ONE MORE MISTAKE
DISTANCE
After spending some time in the lobby, I made my way back to Caine's room. I knocked and didn't enter until I heard Caine voice telling me to come in.
"Thanks for leaving me with my parents. Did you know what they were telling me? They kept on talking how they would bring my little cousins to visit me. You've met my cousins before and you would know that they are little devils. How-" he soon stopped talking when he seen me standing by the door with a thoughtful look on my face.
"Guess who I saw earlier in the hospital?" I asked him, closing the door behind me and standing in front of the bed.
"Who?" He looked at window that showed the hallway. I hesitated, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell him but it was too late for me to change my mind.
"Rory. He was here in the hospital, just out there in the hallway." I say as look at Caine, waiting for a reaction but I didn't get one. Instead he looked annoyed, and bothered. He looked away from the window and laid his head back, closing his eyes.
I knew exactly what he was doing.
"Oh, Rory Clark." I knew that Caine didn't like Rory, he's never told me why. I gathered that Rory did something to him, because Caine disliking someone just because didn't sound like him.
"I've seen him pass by the hallway a couple times." He shrugged.
"What? Why haven't you told me before?" I asked, sitting down beside his legs.
He opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows.
"I didn't know you'd care." He admitted.
"I don't, I'm just surprised that he's here. Do you think he's visiting someone?" I didn't care, I was just curious about the situation. Someone like Rory, roaming the hospital hallways was unusual.
"And you don't care?" He said, his head shaking. I rarely get to see Caine like this, it made me even more curious about the whole thing. I wondered how heavy the situation was between them, I never dared to ask him the reason behind it. Now, it was hard not to.
"Why do you hate him?" The words slipped out of me. Caine glanced away from me, a frown forming on his face. He crossed his arms, and opened his lips but no words came out. He was having trouble explaining it to me, and I knew I should forget it. If Caine didn't want to tell me about it, I wasn't going to force it out of him.
But I did feel disappointed and it wasn't only because of this. It's been many times since I've felt this strange distance between us. I was also at fault for keeping things to myself.
I wasn't sure of the time we stopped talking about things that mattered to us. We were close, once, we would share our secrets, the ones we would be scared to share. We would admit things to each other that we never admit to anyone else.
He was the one who was there for me when Sterling died. I was the one who would hold his hand for comfort. Now we were keeping things from one another.
"I don't think it's my place to say anything." He ended up saying and I didn't ask for clarification. For the remaining time I was there, we talked about something else to try and ignore the odd atmosphere between us.
After spending a while more in the hospital, I left home.
I was able to stay with Caine longer because I knew my uncle wasn't going to be home. I wasn't worried about getting there at specific time, and I wished it was like that all the time.
Bruce wasn't always like this with me, he used to let me do my own thing and he wouldn't care as long as it didn't hurt him in any way. However, when I didn't come home one night, there was a switch in him.
He became paranoid, thinking that the reason why I didn't come home was because I was planning to run away and take all his money. He never let me explain why I was away that night, he never even asked if I was okay. All he did when I got home was drag me to my room to cage me there.
I knew then that if it weren't for the money, he wouldn't even have cared if I was gone because it wasn't about me but about my inheritance he desperately wanted. That's the only reason why he fought so hard to have full custody of me.
From there on out, he took full control of my life.
When I arrived at the house, I parked my car right outside. I grabbed my jacket from the backseat and quickly put it on.
I got off the car and shielded myself from the rain. Once I made it inside, I removed my jacket and shoes.
I didn't noticed the figure that was standing right by the staircase until I looked up.
I should've expected it, Bruce wasn't stupid. This was a test and I failed.
I released a shaky breath and waited for him to come down the stairs to meet me. He walked slow, his face hard and I knew he was doing this to intimidate me.
Another test, I thought.
I looked away from him as he got closer to me. He released a small breath and from the corner of my eyes I saw his lips tilt upward. Then I saw his arm move towards me, not a moment later I felt his fingers grip my chin. He pulled my face to meet his.
"The rules were simple, I don't understand why you don't follow them." Even though he was making me face him, I didn't meet his eye. "Thea look at me," he said, his breath blowing on my face.
I glared at him.
He showed me his teeth, it was the ugliest I've ever seen him.
"You remind me so much of your mom." The words weren't meant to be a compliment, rather a punishment. "My dead poor sister," he never missed the chance to bring her up so he could remind me she was gone.
"If she could see you right now, she'll be disappointed because look at you." He didn't need to say all my ugly truths, I heard them thousands of times that I've memorized them all. His voice rang in my head almost as he was telling me.
If she could see how broken her daughter is, how much of a pathetic excuse she was.
You're difficult, too stupid and weak. You should be grateful that the only family you had left wanted you.
The worst part was that I started to believe them.
No matter how hard I tried to ignore his words, they still made their way to my head to taunt me. It wasn't as easy to pass over as it once was before.
He ripped his fingers off my chin and took a step back as if he were disgusted by me. He searched my face and his face twisted in a deep angry frown.
"Where were you?" He spat, his smile long gone from his face. I took everything in me to force a smile, then I took a step towards him.
I shrugged, lifting my arms up.
"Why do you want know? It's not like you'll believe me." He didn't answer my question, instead he took a step closer to me and held my eyes with such disdain.
"Where?" He asked again. His temper was running low and I knew I should've told him where I was, but I couldn't ignore the urge to tell him something that'll hurt.
"Use one of your spies to figure it out." I replied, leaning forward so he'll see the smile on my face and hear the mockery in my voice.
He was frozen for a moment, just for a moment, and I should've known this was him giving me the chance to move. But before I could, he grabs me by my arm and pulls me towards him. He twists it in an abnormal direction and I hear the crack in my bones, but he doesn't let me go.
I don't give him a reaction, I hold his mean glare and take in the pain.
"What can I do to make you listen? Do you always want me to resort to violence? That seems to be the best tactic to use on you. Do you like the violence, is that it?" He gripped my arm tightly and with his other hand he grips my throat.
Tears were threatening to fall but I couldn't cry in front of him. I couldn't let him see that he was doing it, he was breaking me.
I wanted to lash out at him, and show him that I wasn't afraid of him but I could hardly move. He kept me in place, just like he always does.
Being this close to him, I was able to see just how deeply disturbed he was. I wasn't sure if it had to do with how he was treating me or by the fact that I wasn't reacting in the way he wanted me to. I wondered if he was expecting me to cry and beg him to stop.
"Kace." He called out while still having his eyes one me. I see his discomfort change into disappointment then he looks away from me and lets me go. He pushes me far away from him making me lose my balance and I landed on the floor, pain erupting all over my body.
"Yes, sir." A deep voice called out from behind me.
I softly groan, as I rub my bruised throat.
Bruce doesn't look at me again. Instead he walks towards his table of alcohol and serves himself a glass. He tilts his head up as he downs his drink.
He groans and wipes his face. Then he turns to look at the person standing behind me. However I still glare at him and I know he could feel my rage. I know that's the reason why he won't look at me. He hated when he saw something that reminded him of himself.
I picked myself up from the floor and cradled my arm once I was standing.
"Kace is now your security guard so get used to it because you're not going anywhere by yourself anymore." Bruce was still, his eyes hard and cold.
I willed him to look at me but he never did.
I looked over my shoulder and found a tall man standing with his arms behind him. His eyes weren't as cruel as Bruce but they still held some kind of coldness.
Kace didn't look at me either. He looked straight ahead, his face blank.
I smiled despite my situation.
"Let's see if he can keep up," I replied as I started do walk up to my room and just as I was about to be out of sight I heard Bruce say my name.
I stopped.
"You won't be leaving this house, not until I allow you to. Understood?" He didn't even turn to look at me, his head was slightly turned however he denied to meet my eyes.
My lips twitched.
"Of course," I replied and walked up the last two steps before walking down the hallway and entering my bedroom. I wasn't gentle when I closed the door.
I sat on my bed and rubbed all the places where I felt pain. I held back my tears as I touched the sensitive spots.
This was the first time Bruce had hurt me this way, he's gave me bruises but today was something else. He took it too far, he's hurt me worse than any other time. I wasn't going to deny that I wasn't afraid because I was.
I've realized that he wasn't going to take all my bullshit. There'll be a time when he'll have enough of me and he'll hurt me much more than he already does. I should know boundaries but whenever he treated me this way I couldn't control my emotions.
I stood up from my bed and paced around my room.
I couldn't stay here, I needed to leave. It was as if the more he prohibited me from leaving, the more I wanted to do it.
I couldn't stand being here in room locked the whole night. I needed to this leave this place, it was hell for me.
I put on a hoodie and just as I was about to pull the door open, I heard voices coming from outside. I wasn't even surprised that Bruce had hired people to stand outside my door so I wouldn't leave. He was taking this seriously and I couldn't do anything.
I turned to face the window, it was the only way out of this place.
I made my way towards the window and slid the window up. I stuck my head out and knew I was out of my mind when I saw the distance between me and the floor. There was no way I could make it down there without getting hurt. I already felt bruises forming all over my body, I didn't think I could afford to have more.
I shut the window and glared at the door. He couldn't keep me locked up in here. He couldn't cage me in this room as if I were nothing but a pet.
I gripped my hand and forced myself to walk towards the door. I held in my breath as I gripped the door and pulled it open.
I was met with a broad back. I didn't need him to turn around to face me in order to know who it was. This was the same guy who stood behind me and watched Bruce mistreat his niece. He stood there and did nothing, but there was little to expect from someone who worked for my uncle.
Kace turned his head slightly, but before he could stop me I walked around him and walked down the hallway. I heard his footsteps following close behind me.
"Ms. Nightingale," before I had the chance to walk down the stairs, Kace blocked my path. He stood close enough that I was forced to look up at him.
Looking at him this closely, I was able to note that he didn't look as cruel as he did earlier. His features were softer, almost welcoming.
I stepped back and crossed my arms.
"Get out of my way," I whisper, hoping that Bruce wasn't near by. I glanced over at Bruce's office door and noticed it was slightly open which meant he was probably in there.
I glanced back at Kace.
"You know I can't do that," he said, and he looked almost apologetic.
I didn't say anything to him, but I stood before him trying to decode his behavior. He's feeling almost guilty for not allowing me to leave the house but just a while ago he didn't give me anything, he didn't even look at me. I wasn't sure if I should trust him.
I took a step towards him and glanced at Bruce's office door.
"You watched him tonight, how he was treating." I met his eyes once again. His eyes flickered down at my throat but he didn't budge. He looked back at me but he gave me the same look. He was sorry but he still wasn't going to go against Bruce's command. Instead, he grabbed the arm my uncle injured and started to tug it but I flinched.
He backed away from me as if I burned him.
"Are you well?" He asked as his eyes danced over my face. I kept my lips closed, holding myself back from cursing him out for touching me. It was more about that fact than the pain pulsing through my arm.
"Don't touch me," I stated coolly and before he could get his hands on me, I walk back toward my room. Once I make it to my room, I close the door and lock it.
I spend the entire day locked in that room, and no matter how hard I tried, I felt the tears falling down my face.