Page 33 of Something Borrowed

I wake up with a smile on my face, wanting to go back to sleep and return to the dream.

My body is tingling with the remnants of how he made me feel. The excitement. The delightful games I want to play with him.

Glancing at my phone I see it’s already past nine.

My legs flex as I stretch them out beneath the blankets. It’s time for coffee. A shower. A new day.

Padding my way down to the kitchen, still trying to yawn away the last drowsy faded bits of sleep, I have a silly smile on my face.

My father looks up at me from the coffee station.

“Morning, daddy.” I mumble sweetly.

He grunts his response, picking up his coffee and turning towards me.

“Your flight is booked and paid for. You leave on Thursday night.”

My heart stops cold in my chest.

“Leave?” I rub my eyes, trying to force myself awake and deal with the thick vein of fear that has flooded my veins.

“I warned you, Verity. And now you will have to deal with the consequences.” He says coldly.

“Leave to where?” I say, my voice reaching a higher octave as panic tightens my throat.

“To the convent.”

“Daddy, I’m sorry, can we talk about this? You don’t have to send me away, it was just a silly.”

“It’s done, Verity. The time for talking is over. You had your chance. You made your choice.”

He walks out of the kitchen, and I grab his arm. “Daddy.”

“Get your fucking hands off me.” He snarls in anger and I wince away from him.

I’ve never seen that look on his face before.

Frozen in place my bare feet are cold against the marble floor. But not as cold as the thread of fear and anger mixing inside me. I don’t know what to do. There is no fucking way I am going to go live in a convent. Not a chance. I have to find a way out of this.

I have to convince my father to change his mind.

Taking the stairs two at a time I run back up to my room and grab my phone.

Me: My father has booked my flight to Europe. He is sending me to live in a convent. I’m leaving on Thursday.

My stomach is churning with worry.

Rufino: I will never let that happen, vixen. You are not going anywhere. I will fix this.

Me: What are you going to do?

Rufino: Let me worry about that.

A thrill of fear and excitement pulses through me.

But I also know my father. He will never change his mind. There is no chance in hell that Rufino is going to talk him out of this.

As much as I want to believe there is a way out - I also accept my fate. My father is a powerful man.

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