Cherry Wine {lex luthor}

chapter eighteen

quick psa because I've gotten a lot of questions abt last chapter! The pills he gave her were birth control (come on lex) and he was withholding her cross necklace because of his issues with religion! this is an important chapter to the narrative of the story, since I've taken a little artistic liberty with the original plot :)

two weeks later

Autumn had fully set in around the mansion. The trees shed their leaves in what started as a fiery display but soon turned to a sad, brown and bare last ditch effort at life. Fog rolled in every morning, burning away with the late afternoon sun. In the fields around the mansion, the corn stubble was being burned and the fields law fallow for the winter.

I spent every night in Lex's bed, and not once did the night terrors wake me. There were occasions when I woke up in a panic, my mind foggy and unsure, but Lex held me until I calmed down. My hand healed, and although the scar remained, jagged and ugly across my palm, it was a reminder of what I could endure. It became a morning ritual for Lex to redress my now almost sealed thigh, and clip my fingernails short. I had clawed myself bloody one too many times for his liking, and so they were kept short and blunt.

It was the morning before Lex's first party in my company-he was, to my utter surprise, a grand donor to the Metropolis library. He was such a modern man-I would have expected him to scorn books for the more immediately accessible internet. But no, Lex told me, he was a big believer in the history contained in paper and ink.

I sat, wrapped in one of Lex's black knit sweaters. My hands were wrapped around a quickly cooling mug of tea, but I made no effort to drink, refusing to break eye contact with a very stern Lex.

"Absolutely not.. No drinking under my roof. " He said, for the third time.

"But it's an open bar!" I pointed out. "Everyone will be drinking!"

Lex stood up, tugging the lapels of his jacket straight.

"And everyone else will be much older than eighteen." He skirted the table to stand by me, his arms crossed firmly over his chest.

"Oh, so I can walk around with hickies all over my neck and wrists but I can't drink?" I poked him in the arm, and he rolled his eyes at me.

"Your dress is high-necked and long-sleeved, little one. Now, I suggest you run along and stay out of the way of the caterers." He caught ahold of my hand, and kissed the palm. "Be ready to greet guests by five."

I pulled my hand out of his grasp, and scowled at him. Lex merely laughed, and pointed up the stairs with one long finger.

"Scoot along and let a man get to work!"

***

Five came much too quickly. Lex was right-the dress hanging in my bathroom had long, fitted sleeves and a glittering collar. It was a delicate pink, and I silently cursed Lex for choosing what I was sure to be the only pale dress at the party. Still, it was the prettiest thing I had ever worn, and the fabric felt as though it had been made by angels. It was fine and silky, and fell to my knees in a shimmering wave. It was demure and modest, and with the white lacy socks and white leather buckle shoes that had been left for me, I felt about five years old.

Which, I supposed, was the point, Lex had made it very clear that he did not want men 'gazing after me', and so his attempt to dissuade that was to dress me up like a porcelain doll. Untouchable by mankind.

When I left my room, Lex was waiting in the hallway, pulling at his tie. He was in a black suit, gold cufflinks gleaming from below his suit jacket. I smiled at him, before reaching up and deftly unknotting his tie. I unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, before brushing off his shoulders and stepping back.