Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
White and pink, yellow and green, lace and ruffles, assaulted me from everywhere. If there was a perfect little girl’s closet somewhere in a fairy tale, this would be it. Only, the clothes were not little girl sized, they were my size.
“Where are my clothes, Jesse?"
"Those are your clothes, Kitty Kat."
"No, they're not. Joke’s over. Come on.” I poked my head out to see he was up from the chair and standing only a couple of steps outside the closet door, the mountain of his body blocking out much of the sunlight streaming through the window.
“This is it. For now. Pick something."
"Pick something?" I narrowed my eyes. "These aren't mine, Jesse, how am I supposed to--"
"These are yours. If you don’t pick something out, I will. Then I will proceed to put it on you, like it or not.” He towered over me and my mind raced for a reply. My heart pounded in my chest as my eyes danced over the strange closet filled with adult sized little girl clothes.
And they were adorable, but...
This couldn’t possibly be real. Was I in an alcohol withdrawal induced hallucination?
"These are mine?" I asked, not to Jesse but more to the universe, which, all of a sudden, seemed like one and the same.
"They're yours. I told you, I'm taking care of you now, and you're going to want for nothing. You need someone to watch over you, Kat, and that someone is going to be me, whether you like it or not. This is how I care for you. It’s a new foundation. Do you remember ever being cared for when you were little?"
I felt tears starting to flow. He sounded so much like Kent did that day he finally got custody of me.
You don't have to be scared anymore, Katrina. I'm going to take care of you, and make sure you have everything you need.
Jesse's eyes were completely and utterly focused on me. I shivered under his commanding stare. His broad forehead began to draw together as he watched me draw up in frantic confusion. The pressure inside my head was unbearable. I didn’t know what to do or say. There was a flicker inside me that found joy and comfort from all of this. The teddy bear and the soft pajamas, the pampering and security and promise to always be there.
But it was quickly stomped out by the jaded, angry part of me that didn’t believe in happiness. No matter how it was packaged.
I bulldozed past him and began to tear apart the room. I looked in every drawer, under the bed, everywhere for something. Anything. My clothes. My underwear. My possessions. Some sign of my old life.
Where was it?
“Fuuuuuuck!” I screamed until my voice cracked, and I pulled at my hair, squeezing my eyes closed, trying to see nothing. My lungs were raw, my voice hoarse. "I don’t want this! I want my stuff! My life! I want out of here!”
I threw the Teddy Bear on the floor, fists balled as it looked back up at me with those big blue eyes and red felt tongue sticking out.
I smashed the heel of my bare foot into his fluffy nose.
Guilt smacked at my cheeks. That bear was the closest thing to a perfect gift I’d ever received. All the times I read AMITAH on Reddit came streaming back.
Am I the asshole for throwing a giant, soft, cuddly, perfect life-sized teddy bear on the floor and stomping on its face because I don’t like the new wardrobe the sexiest man alive that I’m secretly in love with just bought me?
"None of your own things are gone," he said calmly, ignoring my tantrum. "They're just put away for now."
"And what gives you that right?"
“You did. You promised, Kat. You promised you would trust me and do things my way. That is what this means. Now, stop it, right now, or you’re going to be punished.”
I glared. I stamped my foot. And then I stuck out my tongue and enunciated slowly in my broken voice: "Fuck. You."
"Kat... This isn't how we deal with our anger."
"I said." I drew a deep breath, balling my fists by my sides. "Fuck. You."
I hurtled toward the mountain of muscle and intensity with everything I could muster. As I pummeled his chest with my fists, he stood completely still for a few seconds, taking everything I had.
Then with catlike reflexes, he grabbed my wrists in one giant vice-like grip, spun me around and held my hands behind my back, bending me over slightly and sending lightning bolts of pain into my shoulders.
“Let go!” My voice was all I had under his might. The hold he had on me with one hand was impossible to shake. He positioned me perfectly so that there was nothing I could do to fight back. If I tried to kick, I would fall down. My fists were immobilized by his grip and he pushed me over toward the bed.