Twisted Proposal (25 page)

My head throbbed. He handed me a glass of water, and I drained it in seconds.
God, I was thirsty.

“Good,” he said, taking the glass away. “Now we need to talk.”

              I looked into his sage-colored eyes, but didn’t speak. I wasn’t sure I could. Everything seemed foggy, surreal even. I glanced around. At least I was in my bedroom.

“I just wanted you to understand that this is truly the best place for you. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” He kissed me. “You will stop trying?”

I nodded.
What was he talking about?
He kissed my forehead, and I lay back down escaping to darkness.

When I woke up again, it was morning and I felt somewhat better and my head was less achy. I was still in my room and I stretched, winching in a sharp pain in my arm, near the elbow. A strange bruise was near the center of my arm that reminded me of when I had blood drawn or something.

Getting up, I made it to my feet just fine and went to the disgusting bathroom. Lexus had returned the place back to its natural state, filth. After a long, hot shower, I stood naked in front of my bathroom mirror, studying the changes in my body. Dark rings circled my eyes. Not to mention I seemed to have lost at least five or more pounds. I was all legs and arms. The image terrified me. How long had I been asleep?

Dressing in a pair of jogging shorts and tee shirt, I returned to my room to find Jackson sitting on my couch with a dark blue present on his desk.

“What are you doing here?” I asked hovering in the doorway.

“I’ve been here all week.”

Crossing my arms, I tried to remember what had happened prior to today, but I only remembered the brief chat we had the day before.  “What’s that?” I said and sat next to him.

“It’s a present for you.” He handed the box to me.

“I see that, but it’s not my birthday or anything. What is it?”

“Open it and see,” he moved to the coffee table in front of me.

Truly, the only thing I wanted to do was sleep, but I appeased him by ripping off the wrapping and opening the box. Inside was a black and blue leather satchel with the Briarwood decal on the front.

“You didn’t have to do this. I have one,” I said as I placed the lid back on.

“Addison, it’s a gift, and you haven’t seen the best part yet.”

Sighing, I opened the box again and lifted up the Briarwood book bag. Underneath the book was a-state-of-the-art laptop. “You bought me a computer?”

“It’s perfect, lots of memory and I even loaded it with all of the software you'll need for school.” He flipped it open and turned it on.

“Jackson I have a computer,”

“That’s a cheap piece of crap.”

Frowning, I glanced at my desk to see Stuart computer gone. “I’m sure it wasn’t cheap.”

“Regardless, I’ve created easy icon for you that takes you directly to the school’s website to login.” He continued to show me how to use the computer and I listened, wishing he’d hurry up and finished so I could go back to bed.

“What day is it?” I asked as he hooked up the computer and apparently he’d purchased a printer as well. It was literally the smallest printer I had ever seen.

“Thursday, school starts Monday.”

“But it was Sunday when I …” I tapered off realizing I’d been out for three and half days.

“What did you do to me?”

              Sighing Jackson stood up. “If I hadn’t walked in when I did you my dear would be on your way to prison for killing your father.”

              I sat on my bed remembering the strange numbing sensation that took over seconds after Jackson showed up.
What were we arguing about?
I couldn’t remember.

“You’ve only been out a few days, but I promise by tomorrow everything will be back to normal.”

“What happened….the last thing I remember was…." I shut my eyes. A foggy memory of sand, screeching gulls, and a salt breeze surfaced. “A beach. Did we go to a beach?”

“Yes, dear.” He then proceeded to show me the school uniforms, which came with socks and shoes. There were five of them hanging in my closet, but I was only half paying attention.
Why was he here? And even worse, why couldn’t I remember anything?

              “Here’s your schedule.” He handed me a two-page document.

              I stared at the text and realize Briarwood operated on an A/B day schedule. Therefore, I had twelve core classes and four electives. I shook my head and dropped the papers on the bed. “I don’t think I’m ready for this."

              “You’ll be fine tomorrow, I swear, your bruised will be cleared up. Everything will be out of your system by Monday. I made sure…double checked even.”

              “Gee that makes me feel better.” I muttered, searching for an explanation. A syringe lay on my night stand. “You drugged me?”

              “You were trying to leave me. What else was I supposed to do?”

“No, I wasn’t going to leave. I just wanted…” I didn’t even know what I wanted anymore.

“I know to kill your dad.” He said busying himself with my satchel placing pens, pencils and notebooks in each segmented section. 

It had something to do with…Eve I thought. Or was it Elizabeth? My head pounded trying to remember. Marriage. I was arranged to marry Jackson…then there was…something else. A visitor.

              “Are you hungry?” he asked and snapped out of my thoughts.

              “No. I mean yes.” I was famished. Maybe a change of scenery would help me remember, but it consisted of Jackson and me sitting alone in the kitchen.

              “Where’s everyone else?”

              “Stuarts at work, Petra’s with her idiot friends, and the kids are at school.” It bothered me that he knew their locations and called Lexus a kid, she was older than me. I’m sure he had a file on all of us.

Chapter Twenty Five

After dinner, we returned upstairs. The food gave me strength and removed most of my headache.

Zach breezed into the room moments later, which meant it had to be close to four.

“Thank God you’re alive! I was beginning to think you were becoming a zombie or something.” He took a seat next to me.

              “Zach, we’re busy,” Jackson said.

              “Addison, will you come play video games with me?” He pulled on my arm.

              I had the strange feeling he was trying to tell me something, but I didn’t understand. “Let me finish up with him and I’ll come find you,”

              “Yeah, whatever.” He left the room, shooting daggers at Jackson.

              “Okay, now back to what I was saying. I’m leaving for Milan tomorrow, so I won’t be there to see how your first day of school went. But you’ll call, right?”

              Him and that damn phone. “Uh, yah sure.” My eyes fell on the syringe still sitting on my nightstand.

              “Hey, are you listening to me?” Jackson grabbed my chin and made me look at him.

              I didn’t respond. He lifted my head and kissed me. “It had to be done. Don’t worry. You didn’t miss anything important, okay?”

What did that mean?

He pushed to his feet, promising to call as soon as his plane landed. Then he left me alone. Freedom finally. First thing I did was find Zach and dragged him downstairs to play video games. He informed me that Jackson had kept me holes up in my room for the last four days and he was convinced his father had something to do with it. He’d seen them talking a lot. Instead of questioning him further I lost myself in the game.

At supper Stuart or Petra wouldn’t even look at me, but I didn’t let that stop me from look them in the eye forcing them for an explanation. None came.

Afterwards, I returned to my room and stood there staring around trying to piece together a puzzle. I spotted a new picture on my desk, it was of Jackson and me the first night we’d met. Putting the photo face down, I sat down at my desk. I couldn’t imagine myself just attacking Stuart for no reason and I had decided to deal with the marriage thing later.  Looking for a pen, I pulled open the top drawer of my desk, I found an envelope with my name on it.
What’s this?

Opening it I found a letter that sent the horrors of that day flooding back. I ran back to the bathroom and vomited my dinner into the toilet. I remembered pulling a knife on him and Jackson sticking me in the neck with something sharp. I leaned close to the mirror to inspect my neck. Sure enough, I had a bruise just above my collarbone.  It was then I trashed my room dumping over trashcans and only finding empty syringes, no bottle or names of anything that was used. So I pitched them along with the sheets and clothes that were in the closet. I wanted everything of Jackson and the past few days gone. The picture of us went as well, it was the last thing I needed.

I had half a mind to destroy the backpack and computer, but I needed it for school. School was the only thing keeping me sane. That, and finding out what happened to my mom and her sister. The letter was still on my bed. I picked it up and tucked it into my pocket.

I made a cup of hot tea and walked to the sun room to cope with the reality of my situation. The blinds were drawn, but I appreciated the darkness. Maybe no one would know I was here.

“Are you okay?” Stuart asked, breaking the silence. He stepped in front of me, but I didn’t turn my head, didn't speak. “Do you …” He sighed, and I turned to face him.

“Do I what, Stuart?” I pushed.

“Do you need a doctor?”

“What’s the point now, I’m sure whatever he did to me is going to be out of my system by Monday. I can’t believe you let him do that to me.”

“You pulled a knife on me.”

“It was no less than what you deserved for the shit you’re putting me through.”

He sat in a wicker chair across from me and wiped his face with his hand.” “I knew Jackson was a mess when I first met him. It was in court, drug possession. Mr. Van Buren asked me to take the case to prove myself. So I did.”

Drugs, great.
“Let me guess cocaine is his choice?”

“Uh…yah…something like that.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel better?”

“No, but know this, Jackson gets bored easily. If you give into him for more than a week or so, he might find someone else his father approves of when he goes to college”

I picked at my nails.
I doubted that.
Stuart had other secrets he was keeping from me.
“What happens to me if he doesn’t?”

“Per the arrangement, you two will be married.”

I couldn’t imagine what life would be like married to him. “I‘m not going to marry him. It’s not fair, Stuart. He is seriously mental. What did I ever do to you? This is the only reason you brought me here. God forbid your precious Lexi have to suffer.”

“I did what I had to do. I was chosen out of everyone I work with. This could be a chance of a lifetime.”

Tears blurred my vision.
He was kidding, right?
“A chance at what, Stuart? Being someone’s punching bag, a trophy wife who hides her bruises under heavy makeup? I’ll pass. It’s obvious there’s nothing I can do to make you change your mind, so just leave me alone.”

“Addison I’m-”

“Leave.”

He left, closing the door behind him.

Dim lights came on and showered the room with a soft glow. I remembered the letter I had found and pulled it out of my pocket.

Memories of what took place filled my head and I threw my cup across the room.

“Everything alright in here?” Stuart asked, as he rushed back in. He must have been waiting out in the hall.

“Do you even know what kind of drugs he was using?” I yelled at him.

“Yes, he told me. Gave me a list of them.”

“What would you have done if I had died?" I stood and walked closer to him. “Oh wait, let me guess. I’m sure the Van Burens would help you come up with an excellent alibi.”

“Addison, calm down.”

“You’re just as bad as he is.” I said, throwing the crumpled letter at him before I fled to the comfort of my room.

If I was going to survive this, I had to keep them from messing with my head, and the only thing that helped my confusion and anxiety was the thought of starting school in a few days. Not just any school, but Briarwood, the same school my mother and aunt attended. I still had their belongings hidden in my closet.

I dug through them until I found the picture of Elizabeth and my mom in their school uniforms. 

There was a guy in the background. He had dark hair and green eyes. I swear he was a dead ringer for a younger Mr. Van Buren. I turned the photo over again, but there were no names on the back. Maybe the school had an archive or something. Other pictures painted a life I could only imagine having growing up. Comparing pictures from then to now showed how much drugs had ruined their lives. They both went from vibrant semi-healthy to ghosts of themselves. It disgusted me.

“What are you doing?” asked Zach joining me.

“Reminiscing.”

“Who’s that?”

“My mom and her sister.”

He sat down next to me and I pointed out pictures and told stories until Stuart found us a few hours later laughing at a stupid cartoon Zach had insisted I watch.

After they left, I went to the computer pretty sure it had some kind of tracking device on it. Now I had to figure out how to dismantle it without Jackson knowing. I made a mental note to find a tech geek at school as I logged onto the school website before I went to bed.
At least I would be prepared for class
.

The next three days passed quickly with Petra insisting on making sure I had everything ready for Briarwood, which pissed Lexi off to no end. She hated not being the center of attention. By Sunday I was ready to start school

My cell phone woke me up ringing next to my head. I’d forgotten it was there. The large white numbers reminded me that it was 4:00am. “Hello?”

“Good morning, beautiful,” Jackson said on the other line.

I groaned. “Jackson it’s four in the morning. What the hell could you possibly want?”

“Not exactly the greeting I was looking for. You need to get up and go for a jog or something.”

“Like hell I am.” I hung up; he called back.

“What?” I yelled into the phone.

“I said get up and go for a jog. You need to get in the routine of things. I know you had fried eggplant for supper last night. If you don’t watch it that stuff will make you fat.”

“Look, Jackson, I’ve never been fat and I highly doubt one meal is going to make me implode. I’m tired and want to sleep so leave me alone. I need my rest. I’ll get up when I’m good and ready to.” I hung up again.

When fifteen minutes passed and he didn’t call back, I began to relax.

Bam!

My bedroom door flew open and a man I had never seen stomped into my room.

“Addison McDaniel, I’m your personal trainer. You have five minutes to get dressed and meet me downstairs for our morning jog.”

My heart was racing. He had to be joking.

“I said, move it!” the man barked at me. I jumped out of bed. This was madness, complete madness. I threw on a pair of shorts and tee shirt and running shoes. “Move, move, move,” the guy yelled in my ear. He sounded like a drill sergeant.

“Stop screaming at me!” The guy looked confused. “I’m ready. I’m fuckin’ ready.”

“You don’t talk to me like that,” the man said, and before I knew what was happening, he had me over his shoulder.

“Where are you taking me? Put me down or I’ll scream.” I tried to grab something to hit him with, but he was moving too fast.

The next thing I knew I was flying through the air right into the ice cold swimming pool. Chlorinated water filled my nose and mouth as I gasped for air.

“My name is Brock and you can call me Brock. You will not use any vulgar language with me, do you understand?  Now get out of the pool. We have a schedule to keep.”

Instead of arguing, I submitted to his demands. We ran for what seemed like forever, and then he pushed me through a set of calisthenics, as if I were in some sort of boot camp. By the time I made it home, it was 6:00 a.m. Finally, I was free to do as I pleased. Standing on the front porch, I sent Jackson a picture of me, drenched in sweat flicking him off with the caption, “Happy”

He responded right away, “Yes”

I threw my phone on the lawn, nearly missing the pond annoyed that Jackson had managed to ruin my day yet again. I was still fuming with frustration and rage when I walked inside where Stuart was waiting.

“What was all that ruckus?”

“I don’t know, Dad. Why don’t you ask Jackson?” I ran up the stairs to my room. Every bone in my body hurt. At least, I got in the bathroom before Lexus. As I took a shower, I secretly prayed for Jackson’s plane to crash. 

A bout of confidence took over as I prepared for my first day at Briarwood.
I could do this even though I felt like death.
I packed the laptop in my book bag, leaving my phone behind. I didn’t want any interruptions.

“Are you excited about your first day?” Stuart asked, as I passed through the dining room.

“Don’t talk to me.” There was nothing I needed to say to him.

“You look nice.”

I faced him. “Uniforms don’t suit me. I hate this outfit.”

“You’ll get used to it. They don’t have casual dress days at Briarwood.”

I ignored him and sat at the dining table.

“Good morning, Addison. Are you excited about today?” Petra asked as she stepped into the room with her usual Bloody Mary and took a seat next to Stuart.

“No.” I poked my fork at a plate with toast
.
My stomach gurgled, and I lowered my fork.
So much for a good breakfast.
I sipped my water.
Why was I nervous? I’ve started new schools before.

“It’ll get better, I’m sure,” she said.

I didn’t respond. I was sure it wouldn’t get better at home, but maybe I could make some friends who could help me get the hell out of here.

Stuart insisted I ride with him instead of with Petra and the other kids. I’m sure it was so I couldn’t ask them what happened. He dropped me off in front of the school promptly at 7:10 a.m. with signed paperwork to return to Dean Marshal and told me that he would pick me up at 4:30. p.m. 

The students' curious stares followed me as I made my way across the campus to the administration building. This was always the worst part of starting a new school in the middle of the quarter. I kept my head down.

The Dean’s office was locked and closed. I sat in the hall on a stone bench and waited. A few girls passed me, giggling, but I tried to pay them no mind and glanced through the packet of information Stuart had given me. Most of the material was the usual stuff: emergency contact information and such.