Page 57 of Blackmailed to the Altar

During our sessions, she had many complaints about how she was living her life. Which wasn’t a ton of action. She hated homework. The steps to healing were sometimes too much for her to bear. Every time I had her work on something new, she complained. But at least she was trying. Therapy looked different for everyone, and after what Eden had been through, she deserved someone to help her through the dark.

I just wished she wasn’t so brainwashed.

I didn’t have the full love story, but I knew Silas did some shady shit to get them to where they were right now. Not much different from Riccardo and Sebastian. If anything, I thought Silas was the sane one of the bunch.

I kicked off my heels and sank back into the chair. I didn’t know why I dressed for my sessions with Eden. It wasn’t like we were in my real office. I could wear pajamas and I was certain she wouldn’t care. I wasn’t going to think about being late. It was best to think about how I could help Eden instead. I’d deal with my own problems later.

But I guess that was the professional in me.

I glanced up at the sound of the office door opening. Sebastian stumbled inside, holding his head.

“It’s too fucking loud,” he grumbled.

“Sebastian?” I rose halfway up from the seat.

“I’m fine, just stay there.” He grimaced.

“You look like you’re in pain. Are you sure you’re fine?” I sat back down as he’d commanded.

“Yes, I just need something to kill the voice in my head. What medicine can I take, doc?”

I didn’t like how he’d started calling me that. I much preferred Riccardo’s firecracker. It felt like Sebastian was making fun of me everytime he said it. “Yeah.” Fed up, I grabbed a pen and a notepad.

I wrote down a random cocktail blend that I knew would knock Sebastian on his ass. I ripped out the sheet of paper and held it between us. Sebastian looked at it, but made no move to take it.

“Well?” I waved the paper in front of his face. “You can take all of this, and you’ll be fine.”

“Fuck, yes.” He snatched it out of my hands and left the office, slamming the door in his wake.

“You’re welcome,” I said in the silence. “Don’t come crying to me when they knock you on your ass.”

I headed back into the room I’d been given. While Eden spoke to me, I’d looked through the desk and found my phone just sitting there. What were the odds? No matter what, though, I couldn’t stop fixating on my body changing. Was I really pregnant? I should’ve taken the test. I beat myself in the head with the phone lightly.

“Idiot,” I mumbled. My heart hurt, and for once I wished my best friend Nina was here with me. She would know what to do. What to say. This was the moment that I needed her to give me a plan, and hopefully it would be solid. Maybe an escape plan?

I was going to call Nina. Hovering over her number with my finger, I agonized over what to say. Not only to talk about this possible baby on the way. Not only to talk about the fact that I’m forcibly living in Italy, or even that Eden, the girl who was kidnapped from campus, lives here as well. No, I wanted to hear her voice and let her know that I was okay.

She had to be worried sick. I promised to meet up with her a week after her last session, and then disappeared. I knew Sebastian or Riccardo, one of those fuckers, had sent a mass email out to my school, letting them know I needed a vacation, and would be off the grid.

He’d texted all my close friends and relatives the same. Still, I knew Nina wouldn’t give up. She would know that was unlike me. I was a workhorse. I wouldn’t take vacation at all if I could help it.

A number I didn’t recognize suddenly called my phone, which Sebastian had clearly been keeping charged up too. Normally, I would ignore a spam call, however, I was curious who would call me. Maybe they could help me get out of Italy, or maybe they’d had news of my disappearance. Either way, I was going to go for broke.

“M-mya?” Nina whispered.

“Little?” I choked on a sob.

“B-big?” Nina gasped. “I was able to steal a phone. Where the hell have you been?”

Confused, I asked. “Wait, steal a phone?” I let out a watery chuckle. “It’s a long fucking story, gir–”

A loud voice in the background said, “SOLD.” There was a distinctive murmur and then some muffled shuffling.

“N-Nina? What the hell is going on? Where are you?” I hissed into the receiver.

“Well, you see… what happened was–”

“Hey, you!” A man shouted. “What the hell are you doing back here?”

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