turning numb.
“Do you have a boyfriend, Willa?”
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Milo. Milo. Milo.
“No.” I shake my head, fisting my hands to stop them from shaking.
“Have you ever had a boyfriend?” Acid burns in my stomach. A nervous rush of dizziness causes me to sway on my feet.
“I told you she’s a virgin,” Milo barks, reminding me he’s here with me.
My mouth drops open at his words, heat spreading up my neck, flaming my cheeks.
Milo, what have you done?
The man’s eyes never stray from my face despite Milo’s outburst and irritation.
Tears threaten, beading in the corners of my eyes, ready to spill over when the man stands and takes my chin in his palm. “Are you a virgin, Willa?” he asks again, more forceful. The breath I inhale catches in my chest. My head tries to nod, but his grip doesn’t allow it. “Answer me, child,” he growls, leaning into my face, licking his lips. His eyes are so dark, it’s like looking into two black holes. Abyss. Nothingness.