JOANNE-
“Gracious goodness!”
Trinity’s words, flushed cheeks and heaved breath made me burst out into an hysterical laugh, that didn’t stop even after five minutes.
Her heavy gawk on the painting in my room was so funny, it needed a Framed picture.
“Wh- how..
She couldn’t find her words.
I stopped laughing and walked closer to the painting that was now hanging in the wall of my roof.
It looked more than perfect now as my own. It had arrived today after getting it two days ago and the drillers who did the job did exactly good and pinned it to the part where I wanted it on my wall.
“This is too much,” Trinity cried.
I laughed.
“It’s perfect,”
“No… trust me it’s way too…
She shook her head.
“Tempting?” I bumped my shoulder into hers.
“Gosh,” she glared at me. “I was going to say sensual.”
“It’s sensual, yes. And tempting, doesn’t it makes you feel like you want two masculine strong arms weighing you down and pinning you to a b-
“Joanne please.” Trinity interrupted, a mixture of fright and fluster bonding across her face features.
“I’ll stop,” I nodded, beaming.
Teasing Trinity can be the highlight of my day.
She had worked so hard under Hardy’s family domain I wasn’t sure she had experienced what liking a man or wanting a man feels like.
Maybe she had and I didn’t just know.
“You’re unbelievable” Trinity huffed, grabbing the hamper in her hand and dashing to my bed.
I gave my ‘Manically desire’ painting a brief gaze before settling in on Trinity who was now covering my bed with new and freshly washed sheets.
“Hey Tri,” I called softly, and watched her slightly turn her heads towards me.
“Do you ever think about what it would be like, to not work for Hardy anymore” I shrugged.
Strangely I found myself thinking about Trinity and what she said about her family lineage and working for the Bensimon.
It was crazy.
“Well, I have thought about it, but my life wasn’t that great even before not working for Hardy” she mimicked my tone with a huff.
“So you do enjoy working for Hardy?” I asked.
She glanced at me and scoffed.
“Well, yeah, why are you asking this?”
“I don’t know, isn’t it weird. Don’t you ever want to leave his domain and maybe find love outside of the Bensimon walls,”
Trinity’s eyes made a quick flash before she gulped.
“I started working for Hardy when I was Teenager. And well, let’s say, I have tasted love, and it is definitely not my cup of tea”
“It might not be, when you’re that young,” I scoffed.
Her face immediately morphed into some sort of discomfort, “Fine, I agree. Maybe, but why are you so hard on wanting me to leave here and find love?”
“I don’t know” I shrugged, “I care?”
“Oh Miss,” Joanne shook her head. “That’s really sweet of you but I’m good”
“Are you sure?-
“Can we not talk about this?” She cut me off.
I didn’t know what it was, but there was this hard look on Trinity’s face.
It looked like she was about bite my head off and maybe throw herself off a cliff too.
I decided not to press on the matter and just nod at her disapproval.
The moment Trinity left my room, I was approached by Hardy.
At that moment, it felt like my entire world stopped.
We haven’t seen or talked to each other since the night of Trevor jones auction. The mansion had been quiet until the painting came today.
Now it felt like Hardy has his own loudness with just his presence.
He was dressed in all black, a black T-shirt that looked hot ironed against his chest and a matching black pants. An even darker belt centered his hips and I immediately wondered how it would reflect the light in the room If it was lying on the floor.
My subconscious slapped me back to life when I realized Hardy has been speaking to me.
“What?” I shook my head.
I wasn’t-
I shouldn’t fantasise about his body every darn time.
Just because of one good sex.
“I’m asking if you’re okay?” He sounded grumpy and looked like a life span has been cut short out of his life just because he’s asking me.
“Yeah… I’m fine” I nodded.
He glanced down at his phone before turning back to me.
“What would you like to do to Leilani?” He asked,
“What?” I was a bit confused.
He sighed, “I caught the darn witch that tried to take you away, she’s under interrogation, but before anything what would you like to do to her?”
“Do to her, as in, hurt her?” I squinted.
Hardy threw his brows up that screamed nothing but ‘Duh’
“Whoa. She didn’t hurt me that much,”
“Those scratches aren’t much for you?” He sounded mad.
“Yeah,” I nodded.
Hardy scoffed, “I’ll handle this how I want then,”
He turned to leave but stopped when the huge painting in the room caught his eyes.
I didn’t know if it was my imagination or I actually caught his Adam bob while staring.
Well, then again, any sexual active person would be crazy not to gulp at the painting now.
I’m so glad Hardy help me get it, and I heard the money’s going as a fundraiser for a school for the disabled and an orphanage.
Hardy glanced at me suspiciously and I raised my brows at him.
That wasn’t a sign, was it?
“Well, rest well” Hardy said, and that was the last thing he said before exiting the room.
–
That evening I let Trinity wash me before heading to the dining room to eat by myself again.
The moment I was getting on my feet after eating.
Theodore slipped out of the hallway and stopped in front of me.
I took a step back and gaze at his eyes that said so many things at the same time.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, when the silence between us started to linger.
“Not entirely.” He shook his head, “But recall what I promised you that might?”
I raised my brows higher, trying to recall what he promised me.
“Bailey and are father are here…”
My chest made a small pang and my hands clenched a pretty full fist of my aqua dress.
“They’re here?” I asked, to be sure.
“Yes, without Hardy’s consent, so we have to meet them discreetly”
I didn’t know, but somehow all his words made me feel a bit scared. Not like anything would happen to me meeting Bailey who literally sold my existence to Hardy in her place. But the fact that everything was behind Hardy’s back showed he wouldn’t allow any of this if he found out.
“What do you say?” Theodore pressed. “Maybe you’ll change your mind about leaving here after meeting Bailey”
Meeting Bailey.
But what would we say? What would I say? How do I even begin?
Before I knew it, I was striding down the quiet hallways with Theodore, maids were walking and working around, but they were all so light on their feet it didn’t feel human.
My mind wasn’t fixed in a grip and my thoughts were scattered all over the place.
The Bailey I recalled. We never ran out of topics. If it wasn’t about our neighbor skylar who was a flasher only towards Bailey and I, and maybe a girl from downstairs, it was us talking about work, my ex boyfriend or Bailey’s never-ending social life.
But now… How do I ever begin?
–
The door to an unknown room was pulled open by Theodore and he moved out of the way so I could walk in.
My lips were immediately sealed as I walked in and found Bailey’s familiar face settling in on me.
Her hair was now a bright ginger, and her eyes still looked the same shade. She looked a lot skinner than the last time I saw her.
“Jo,” She breathed out like she had just seen a ghost, the moment she took sight of me.
I glanced at Theodore who was holding the door Knob behind me.
“I’ll give you two some privacy,” Theo added as he beckoned the man in the room to step out out with him.
The man got on his feet and with the slight resemblance to Bailey anyone could tell He was Bailey’s father.
And I could swear anytime, anywhere that ig was the first time I was seeing him.
Bailey never mentioned her family, I always assumed they were dead like mine.
Looked like there was a lot of thing she hid from me that I didn’t bother to question.
I trusted her so much.
Mr. Lockwood left with Theodore and the door went shut behind me, leaving me and Bailey alone.
She was now on her feet and staring at me, completely dazed.
“Wow, you look so good,” Was the first thing she breathed out.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t.
Because I didn’t know where to begin.
“Thanks,” I managed to utter after a decade later.
She looked around, noticeably avoiding to hold my gaze.
We were both extremely quiet and it was drowning us.
It was almost laughable, how we went from almost sisters to this.
I couldn’t let the silence linger, because oh would feel like I wasn’t mad at what she did to me, so I decided to speak up.
“Why?” Was what I said and the only thing that immediately vacuumed Bailey’s gaze to me.
She gulped.
“Joanne, I’m sorry”
Okay. Great.
She was going with the lame apology first.
“Sorry’s not going to fix anything” I shook my head.
She turned to look her at feet before slowly going to raise her head and roll her eyes at me.
“Excuse me?” I almost choked on my words.
“What do you want from me then?” She snapped.
What?
–
*