Desire

Free 4 Some

Desirée's POV

"You can't buy me everything I say is cute."  I say watching him hand a sales person another dress I touched.

"Not everything. Just the things I think you'd look cute in." I smile at his comment and keep looking.

"You'd think I'd look good in a cardboard box."

"Of course. As long as I could open you like a Christmas present." I roll my eyes and walk to the counter. "You see anything else?"

"I've looked at the whole store twice. I'm fine."

"Great. Let's get to your fitting."

"Fitting?!" I say as he shushes me. We've been whispering this whole time. I guess I got too loud for him. He holds my hand a whisks me away.

"We're leaving. What're you supposed to do now?"

"Head down, glasses on, mouth closed." He nods and turns the corner.  I rush to keep up with him. He's been really stern with me the past few days. We've done nothing but shop since he told me to come on tour with him. Isn't this supposed to be the fun part of hanging with a celebrity? Shopping and traveling the world. We leave in three days and I feel. I thing but stress and uncertainty as he tries to prepare me for life in the spotlight. He holds my hand and we walk swiftly from the door to the car. I slide into the SUV and wait for him to take his seat beside me. The seat sinks and the door closes but my head never leaves my lap.

"What have I been telling you all week?! Seen but not heard remember?! No one should hear what we're talking about. That's how word gets around."

I sit still breathing softly. I can feel his anger filling the car. His silent rage suffocates me.

"Oh, now you have nothing to say?"

I remain still but my cam demeanor is long gone. My heart is beating out of my chest

"Look at me." I turn my head from him. He's never raised his voice at me like he has today. "Look at me damn it!"

"Don't hit me!" I wince curling up in my side of the car. I brace for the impact. A hand to my cheek or a fist to my ribs. The blow never comes but I know better than to move.

"I would never hit you, Desirée."

"You're yelling like you want to."

"I could never even dream about hurting you."

"You've done nothing but drill me and fuss at me and usher me from mall to fitting to boutique. You gave me a week to learn skills you've been gaining since you were 19. Have some sympathy. Some compassion." The tears finally leave my eyes. "I can't do this."

"Of course you can, Desirée." He scoops me up and holds me close. "I'm sorry I've been so hard on you. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I wanna go home."

"I'll take you home."

Prince's POV

I held her the rest of the way home, gently combing my fingers through her hair. I look down at her afraid of what is to come. I hope I made the right decision. I know I'm being hard on her but she doesn't know what's at stake here. This is bigger than the music and the performing and the hiding of her past. Everything I'm doing is to protect her. I just wish she could understand but how could I tell her that Jerome and Tony are conspiring against her? She's never leave the house again and the world would never see what I see. The truth will come out eventually but it needs to be on our terms. I need her to be happy and safe even if the price for both is extremely high.