Stuck in a Fantasy

Chapter 22

All I see
A perfect angel
On my knee

I read over MLJ's poem "Angels" while I sat on my balcony. I lounged on a white lawn chair and took in the smell of flowers from the garden below. The door from inside my room slammed closed so I put my book down and looked up. Cato stormed through my room until he was right in front of me. He glared down at me and asked, "Why are you torturing my brother?"

"I'm not," I replied.

He threw his arms down and said, "Yes, you are! You keep dragging him along. Either reel him in or cut him loose! Stop messing with his head."

"You don't know what you're talking about," I grumbled.

"Don't I?" He yelled, "I've known Drake my entire life and he has never been this emotional. We get that he forced you to marry him and that he accidentally burned you when you first met, but it's obvious by the way you talk to him that you've already forgiven him. So for heaven's sake woman! Will you give the man a break? It's been a month since he's done anything wrong and I know that he has only treated you with kindness since."

"A month?" I questioned with big eyes.

"Yes! A month of you torturing my brother," Cato replied. Cara's going to be here soon. I'll get to see her! I can make sure my dear friend is safe and well.

"Stop smiling! We're having an argument right now," Cato told me with a scowl.

I forced myself to stop smiling and said, "I don't want to hurt the king. He's a good man."

"Then why won't you let him be a good husband too?" He inquired.

I rubbed my arms and admitted, "I haven't been too lucky with love in the past. I just don't want anyone to get hurt this time."

Cato sighed and remarked, "This isn't like those other times. You two were destined to be together. You're beloveds."

"It's a little hard to trust that with everything I've been through," I explained.

"The sex trafficking? Did it actually happen then?" He asked suddenly sober.

I stared at my hands. The scared feelings I had felt and the sense of chains around my wrists appeared. My throat tightened as all of their screams replayed themselves in my mind. "I was lucky," I forced myself to reply

"That doesn't answer my question," Cato responded.

I looked up at him and said, "I don't want to share my answer."

His eyes flickered over my face before he nodded. "Is that why you won't be with Drake?" He asked.

"That's part of it. I don't answer all of his questions either," I confessed.

He shook his head and muttered, "That's not what I... whatever. Can you at least tell me if my brother's hope is purely naive... or if there's some basis to it? That the chemistry and moments he dreams about aren't totally insane?"

Drake has more than a chance... he already has my heart. "He's not insane," I promised.

Cato nodded with content then commented, "Good. I want my brother to be happy, and it seems that only happens when you two are getting along."