Page 53 of The Depraved Prince
This cathedral looked like a church on the outside, but what a Gothic daydream on the inside.
I touch the brass handle of the bathtub and turn it to get as warm as possible. I grip both sides of the tub as I lay my sore body in. I listen to the water run, staring at the water flowing and building, contemplating my next move.
When I getout of the bath, I see something odd. Another delicious breakfast tray sits on a silver tray. The scent of organic maple syrup captures my attention. One of the guards must have brought it in while I was showering.
Pancakes, eggs, beans, and orange juice…and another tape. It sits on my nightstand with a player.
Did it slip from his pockets? Or is this some trick-or-sick game to torture me?
Still in my towel and drenched waves, I hold onto it as I sprint over. Water from my wet hair sprays the floor, but I don’t care. Even when I almost slip and fall.
I’m hit with a rush of adrenaline at the thought of hearing my family again.
I put the tape in and hit play.
Nash: “Look, sis, I don’t know if you’re going through some weird phase in your life, but this isn’t fucking funny. You could at least give us a phone call and let us know you’re okay, that you’re alive, because you matter, Millie. Don’t do anything stupid. You matter to us. We love you…you matter.”
Cole: “Millie. I need to hear your voice. I’ve never in my life been so desperate to hear someone say hello before…”he shuffles the phone against his shoulder before he continues. He inhales a breath, and it does that static thing against the speaker…he’s nervous. “I miss you. I miss seeing you here at the coffee shop. I miss seeing how you bite your lip when rushhours come in, and you’re stressed. I miss the way I would walk into the coffee shop happy. Not because I enjoy being the supervisor but because I know you’ll be there around me. I miss it. I miss you. Please…come back. How am I supposed to survive these shifts with Hayes and Leah? They’re a pain in the ass. Come save me…” He laughs, forcing a joke. But his laugh sounds different. There’s a hint of a break, and it’s painted with sorrow.“Save me from another day of missing you. I hope you’re okay. And I hope that when you do come back because I do not doubt that you will” —he rushes out like a fact—“I would love to give us a second chance again. When you return, I want to take you out on a date, and I’m not taking no for an answer. If I have to sit on your doorstep with your favorite flowers and chocolates, which I know are peonies, then that’s what I’ll do. I’ll always care about you, Millie. I’ll always want you.”
I expect to hear more messages, but it stops paying. I hold it with my palms as the water drips down my naked chest, contemplating all that I’ve been through.
Even if I found a phone to let them know that I was still alive, what would I say? How could I put any of this into words?
Hey Dad, sorry I disappeared. A stupid, hot billionaire vampire has kidnapped me?
Hey Cole, I would love to give us another shot, except I’m not sure my heart would truly ever forget about the vampire I willingly kissed, even though he’s kidnapped me against my will.
Hey Leah, I would love to catch up with you and tell you everything, but I’m scared I’ll be putting you at risk.
Hey mom, I?—
What would I say?
At the end of the day, I don’t think those details would matter. Because if I were in their shoes, I would just be happy to know my loved one is safe and alive.
Would they think I lost my marbles? Check.
Would I risk their lives by letting them into my own snow globe of chaos and then return to Texas without protection? Check.
I glance around the room. There’s an eerie silence like there is every morning when I wake up alone, and I refuse to do this over and over again until Hayden takes from me and no longer has any use for my body.
I demand an explanation. Everyone keeps saying Valkyrie this and Valkyrie that. Why am I so important? Why does every vampire look like they want to bite me?
Maybe there’s a way to give them what they want, and I can still be in one piece and be able to go back and live an everyday life. Maybe a normal life with human friends and a human boyfriend...maybe with Cole.
His recording sent me back down memory lane and reminded me of how sweet, warm, and kind he always was with me. Patient and never demanding. The exact opposite of a certain atrocious vampire that has kidnapped and eaten me out like I was his last meal.
Footsteps walk down the hall with loud clinks stealing me from my reminiscence. A shadow flickers underneath the doors, signaling someone is walking by. I get up from the bed and place the recorder on the nightstand. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I refuse to spend another day in the room alone with re-runs of baking and comedy shows.
Don't get me wrong, I love those things, but I’m going stir-crazy after the repetitive routine over the past few days.
I run to the closet and grab the first thing I lay my tired eyes on. It's a wooden closet full of laced black and red dresses, skirts, and tops. Red and black, no other options of color.
I slip on the first long black laced dress with a flower pattern on the long sleeves that meet my wrists and chest. It’s gorgeous and hugs all my curves once I put it on.
I run to the door and bang on it with one tightened fist just as I turn the door knob with my other. I’m about to pound and scream, prepared for my throat to bleed with my ruthless begging like I did before.
But to my surprise, the door rolls forward slowly.
