“Suit yourself and we’ll see. You couldn’t wash your hair, so what makes you think you can brush it?” He sighed.
He left the room and I opened the drawer that displayed five different beautiful bras, in different colors. A couple of them were plain, but the rest of them were made of lace and sparkles. Each bra had matching panties that came in twos. One a thong and the other bikini-style. I put on one of the lacy bras, and I walked over to the double doors and opened them, revealing a large walk-in closet with built-in shelves from floor to ceiling. I’d never seen anything like this in person; only in the movies. On the shelves were a few pairs of pants that were neatly folded and a few shirts that hung on the rack. I dug through until I found a pair of black leggings. I grabbed a long, pink shirt from the hanger and slipped that on first. Putting on my leggings was difficult, but I managed. Soon, there was a knock at the door and Ian peeked his head through.
“Decent?”
“Yes, and I thought you left.”
“I wanted to stick around and watch you try to brush your hair. In the drawer of the vanity are the brushes and combs.”
I walked over and sat down at the vanity, opened the drawer, and took out a large brush. I started with my ends first, so I didn’t have to raise my arm any higher than necessary.
“For fuck sake, Rory, give me the damn brush,” he said as he walked over and grabbed it out of my hand.
“Do you need to curse?”
“I apologize,” he said as he gently brushed my long hair.
I stared out the window as each brush stroke relaxed me more and more. “How was your soup?” Ian asked.
“I despise chicken soup. But I will admit that Charles made it pretty good.”
“Why do you despise chicken soup? Everybody loves chicken soup.”
I was in such a daze from the way he was brushing my hair that I didn’t even realize what I’d said.
“I used to love it at one time, when I was a little girl. But when it becomes the only food you are forced to eat every single day, you reach a point when you never want to eat chicken soup again.”
The movement of the hairbrush stopped as he stared at me through the mirror of the vanity. I didn’t realize it until I looked and saw his mesmerizing eyes staring back at me. “Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“Doing what?” he replied as he continued to brush my hair.
“Buying me clothes and helping me with my hair. Why?”
“You fell into my limo. What was I supposed to do? Kick you out and let you die?”
“You could have dropped me off at a hospital and left.”
“Perhaps, but I felt you would be better off here, given your circumstances. It’s not every day that a beautiful young woman falls into my limo with a stab wound. I was intrigued, and besides, you have no clothes; in fact, you have nothing.”
I smiled softly as I looked at him. He called me “beautiful.” No one had ever told me I was beautiful, except my mom.
“And there’s her smile,” Ian said.
He looked at his watch, set the brush down, took my hand, and helped me back to bed. “I have a date, and if I don’t go and get ready, I’m going to be late. So if you’ll excuse me, Rory, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And just like that, he was gone. Ian Braxton had a date. What would his date think about him harboring a wounded girl, helping her in the shower, and buying her sexy bras and thongs? It didn’t matter anyway; this was a world in which I didn’t belong. As I lay down and turned my head towards the window, I closed my eyes and fell asleep to the sounds of the waves lapping against the shoreline.
When I awoke a couple of hours later, I couldn’t seem to go back to sleep. I felt restless and like a caged animal, being cooped up in this room. When I looked at the clock, I noticed it was one a.m. I carefully got out of bed and opened the door as quietly as I could. I looked down the long hallway and to my right at the spiral staircase. I carefully pulled the door closed behind me, and I slowly walked down the stairs. I found my way to the back of the house and stepped outside the door wall. As I stood on the open patio, I breathed in the ocean air and light breeze that came my way. I sat down in the oversized lounge chair that faced the beach. As my mind began wondering if Ian was home, I heard laughter coming from inside the house. I slowly turned my head and caught a glimpse of Ian and his date heading up the stairs. I turned back and looked up at the stars that lit up the night sky. For the first time in my twenty-three years of life, I felt peace. I closed my eyes and thought about Ian walking up those stairs with that woman.
****
My eyes opened and I found myself covered with a blanket. I was still on the lounge chair. I slowly sat up as Ian came walking out onto the patio with a cup in his hand.
“I hope you drink coffee because I brought you some.”
“Thank you,” I said as I took the cup from him.
“Cream?” he asked as he held up the carton.
“Just a little.” I smiled.
The morning air was just as breathtaking as the night air. I looked out at the calmness of the ocean as the sun was up, displaying its beauty in the clear blue sky. Ian took a seat in the lounge chair next to me as he sipped his coffee.
“When I came in last night and saw you sleeping here, you looked so peaceful, and I didn’t want to disturb you. There’s nothing like waking up with the warm morning air surrounding you.”
“It’s beautiful here.” I smiled.
“How are you feeling, Aurora?”
I looked at him sternly because I’d asked him not to call me that. “My apologies. It’s just Aurora is the name of a princess and, when you sleep, you look like Sleeping Beauty.”
The pit of my stomach started to ache and my heart started to pick up its pace. Why was he saying these things to me? Why does he keep saying I’m beautiful? I’m not. I’m nothing but an ordinary girl with a messed up life.
“Thanks, but I’m far from it.” I laughed softly.
Ian smiled and turned his head towards the ocean as I asked him a question that I wanted to know the answer to.
“How was your date last night?”
“It was fine. Why do you ask?”
“I’m just trying to make conversation, that’s all.”
“Why would you make my date the topic of conversation, Rory? Why not start the conversation by telling me who you are and where you’re from and, most importantly, why were you hurt and who did it? Was it your boyfriend?”
I wouldn’t look at him as I sipped my coffee and stared out into the depths of the ocean. “What makes you think I have a boyfriend?” I asked.
“Damn it, Rory. Why do you evade my questions?” he asked as he got up from his chair. He knelt down next to me and cupped my chin in his hand. “If you won’t tell me, then I’ll just find out for myself,” he said as he got up and walked away.
The fact of the matter was that, growing up, I was never allowed to tell anybody anything. Everything about my life was a secret. As I was in deep thought, Ian yelled from the door.
“It’s time for breakfast and you’re joining us. So, come inside, now.”
I turned and looked at him as he walked away. I got up from my chair and walked back inside the house. Mandy, one of the maids, showed me to the dining room where Ian and another woman sat. He stared at me as I entered the room and told me to have a seat.
“Rory, I would like you to meet Adalynn.”
“Hi, Rory. It’s nice to meet you.” She smiled as she reached her hand across the table.
“Hi.”
This wasn’t the same woman I saw Ian with last night. Adalynn was beautiful. Her dark hair was long and her light blue eyes had a hint of gray in them, making them a stunning color. Her high cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes, and full lips gave her an exotic look. Mandy set down a bowl of fruit in front of me and poured some more coffee in my cup.
“I hope you like fruit. I wouldn’t know, since you won’t tell me a damn thing about you,” Ia
n spoke.
“Leave the girl alone, Ian. She’s been through hell and she doesn’t need you to make her feel worse,” Adalynn said as she winked at me.
“I do like fruit, Ian.” I smiled.
“Well, there’s a start. I finally know something she likes,” he said with a cocky attitude.
I had had just about enough of his cockiness. I looked at him and tilted my head. “Why is it so important to you that you know about me? You’re a millionaire. That much I’ve gathered just from being in this house and seeing the way you dress. I get the impression that you like to control things and people. You come off as arrogant and demeaning, and I’m not comfortable telling you about my lousy life and the shithole that I came from.”
“Damn it!” he said as he slammed his fists on the table. “I saved your life!”
I threw my napkin on the table as I spoke sternly. “Maybe you shouldn’t have.”
I slowly got up from my seat and held my side as I walked outside and down to the beach. The sand felt like I’d always imagined it would. It was so soft and warm as I sat down and ran my hands through it. Did I really mean what I said to Ian about he shouldn’t have saved me? I didn’t know. Maybe I should’ve just told him so he’d leave me alone.
Chapter 3
Ian walked over to where I was sitting and sat down next to me. He brought his knees up to his chest and sighed. “You sure know how to make an exit.”
“My name is Aurora Jean Sinclair. I’m twenty-three years old, and I come from a small town in Indiana. I want to thank you, Mr. Ian Braxton, for saving my life.”
Ian looked over at me and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Rory, and you’re very welcome.”
My hands were deep in the sand as I picked some up and held it in between my fingers. Ian stared at me for a moment before speaking.
“The way you’re playing with that sand, I’d assume that you’ve never touched sand before.”
“Only once.”
He chuckled lightly. “Yeah, right.”
I looked at him with all seriousness. “It’s true. This is the first time that I’ve seen the ocean and the second time that I’ve felt the sand.”
His eyes gazed into mine as he slowly shook his head. “You’re dead serious,” he whispered.
“All of this. The beautiful ocean air, the warm, soft sand, the peaceful sounds of the waves, you take for granted. To me, this is something I’ll cherish forever because I thought I’d never be able to experience it.”
I looked down for a moment as I could see the pity in his eyes. I didn’t want pity. My life was what it was, but I refused to let it define me as a person. “That’s only a small fraction of my life, Ian. I’m not sure you want to hear the rest.”
He reached over and took a hold of my hand. I looked at him. “I’ve pressed my hand against your bloody wound. I’ve shampooed your hair in the shower. I brushed your hair for you. I’ve given you a safe place to stay. I don’t think there’s any harm in holding your hand.” He smiled.
To be honest, I didn’t want him holding my hand, because the feeling that overtook me when he touched me was overwhelming and frightening. I gave him a small smile and lightly squeezed his hand.
“What about your parents?” he asked hesitantly.
“I never knew my dad because I was conceived during a one-night stand. See, I was doomed from the start.”
“Don’t say that, Rory.”
“My mom died when I was ten years old of pneumonia. We didn’t have any money to pay the doctor, so she just didn’t go and she died,” I said as the tears swelled in my eyes. “My aunt took me and my brother in after the state took us away. She refused at first, but when she found out that she would get paid for taking care of us, she changed her mind. We lived in a two-bedroom house and my brother and I had to share a room. My aunt was a drug addict and she used the money the state sent her for drugs. The house was filthy and falling apart. I tried to clean it every week, but it didn’t matter; she would just mess it up as fast as I cleaned it. She brought a different guy home every night. She’d have sex with them and they’d pay her either in cash or drugs. She didn’t pay attention to us. She told my brother and I that we were only there for a place to stay and that she wasn’t playing mommy, but we weren’t allowed to tell anyone that. We weren’t allowed to talk about our home life.”
Ian squeezed my hand and looked down. “My God, Rory.”
“We weren’t allowed to have friends because they would see how we lived and my aunt couldn’t risk it. I engrossed myself in my studies and tried to learn everything I could about the world, so one day, I could get out of that shithole.”
“Who hurt you, Rory?” Ian asked.
I closed my eyes and freed my hand from his. “My brother, Stephen. You know what, I’m really tired, and I think I’m just going to go back to my room,” I said as I got up and left Ian sitting in the sand as I walked back to the house.
I lay myself down on the bed as the tears fell down my face. Living that life was one thing, but having to tell someone was far worse. I was ashamed and embarrassed, but I survived and became strong because of it. I was finally out and there was no way I was going back, ever. I fell asleep for a while and, when I woke up, the beautiful morning was gone and the afternoon had brought in dark clouds and rain. I got up from the bed and stepped into the shower. I sat on my knees on the shower floor and brought my head down so I could wash my hair. Once I was finished, I got dressed and walked downstairs. As I made my way to the kitchen, Charles was in there cooking. I noticed a young man sitting at the table. I instantly had a flashback of that night.
“Good day, Miss Rory,” Charles said as he stood over the stove, stirring something.
“Hello, Charles.” I smiled.
“Rory, I’m Joshua.” He smiled as he held out his hand.
I walked over to the table and shook his hand. “You’re the one I ran into on the street.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Thank you for helping me,” I said.
“No problem.” He smiled. “I would’ve come up to see you, but I just got back from having a few days off.”
“Miss Rory, please sit down and let me make you a sandwich,” Charles said.
“Thank you, Charles, I’d like that. Do you know where Ian is?” I asked.
“I think he’s in his study. Go through the living room and it’s on your left,” Joshua answered.
“Thanks, Joshua.”
I walked out of the kitchen and found Ian’s study. He was sitting behind a large cherry wood desk, typing on his computer. As I entered, he looked up at me.
“You’re awake,” he said as he looked back at this computer.
“My brother, Stephen, is a schizophrenic, and I brought him to L.A. to visit a doctor who was doing a trial study with an experimental drug.”
His eyes looked away from his computer and straight at me. “Go on,” he said.
“In order for him to be in the trial, he had to stop taking his meds one month prior to his appointment. We were in the motel room and I asked him if he could turn the TV on while I went and took a shower. He’d been irritable the whole way to L.A., and I knew it was only a matter of time before he snapped. I was just hoping that he’d been in the trial study before he did. Anyway, he told me that the voices in his head wouldn’t let him turn the TV on. So I walked over and turned it on myself. He pushed me out of the way and turned it off. I told him to knock it off and to go lie down and get some rest. He started screaming at me and told me to stop telling him what to do. He said the voices were yelling at him to make me stop. I turned my back on him and, before I knew it, I felt the knife plunging into me.”
I started to shake as I relived that night. Ian jumped up from his chair and grabbed me before I could fall. He wrapped his arms around me and held me as we slowly dropped to the ground.
“You’re safe now,” he said as he held my head against his chest. “He’s never going to hurt you again.”
> As soon as I snapped back into reality, I lifted my head and looked at Ian. The only thing I could see were his perfectly shaped lips that I wanted to kiss. “I’m sorry,” I said as I nervously got up off the floor and out of his arms.
“Don’t be sorry, Rory. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
I took in a deep breath. “Charles is making me a sandwich. I should go and see if it’s ready.”
Ian smiled. “Tell Charles to me make me one too, and I’ll join you shortly.”
I walked out of his study, embarrassed once again. As I walked into the kitchen, Charles had my sandwich made and sitting on the table. “Thank you, Charles. Ian asked if you’d make him one as well.”
“You’re welcome, Miss Rory.” He smiled.
“Please, just call me Rory.”
****
A few days had passed and every day I was feeling stronger. I spent most of my days sitting on the beach or by Ian’s pool. Ian spent his days at the office, and I still didn’t know what he did. He didn’t offer any information and I didn’t ask. When he’d come home, he’d shower, change his clothes, and go out on his nightly dates. More often than not, he’d bring the women back here, but they were always gone in the morning. The strange thing was the way he looked at me every time he left for the night. It was almost as if he was apologizing. Thoughts of him burned through me every second of every day.
As I was sitting by the pool, I heard Adalynn’s voice coming from inside.
“There you are. I was looking for you.”
“You were? Why?” I asked as I opened one eye and looked at her.
“Because I want to know if you’re up to going out?”
“Going out? Where?”
“It’s a surprise. Just tell me yes or no.” She smiled.
To get out of this house sounded like a wonderful idea. But I was kind of scared at what Adelynn had planned, and I’d only met her that one time at breakfast. I agreed anyway because I was desperate to get away from here for a while, and I wanted a friend.
“Just let me run upstairs and change.” I smiled.
As soon as I changed my clothes, I met Adalynn in the front, where her town car was waiting for us. “The first thing we’re going to do is get our hair done. I thought we’d have girls’ day out with some shopping and pampering.”