Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,118

I press the button for PH and get out of the elevator just as fast. “We can share the same elevator, you know.”

“I know,” I tell her as I watch victoriously the doors close before me. A small victory, but still a victory. I take the other elevator on my right and enjoy a few seconds of peaceful solitude before it takes me to the highest floor.

As I step out, I don’t see Mom around, but I do find one of the bodyguards standing beside the front door of the apartment. What on earth?

“You gonna stand here all day long?” I ask him, despite his stoic expression staring past me at nothing.

“Yes, Miss,” he finally answers.

The more I think about it, the more I understand why—he wants to make sure I don’t leave the house on my own, without my parents’ permission. This is like a real prison after all, and he is the guard.

“You know I have to leave at five for my appointment with Dr. Nel, right?”

“Yes, Miss.” He never looks me in the eye though; like a soldier in the army, he keeps his stare just past my shoulder. And as I step inside the entryway of my house, I wonder how long I’ll remain a prisoner for. Heck, even prisoners know how long they will stay in prison. I mean, at least some of them do.

At five p.m, I receive a call from Anthony letting me know he’s outside waiting for me. As I step out of the library, I pray I don’t see Mom around to wish me a good session with Dr. Nel. Yeah, she’d be capable of saying something that stupid. I rush out of the house and see the bodyguard still standing in the hallway. Doesn’t he get tired of standing there all day long? I brush away those thoughts, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that my freedom is extremely restricted. On my way to the appointment, I put my AirPods in and listen to a pretty gloomy playlist, but I can’t help it. It’s such a horrible feeling, knowing your every move is being watched and you’re just a little rat inside a cage, not able to break free. All of a sudden, I receive a text from Emma, and a smile spreads across my face as I read it. Hey babe, how are you? It’d be great to meet up before I leave. Can I come by later on?

And I reply just as fast. Hey. Yes, come over for dinner.

Once Anthony drops me off, I think twice about running away. But to go where? First, I need a new phone, and the only person I trust enough to get me one is Emma. I will ask her to get me a new one this evening. One thing is for sure: sooner or later I’ll leave Park Avenue and the prison my parents built for me, and I will never ever return there again.

Letting out a breath, I go into my useless appointment with Dr. Nel. And just like usual, she welcomes me with a big, fake smile, inviting me in.

“Please make yourself at home,” she says, seeing the skeptical look on my face as I slowly step into her minimalist office. Well, home is prison, so if that’s what she meant, I’m already feeling at home. I sit on the edge of the chaise lounge, instead of lying on it like I usually do. Dr. Nel is the enemy, and I should’ve never been so comfortable around her. “How are you feeling today?” she asks, feigning interest in me.

“I’m alright,” I say nonchalantly. If she believes I’m gonna open up and share my entire life with her, she’s in for a big disappointment.

After she closes the door behind us, Dr. Nel goes to her briefcase and takes something from there. I can’t really see what’s in her hand, but as she stands in front of me and hands it to me, my heart falls to the ground.

“You can’t be serious?” I ask in outrage.

“You’re no longer on the pill, right?” Dr. Nel keeps extending her hand, holding a box containing the morning after pill. “You had unprotected sex yesterday, so it’s better you take one.”

But of course, I forgot that my body also now belongs to them. What do I have left that can be considered mine?

Blowing out a breath, I know there is no point fighting Dr. Nel. If I try running away, the bodyguards will show