Cross

15

Winter

I'm not sure if Roman confessed his feelings to me or not. Whatever it was, my feelings for him have become a tangled mess. An intricate knot that I can't unravel.

Even if I could unravel it, I fear what I might find.

Roman won't have my heart. I am not willing to give that to him not after everything he put me through. Except, with each touch, smell and sound my will is slowly slipping away no matter how hard I hold on.

I paddle barefoot through the mansion in Roman's shirt and my checkered blue shorts, it has become my routine. I know every inch of this place - the best hiding spots, the hidden corridors used by the employees and the location of every single camera in the mansion.

I never noticed them at first but when I started looking harder, I saw them. Tiny circular machines flashing red light on their targets.

My palm drags along the cream walls as I wander the halls. I've walked these halls a handful of times and I found most of the doors are locked. Though, as I pause halfway through my walk, I see the afternoon sunlight peering from an open door.

I step towards it curiously but my body is quickly jerk back, slamming into a solid chest. I tilt my head back, eyes widen in surprise as I stare at Roman who looks down on me with displeasure.

"I won't go out there until I've introduced you to them." He warns, "they'll tear you apart."

"They?"

"My dogs." He says, releasing me.

Roman gestures for me to follow in him into a small pantry that is lined with dog kibble, dog toys and accessories. The place has all the pet essentials any could ever need from flea treatments, shampoos and conditions to dog poop bags.

There is a lack of dog toys, I note.

I watch Roman from the door. He's topping off the dog's lunch with kibbles and bone broth. I stood on my tiptoes to see clearer into the food bowl and my stomach churns at the sight. There's raw meat; red and bloody. I see a head of a duck that's been skinned and chicken feet with nails still in tact.

My lunch threatens to resurface at the sight

"It's good for them." He frowns when he sees my face.

Roman shoves two bowls in my hands whilst he takes the other two. I follow him through the corridor and out through the opened door to a dog house attached to the mansion.

It's made entirely out of oaks with the support of iron rails. He takes the bowls out of my hold and places them on the floor.

A surprise gasp breaks through me as Roman grabs me by the waist.

"What are you doing?" I shriek in panic.

My palms rest against his hard chest but my attempts of trying to keep a safe distance between us is futile. I'm betrayed by my own body because his warmth melts me then moulds me into whatever he desires.

To calm my heart and the arches between my thighs, I focus on the top button of his henley. It's not working though.

"Relax," he reassures, "I'm showing them that you're mine."

His eyes are on me, dragging a burning trail across my forehead, down my nose and to my lips. They linger there and the longer they stay there, the more aggressive the butterflies in my stomach flutter.

His big frame casts a shadow over me. Out of curiosity, I flicker my eyes upwards and inhale sharply at his piercing dark abyss staring back at me.

I don't mind the dark just hate the feeling of loneliness.