Chapter 39: Caged

A shriek escaped me as my heart leaped into my throat. As I scrambled onto my feet I accidentally dropped my plate and it shattered on the floor.

“Goddamn it!” I spat with frustrated annoyance before glaring at Julian with hostility in my eyes. “The fuck do you think you’re doing in my room?! I told you to stay the fuck away from me! Do you not speak English?!”

“Isabella asked me to deliver this to you. She underestimated how many cookies she needed to bake. I must say, she’s an amazing cook and baker. Everyone wanted more.” Julian’s explanation ended with a frown. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

I could tell by his tone and the look in his eyes that he wasn’t lying. In fact, it wasn’t surprising, of course, my mother would make a simple mistake like that. I huffed and turned my head away. “Whatever. Just give me my fucking cookies.”

As he came closer to me I finally noticed that he had locked the door behind himself. I immediately became alarmed and pointed to the nightstand. “Set the plate over there.” my voice was stern and commanding. I wasn’t fooling around.

Thankfully, he did as I said this time. After earlier, his unpredictability has become increasingly alarming. Me being me, I had to confront the issue head-on. “Why did you lock the door? You got a game you wanna play?” I placed my hand in the pocket that concealed my silver knife. “People usually have the common sense to not play with me. I don’t like games.”

“No game,” he said while placing the plate on my nightstand and then turning to face me. “I just want to talk.”

I snorted and the grin that crossed my lips looked like I was about to burst out laughing. “TALK?! You wanna fucking TALK?? HAH!” my grin instantly flipped into a bitter frown. “Go brush your teeth. The bullshit on your breath is starting to become fouler than your stupid twin’s. In fact, gargle with mouthwash while you’re at it. Fizz some common sense in your head.”

Julian’s lips pursed when he saw I wasn’t about to budge anytime soon. He then began to walk toward me and for the first time in quite a while, I felt threatened. It was moments like these where my body acted on its own. I immediately pulled out my knife and pointed at him while getting into an attack stance that my father had taught me when I was a small child just in case I ever needed to protect myself. My nose wrinkled as I bared my teeth and the anger in my green eyes quickly turned into a livid feral look.

Even my voice was in a low growl. “Come here. Take another step closer to me. Let me show you what happens to people that seriously PISS me off!”

Julian froze in his tracks when he saw I had become very dangerous. He had then finally decided to walk away from me and headed back to the door. As he unlocked it, he spoke over his shoulder one last time. “I can see you need some time to think… I’ll always be here for you, whether you acknowledge me or not.”

He said nothing more and I gave him no response as left. However, I quickly walked over and locked the door as soon as it was closed. Once I felt secure I finally put my pocket knife back into its rightful place. And as I did so, I noticed my hand was shaking.

What the hell? Why am I shaking?

I immediately feel pissed off either way as a familiar thought crosses my mind.

I’m not scared! I’m not!! It’s just an adrenaline rush. That’s all.

I sighed and my shoulders sagged as I looked at the broken plate on my floor. “Fuck me.” when I glanced at my favorite cookies I felt nauseous. What if he did something to them? Knowing him, I highly doubt he did. But yet again, I was starting to feel like I barely knew him at all. Either way, I have completely lost my appetite.

With another flop, I sit on my bed and run my fingers through my curly hair. Everything he has said is right. We live in the same house, it’s not like I can completely avoid him. What am I supposed to do now?

I stayed locked up in my bedroom for the rest of the evening and texted my mother that I wasn’t feeling too well so that I didn’t have to leave my room. My cookies remained untouched even as I went to bed early. My night was full of nothing but anxiety as I struggled to get to sleep again. Part of me didn’t want to sleep because I was afraid of the nightmare I’d have tonight.

Will I dream of my father being trapped in the fire as usual? Or will I be the one swallowed by the flames? Or… will I dream about Julian?

The thought of all three of them left me uncomfortable. I couldn’t stand this feeling like I was being trapped in a cage. So I did the only thing I could do, contact my friends and ask them for help in my own little way. Jack was the one I texted first.

“Heyyy Jackie… whatcha doin’ tomorrow?”

It didn’t even take a minute for him to respond back to me. “Suki! Not much. Do you wanna come over?”

I grinned as the man just made my life easier by asking my question for me. “Hell yea. Come get me.”

“Right now??”

“Duh. Hurry up.” I needed fresh air right now.

It was close to midnight so my mother was probably already in bed with my new stepfather. I didn’t give two shits about Grace, the pampered princess was probably painting her toenails and giggling on the phone with her Barbie friends. As for Julian, the man was more unpredictable than ever. Reading in the library, strolling through the rose garden, or sleeping in his bed right now, amongst other things I had no idea. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the crazy bastard was standing outside my bedroom door, just waiting for me to come out. That thought alone was enough to get my heart pounding.

I’m not scared! I’m not scared of anything!

I still made sure I had my pocket knife adjusted to an angle so I could swiftly pull it out and flip it open. Just in case.

With the clicking sound of the door being unlocked, I swung it open as if preparing myself for a fight but thankfully nobody was there. I looked up and down the hallway and saw nobody there. It was dead silent. In fact, the silence was eerie and made me shiver from the anticipation.

The fuck am I doing?! Just go already!

I huffed as I scorned myself in my thoughts and walked down the hallway as if nothing was wrong. Nothing is wrong at all. Everything is fine. I’m completely fine. I tell myself those things over and over in an attempt to keep my cool. My instincts were on edge. The slightest move of a shadow could make me readied for a fight but thankfully all was still. Too still. That’s a good thing at least, right? I’d be able to see anybody coming.

As I came to the door, my steps slowed when my phone vibrated and I looked at it to see what was going on. Thankfully, it was another message from Jack.

“Almost there!”

I grinned with relief. The cage I was in finally had the door seconds from swinging open and letting me run loose like a rabid animal again.

Before I could text Jack back, let alone take a single step, a light turns on behind me and I freeze in place as my heart begins to pound again.

Shit! Julian caught me again?!