The Third Word

Chapter 45

"Why am I here?" I asked, trying to distract him so that he would stop inching towards me. I was at the edge of the couch when he finally stopped and relaxed beside me.

I could hear the tapping of heels on the furnished floor, nearing us.

"Because I want you to be here." He said.

"What will you even gain?" 

A woman with edgy features and her face smeared with make up, which somehow looked pretty, placed a tray on the table in front of us.

Edwin lifted a glass of water from the table and brought it closer to me. I was thirsty. Very thirsty. Yet, I didn't dare to drink or eat anything from that place.

"Drink it up and we'll start talking." He said, still holding the glass of water in his hand while I just stared at the clear liquid. I shook my head," I'm...not thirsty."

"Don't make me do this." He said and I looked up at him in confusion when he splashed the water on my face. The water escaped into my nostrils and I choked on my breath. I coughed. It was cold. I wiped my face with my hand and pushed back my wet hair, falling over my eyes. My violet tank-top was wet too, as water trickled down my chest and below.

"You said you saw Ethan?" He asked, placing the glass on the table. The woman, who just watched me get drenched, left with the tray the same direction she came from.

Why is this happening to me? If I tell him I did, would he get mad? I don't know how he would react and I just can't afford to make him angry. He would be the last person I would ever tell any secrets.

"I'm not sure." I said and his expressions intensified.

"Then who did you see?"

"A...man. He had managed to enter m-my house. I- I couldn't see his face. He was almost like a shadow." I stuttered at the way he was looking at me. As it is he was terrifying, but judging from his expressions then, he looked ready to strangle me with another dissatisfactory answer.

"And what made you think he was Ethan?"

"I was mistaken. I never saw him-" I said.

"Stop fucking around!" He yelled.

"I'm not- I was just thinking of Ethan all- these days and-" I was so panicked that I started hiccuping. I shrank into whatever space, maybe three inches, that I was sitting on.

"How pitiful." He smiled as he caressed my wet hair, but his hand was so heavy that I felt a suppressing weight over my head, like I was shrinking more and more.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called someone. I couldn't hear the second party but what he said to them nearly shocked me.

"Didn't you get the wooden chair yet?" He asked them on the phone.

Either I'm being paranoid or he really will tie me up.

"Don't forget the ropes." He said before hanging up.

He's going to tie me up.

"I answered all your questions. I don't know what else you wan-" I spoke when he  smirked like he tasted some sort of victory," You're not hiccuping anymore." He said.