Shattered

Chapter 9

Sitting on the bed with my legs crossed, I let my eyes glance across the large glass panes, admiring the forest of skyscrapers. Something about those sleek silver buildings fascinated me. Ever since I was little, big city's always seemed to peak my interest. I loved every aspect of them, especially when the sun dipped behind them and casted a dark shadow over the city.

Caught in my daze, I didn't notice his presence beside me until he spoke. "Why is it that you're able to just stare out the window without getting bored?" Glancing up to his grey eyes, I thought for a moment. Chandler's dark hair was a bit disheveled and messy, but he was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. On the contrary, I wore red sport shorts and a white tank top. As it was only 9 in the morning, I was still in the same clothes I slept with.

"It's hard to explain. I just find it so beautiful and oddly peaceful." We both turned back to the window, contemplating. "I never really thought about it like that." He slightly squinted his eyes before facing me again. His large hand wandered to the tip of my left Dutch braid, playing with the ends. "Your hair looks cute like this." He complimented, dropping the braid over my shoulder. I murmured a quiet thanks, feeling like I shouldn't accept compliments from my abductor.

Fidgeting with the string of my pants, Chandler shifted to the front of me. His hand outstretched to me, a gesture awaiting my duplication. "Come on," He command after a few moments of silence, a simple nod of his head pointed to the door.

Ever so cautiously I placed my fair hand into his, gripping gently as I pulled myself off the bed. Unsure of where he was taking me, I stopped my feet at the door. "Did I do something wrong?" The quiet question flew past my lips before I could stop it. Chandler turned to me, his free hand delicately cupping my cheeks as his expression softened. "Absolutely not, baby. We're just going downstairs."

A soft tug continued my paces, leading me towards the elegant staircase. We went the opposite direction of... that room, and past the piano. Oh how I wish I could glide my fingers over the keys of that extravagant grand piano. The stairs seemed unusually long.
The last time I was down here I didn't have much time to look around, but now I was in awe. My hand slipped from Chandler's as I did a 360 turn.

The tall ceilings supported gorgeous crystal chandeliers, which reflected the sun and cast small rainbow shimmers around. The whole wall to the right was covered in head-to-toe glass, presenting the city like a postcard.

Grey couches were strategically placed around a large tv, which sat on a wooden table in front of the panes. A sheepskin rug rested against the hardwood floor, under the sofas and glass coffee table. Just thinking of someone stepping over it with shoes on hurt me.

To the left of me was the large door with a peephole, also known as the front door. Two potted plants adorned either side of the door. A coat closet resided nearby, along with a shoe rack.

A gentle tug on my hand brought me back to reality. I shifted my eyes onto him, a questioning look shown. "Someone seems a little dumbfounded." He softly smiled at me, his eyes seeming so warm. "Sorry, it's just really pretty." I lowered my head, cursing at myself for apologizing.

We continued walking, turning through a large archway and into a dining room. The long table was made of an ashy wood and decorated with fresh roses. Grey chairs took every open space at the large table, providing 10 seats.

Another archway took us into the large kitchen. This room was by far the most gorgeous. Or maybe it's just from my kitchen fetish. The counters were the same ashy wood as the dining table, with quartz tops. It had double ovens and a refrigerator triple my size. And the pantry, oh the pantry. Literally any food you could think up would be in there. It was huge.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Chandler asked as he leaned against the island counters. Still in awe, it took me awhile to respond. "Can I cook?" Mumbling extremely fast and quiet, I made the question entirely incoherent.

"I can't hear you Jess. You have to speak up." Shifting from foot to foot, I crossed my arms over my thighs. I didn't want to have to ask again. Chandler simply leaned forward and pulled me close, directly in front of him.

"Ask me again, baby." He looked straight into my eyes, which I really struggled to hold his stare. Looking away I mumbled again. "It's okay, don't worry about it." Refusing to ask again, I stared right down at our feet. Mine were bare while he wore shoes.

"Are you scared to ask me a question, Jess? Scared I'll say no?" His index finger came under my chin and gently pushed my head upwards. He had a sly smirk, which meant he heard exactly what I said, yet wanted me to repeat it for some unknown reason.

All I did was nod my head, keeping my eyes on his neck. Chandler's hands came over my hips, softly holding me still from my fidgeting. "You shouldn't feel that way. The list of things I'll deny you is very short. So go ahead and ask whatever you want."

My eyes wandered even further down, gazing upon his hands on my hips. As I opened my mouth to speak, he cut me off. "The only condition is that you have to keep your eyes up. I noticed you don't exactly like eye contact."

And inward groan made its way to the surface, producing a soft grumble that Chandler simply laughed at. Drawing my eyes back up to him, I stared right at his nose, noticing small freckles dotted across. "I just wanted to know if it was okay for me to cook instead. I kind of miss it."

His smirk opened to a smile and his hands pulled me closer. "There's that beautiful voice of yours. And those gorgeous blue eyes." I wouldn't accept his compliments this time. "Now tell me, was that so hard?" Gaining the courage to even dare to ask your kidnapper a question? Yes, that's very hard.

There were so many things I wanted to say to him, but just responded with a meek "Yes." And even worse, a chuckle was the response he gave me. Nice to know he finds my struggle entertaining.

...
This chapter feels very incomplete to me, but I feel so awful for procrastinating for so long that I just have to upload it. I hope you enjoyed it, and once I straighten out some school stuff, I'll be able to put more time into Shattered.

Also, I'd love to hear your opinions on the story and characters so far! Feedback is always appreciated. ^~^