The World is Yours | Tom Riddle

chapter xx.

It's pathetic really, how much I still

hope it's you and me in the end.

-Midnight thoughts (will I ever learn?)

Atarah. 

I am still sitting on my bed with my arms wrapped around my legs. The jewelry box sits open in front of me and I have not been able to look away. The note is clutched in my hand- crinkled from my grip on it. I think a few hours have passed and it has to be around eleven in the morning by now. 

I haven't gotten the courage to get up and see Tom Riddle yet- I truly do not know what he expects from me. Everything he does is so calculated, every move he makes has so many motives behind it that I have no idea what this could mean. 

Nor do I want to. 

With that I release a sigh and move to go underneath the covers of the bed. I lay down and try to focus on anything other than the thousands of thoughts in my head. As much as I try though nothing seems to give me a break from my own worries. Even sleeping wouldn't allow me to escape those brown eyes. 

...

Sometime later I drag myself out of bed and enter the adjoining bathroom and draw myself a bath. Once the bath is full I submerge my body into the hot water and with each passing moment my worries seem to fade away into the water. 

I close my eyes and give into the silence until the water in the bath turns cold. I lift myself out of the water and let it drain as I dry myself off. I leave the towel wrapped around myself as I  go back into the bedroom. 

I am crossing the room to the dresser when a large black box catches my eye and I stop in my tracks. In the corner of the room there sits a large box that wasn't there before. I quickly scan the room for any signs of someone, whoever put that there must have been in my room while I was taking a bath. That's the second time someone has come into my room- even with the door locked. 

As I move over to the chair I hesitantly open the box and see another note placed on top of something that is wrapped. I pick up the note and open it, 

[ To go with the necklace-  6pm.] 

I crush the paper into a ball and toss it into the nearest trash with a short laugh. Quickly I rip open the paper in the box and the moment I see it I let out a gasp and step back. He didn't. 

After a few moments I gather the courage and move forward again- pulling out the dress. It falls down to the floor as I hold the dark green satin material in front of me. It's beautiful- of course it would be. 

...

As I glance towards the clock on the side table I read the time, 5:45. I have already done my hair into soft curls that rest on my shoulders. At first I didn't want to satisfy Tom by wearing the dress but even after looking for other dresses- nothing even came close to the beauty of the green one. 

So here I sit in the beautiful dress with my hair and makeup done- the only thing I have chosen to leave off is the necklace. As much as I love it- I can't get over who got it for me. So as I watch the clock hit 5:50, I stand up and smooth out my dress. Casting a small glance at the necklace that is still held in the small black box on my bed. And walk out of my room.