Page 54 of Sin Bin Bully

"Complicated how?" Alexi presses, her tone sharpening.

I shake my head. "I've just been busy."

"Busy." Her tone is dry. "With…Sam?"

I nod, not really sure what more to say. "It's the off-season, you know, so he's got a lot of free time."

Her eyes burn into my skin as she stares at me. "Kim, what aren't you telling me?"

I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Nothing. I've just been spending all my time here since Sam brought me here, and I-"

Alexi's eyes narrow. "Brought you? Not invited?"

"Well, I mean..." I trail off, unsure how to explain without sounding crazy.

"Kim," she says slowly. "What exactly do you mean by 'brought'?"

I close my eyes, the weight of the truth pressing down on me. There's a war in me because he did tell me I could leave and I didn't. He's defended me, protected me, and I've chosen him every time.

"Just that he... he brought me here." I can't meet her eyes as I say it because I don't know how to fix this. This is exactly what I was worried about. "And I've been here since the end of the season party."

The silence that follows is deafening. When I open my eyes, Alexi's face is a mask of horror and disgust. It's clear she can see exactly what happened.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she hisses. "He kidnapped you, and you're sleeping with him?"

I flinch at her words. "It's not like that, Alexi. It's... complicated."

"Complicated?" Alexi stands up, her body rigid with anger. "There's nothing complicated about it, Kim. You are answering texts, no one has talked to you, and he 'brought' you here. It sounds like he took you against your will. That's kidnapping. And now you're, what, Stockholm Syndromed?"

"No, I..." I start, but the words die in my throat. How can I explain something I barely understand myself?

Alexi shakes her head, backing away from me. "I can't believe this. Do you need help? Did he do something to you? Because this? This is fucked up."

I feel my heart racing, my palms growing slick with sweat. Alexi's words echo in my head, and I struggle to find the right response. "You don't understand," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Sam, he... he protects me."

Alexi's eyes widen, her expression a mix of disbelief and concern. "Protects you? From what, Kim? Your freedom?"

I shake my head, frustration building. "No, it's not like that. He keeps me safe from... from everything." The words sound hollow even to my own ears. What is happening?

"Everything?" Alexi scoffs. "Like what? The big bad world outside this gilded cage?"

Her words sting, and I find myself on the defensive. "He helped me with my brother, with the drug charges. He got me out of that mess."

"A mess he could've solved without kidnapping you," Alexi counters, her voice sharp. "Normal people call the police, Kim. They don't lock someone up in their mansion."

I flinch at her words, memories of those first days flooding back. The locked doors, the isolation. But then I remember the gifts, the tender moments. "He gives me everything I could ever want," I argue weakly.

Alexi's laugh is bitter. "Everything except your freedom, right? Wake up, Kim! This isn't love, it's control."

Her words hit me like a physical blow. I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly cold. "You don't know him like I do," I whisper.

"And you don't know yourself anymore," Alexi retorts. She stands up, pacing the room. "Listen to yourself, Kim. You're defending a man who took you against your will. Who keeps you isolated from your friends and family. How is that okay?"

I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. My mind is a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. Sam's smile, his touch, the way he makes me feel... but also the fear, the uncertainty, the loss of control.

Alexi's voice softens, and she kneels in front of me. "Kim, honey, this isn't normal. This isn't healthy. You need to see that."

I meet her gaze, and for the first time in weeks, I feel a crack in the facade I've built around myself. "I... I don't know what to think anymore," I admit, my voice breaking.

---