Page 23 of The Truth Between

I turned away from the window and walked into the bathroom. Visions of Soren staring at me while I fucked myself in the shower just a few feet away still haunted me as I picked up the toothbrush and began brushing my teeth. I washed my face before walking back out of the bathroom and toward the closet in the room.

I searched through the clothes that weren’t mine, though they were the right size. Finally, I pulled out a simple navy sweater and a pair of black leggings. The clothes felt snug and warm, perfect for a day like this. They also served as armor of sorts, set to protect me from whatever Soren or his staff were going to throw at me.

Once I was dressed, I ran a brush through my hair as I walked over to the dresser in the room in an effort to make myself look more presentable. I hated that my once beautiful hair, including its purple ends, now looked dull. I found a hair tie that had been resting on the dresser top and put my hair into a messy bun, somewhat hiding the purple. Dying my hair was a symbol of me taking a bold step and doing something I wouldn’t normally do, and I felt anything but courageous at the moment. As I took a step back to fix my hair, my stomach growled, signaling that I should eat something.

With one last glance at the mirror, I stepped out of the room and moved toward the staircase that would take me to the kitchen. I walked down the stairs and entered the dining area where I’d eaten meals with Soren. I glanced at the spot where he’d backed me into the wall and kissed me like his life depended on it, and I shivered at the memory. The kiss had been both terrifying and thrilling at the same time, and I still racked my brain as I tried to decide how I felt about it.

I continued walking until I reached the kitchen and I stopped suddenly. To my surprise, instead of Franklin, I’d found Molly. Then again, maybe it wasn’t so surprising since this was her domain. Her eyes flickered up to meet mine and I could sense the hesitation between us.

“Good morning, Ms. Bennington,” Molly murmured as if she was uncertain about speaking to me.

“Morning, Molly,” I replied. If I was being honest, I wasn’t sure how to approach this either. I couldn’t help but wonder how she’d come to work for Soren.

I followed her hand as she gave me a plate filled with breakfast items, and I noticed she avoided making direct eye contact. “I hope you enjoy it.”

“Thank you,” I said as I took a seat at the bar top. It would have been easy for me to go into the dining room and eat alone, but for some reason, I didn’t want to. As I ate, Molly stayed in the room, tidying up the already clean space.

Once I finished my meal, Molly snatched my plate without a word and began cleaning that too. I sat there awkwardly for a moment because I wasn’t sure how to proceed. When Molly didn’t say another word, I got up and thought of this as an opportunity to examine the house further and figure out an escape plan.

I began to stroll through the mansion’s hallways as my mind worked hard to memorize each turn and where certain rooms were in an attempt to find potential escape routes. Exploring the place allowed me to not feel as creeped out by the mansion, even though it did look like something that could be a part of a haunted attraction at an amusement park.

I discovered windows that were too high for me to reach or too securely fastened for me to open and doors that were locked. As I rounded another corner, I collided with a solid figure, and it took everything in me to gasp instead of screaming in shock.

It was Franklin. It was probably the most grateful I’d been to see him since I’d been here.

“Ms. Bennington,” he said in a monotone voice.

“I was. . . I got lost,” I stammered, my mind scrambling for an excuse when he hadn’t even asked what I was doing. “I was looking for the library.”

Franklin’s gaze didn’t shift at all, and I wondered if he knew I was bullshitting. “The library is down the hall to your left.”

“Thank you,” I said, turning quickly and heading in the direction he indicated without another word. If I stood there any longer, I was guaranteed to screw myself.

Franklin’s stare was burning a hole through me as I walked toward the library. My heart was pounding in my chest, and as I entered the library, I took a deep breath in. I was greeted by slightly musty air, but at least I was alone.

I spent the majority of the day in the library, losing myself in the books that were in there. It seemed as if Soren took great care in having many different kinds of books, making it easy to get lost in mysterious worlds that were not my own.

The weight of everything seemed to lighten a tad as night fell over the mansion. I didn’t move until my stomach growled, alerting me that it had been hours since I’d eaten. I made my way toward the kitchen, slightly wishing that I’d find it empty.

As I neared the kitchen, the gentle hum of a song reached my ears. I walked in and saw Molly busy cleaning the kitchen. Her hands were cleaning the countertops, and her eyes focused intently on her task. But it was the softness of her voice that caught me off guard. It sounded beautiful, and I tried hard to remember if I’d heard it before, but the melody wasn’t ringing any bells.

Taking a hesitant step inside, I cleared my throat. Molly’s song halted abruptly, and she looked up, a mix of surprise and unease flashing in her eyes.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” I began. “I was just looking for something to eat.”

Molly hesitated for a brief moment before her features softened. “It’s alright, dear. Let me whip up something for you.”

As she moved around, fetching ingredients and setting them on the counter, I noticed there was an air of motherly warmth about her that I’d missed being away from Gran, especially during the holidays.

“You were humming,” I said, attempting to forge a conversation. “I was trying to figure out if I knew the tune.”

Molly’s face lit up. “Been humming that one since I was a young girl. It’s soothing.”

We continued to chat, me leaning against the counter while she gathered some food for me. I felt awkward having her do this, but I wasn’t about to stop her because she looked happy to do it. By the time she handed me a warm plate of food, the tension in the room had lightened considerably.

“Thank you, Molly,” I said.

She nodded with a kind smile, “You’re welcome, dear. If you need anything else, please let me know.”

---