His Tempting Captive (Book One)

Chapter 1

Sigh. Just Breathe...

Avril repeated the words in her mind as both her parents rose their voices at the same time. She kept her focus on the sound of her breathing. Both of her parents basically telling her the same thing but the melding of their voices at such pitches was doing nothing for her throbbing temple. She inhaled deeply and silenced her parents with a strained, " Please, just listen..."  The words as thin as her resolve.

They both paused and looked damningly at her. She felt as if she was being judged for some terrible sin.

"First off, I am not sixteen and pregnant so stop looking at me as if I have disappointed you." Avril's tone was clipped but she immediately composed herself and tried to show her parents the respect they deserved, even though they were raising her blood pressure.

"This college offers the best program for my field. My teachers felt as if it would best suit my needs as a student. I know the distance is troubling but if you could just consider what this opportunity would mean fo-" the moment Avril thought she'd gotten in full swing of her argument her father's voice thundered over her own.

"Opportunity..." Her father rasped, his arms folding instinctively at his chest, a gesture he made whenever he was angry or upset. "A school has nothing to do with results. It's the students that need to aspire. You never asked our permission to apply that far away." He responded, motioning to her mother sitting dining table. At her husband's command, Avril's mother passed her gaze frantically between her husband's furious expression and her daughter's helpless one. She gazed back at her husband and nodded her approval of his words. Avril felt her heart rate increasing. She wished the wretched thought to apply to college had need found root in her brain.

Her father was intimidating when he wanted to be and her mother always took his side in his presence. Avril was certain of her ability to articulate her thoughts, of that she was sure but whenever she had to make a point to her father her mind and wit abandoned her and she didn't know how to counteract his baseless arguements.

"But dad-" She began feebly realising at once that her tactic to convince her parents should never be to acknowledge the parent/child relationship. It reinforced to her father that she was just a child. A witless child, who hadn't the slight clue of what she was talking about.

"No. It's settled. You are going to a college close to home. I am not letting my eighteen-year-old daughter go off on her own to an unknown place. Have you considered the risk?" He questioned harshly and Avril flinched at his tone. She looked to her mother longingly but she too seemed adamant.

"Dad.." she bit her lip the moment the word escaped her lips. "I am eighteen, don't I have a say?" She threw her hands up in the air. Her eyes feeling hot.

"I am well aware of your age. But do you think that being eighteen makes you an adult? Do you think you have it all figured out? As far as your mother and I are concerned you are still a child. We make the rules." His voice boomed, shaking the very foundation of the house.

 "Eighteen..." he muttered to himself as if the word itself inspired lunacy. "It's just a damned number! Doesn't speak for anything!" He muttered, rising on his feet and pacing. He was obviously worked up now. "What kind of parent will I be if I let my eighteen-year-old daughter free to roam unknown places unaccompanied? I won't encourage such reckless and stupid behavior. I am thinking of preserving your future." He growled, but this time Avril grew angry. She ignored the hot stinging behind her eyes and refused to hold her tongue.

"Stupid behavior? When have I ever done anything to disappoint you? I am not some dim-witted girl who doesn't understand right from wrong. Don't you trust me?" Her voice rose a pitch higher. Avril had been living with a routine from the time she was old enough to know the meaning of the word. Her life revolved around school and home. She was never allowed any leeways to attend even after school functions.