Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
The next morning Theo goes off to work, leaving me with Tobias.
I tell them I don’t need a babysitter, but they ignore me.
I can't blame them, it makes sense they don't trust me. Besides, I have no intention of ever running away again. I sit on the couch, curled up in a ball when Tobias comes over with a hot cup of coffee. “What’s the plan today?” I ask hoping he will have some idea of what we can do that doesn’t revolve around the TV.
This place is boring sometimes, especially with its lack of internet and there aren’t many books left on the shelf I haven’t read, and I have no intentions of reading the dictionaries or geography books that remained.
“I don’t know, what do you want to do?” he asks, rubbing my leg gently. He’s tense, prepared for me to bolt or freak out. But my fear has waned with the warming of the day. I reach down, grab his hand and squeeze it.
“Well, that’s why I asked you. If I knew, I would be doing it. What do you and Theo usually do out here?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Nothing. Work, have sex, and that’s about it.”
“And I thought my life was boring.” Maybe living in my car wasn’t so bad after all. At least I could walk down to the beach or to the park or something. There is nothing to do here unless I wander around the bush which I won’t be doing.
“Hey, we aren’t boring, we do stuff just things you can’t do.” He gives me a mock glare.
“Like what?” I instantly regret asking. I can feel through the bond what he means.
“Bianca,” he whispers huskily.
Who the fuck is this Bianca and why is she out here? “Who’s Bianca?” I demand. And yes, I’m still freaked out from last night, but these men still belonged to me. And I don't know who this Bianca is, but she has no place around either of them.
Tobias shakes his head, coming out of his trance. He watches me, wary. "What did you say?"
“Only the name you just told me, so who is she? Who’s Bianca?”
“Imogen, I didn’t say her name out loud.”
I’m mystified. I could have sworn I heard him say the name Bianca, with a very husky voice, too. But if he didn’t say her name, why does it sound like he knows who I’m talking about?
“Who’s Bianca?” I ask again hoping this time for an answer. She is real, she means something to them, and I'll figure out how I heard him later. This is more important. This is another one of those “hide the secret away from Imogen” things, and I was done playing that game.
“No one you need to worry about, Imogen," he replies, shifting his legs. "Here, let me give you a massage. You look too tense."
I wriggle away from his touch. This is serious. "You said her name, and you know who I am talking about. She's a real person, so who is she?"
“I didn’t say it; You must have picked it up through the bond. I thought it, didn’t say it, so drop it.” Tobias stalks out of the room.
Who is this woman for him to have such a strong reaction to her name? I get up and follow him up the stairs. Just as I get to the top step, he shuts the door and locks me out. I bang on it. “What the fuck, Tobias, who is she?”
“Leave it be, she isn’t an issue, now go away.”
Nausea builds up in my stomach. Why is he acting like this? Does he love her? Why is it every time I get close to these men some new secret pops up?
I wasn't their only woman. The reality hits me like a pail of ice water dumped over me. I mean sure, I knew they probably had been with other women before me. I wasn't naive, and whoever she was, she couldn't have been their mate or they would have been crazy, right?
Still, none of this stops the tears welling. I swallow the hard lump in my throat. I want to get away from him. She meant so much he locked himself away from me, even after what happened yesterday.
I turned and plodded down the stairs, being loud with each one so he won't think I have run off.
If I don't find out about this mystery woman, I will be driven to insanity. I have to know. I open the front door, taking in the sun and the warm day. I’m not trying to run away, they'll always find me.
They proved that last night. Right now, I just want comfort, and that comes from my mom's plant.
I sit beside it, bury my face in my hands and cry.
They want me to give up everything for them, and yet they still hold secrets.
I don't know how long I sit here sobbing my heart out. Tobias never comes for me, but Theo does. He sits beside me, pulling me to him. I use the palms of my hands to erase the tears but nothing will rid me of my puffy eyes. He kisses my forehead, softly like I’m precious. "Why are you here?"
I want to be a smartass and point out it is because they kidnapped me, turned my life upside down, and were taking me over, but I can't bring myself to do any of it.
"Tobias," he answers his own question; there’s was a darkness to him.
I shake my head, standing. "Let me go back to the apartment. I don't want to be here with you keeping secrets from me. I've had enough of being lied to, Theo. To being manipulated to dance the way you guys want me to. I'm not your toy."
"What?" Theo's brows furrowed. "What secrets? Who's keeping secrets?"
I turn, pointing at him. "You, Theo." I half turn back toward the house, pointing at the window where Tobias stands watching. "And Tobias." I sigh. Everything is broke inside me. "I just want to go back to my apartment."
"Imogen, you know we can't do that." Theo doesn't look happy at all. I guess there will be another argument between the two of them, and most likely another make-up session as well. Until they can be honest with me. I don't see how I can ever let them touch me again.
I shove past him, heading back to my prison.
I glance at the shed, pausing then stalking toward it.
He is kind of with me so whatever I do should be fine.
His confusion buzzes at me like a lost bee.
I open the garage door and scowl. Both the cars are gone.
I slam the door down and cross my arms. How am I going to leave with no car?
“I want to leave, let me leave.” I know the demand is unrealistic, but I can't stand to be here while they keep lying to me, keep hiding secrets.
“Imogen, you’re being unreasonable, what happened?” "Please, give me a chance to fix this. You were fine before I left." He runs a hand through his hair glancing between the house and me, brows completely furrowed into one line.
“I was talking to Tobias and he got angry because I mentioned her name. That's it, now if he won’t tell me who she is I want to leave.”
“Mentioned whose name?" There is something tense about his question. There is no guilt but wariness.
“Bianca.” I watch his reaction. He takes a step back, so he knows who I’m talking about as well. Just another liar.
“Where did you hear that name, Imogen?”
“I thought Tobias said it, but he swears he only thought it, which makes no sense because I can’t read people’s minds like you can.”
While we are arguing I hear a car pull up, I walk to the front of the house praying for it to be anyone but their parents, someone who can give me a lift in town. Anyone.
Theo grabs my arm, stopping me, pulling me back, dragging me against his cold body. “No, you’re not leaving.”
“Get your fucking hands off me, Theo. I’m leaving unless I get fucking answers," I snarl the word at him. My pain bleed through. I’m so fucking relieved I haven't given into the lust the night before. How much worse would this knife in my chest be if I had fucked them?
Merida walks around the corner. She glances between us, her usual smile missing. There is no way she hasn't missed us shouting at each other. Wiping the scowl off my lips, I wave to her. I’m happy she's shown up, even if I'd been a bad friend with completely forgetting her offer.
She kept a distance between us, wary eyes locked on Theo. What has he done to her? Resisting the urge to pull my hair out, I go over to her and gave her a warm smile.
“Stay out of it, Merida,” Theo spits.
Merida puts her hands up and turns on her heel, ready to leave.
“Don’t talk to her like that, wait up, Merida,” I call out to her before jogging after her.
Theo becomes a wall in front of me. I didn’t even seen him move. His easy-going attitude has vanished completely. In its place returned the demon who scared me. I stop dead in my tracks. I cross my arms across my chest refusing to be intimidated by him.
Merida's eyes bounce between the two of us. She looks worried, no beyond worried. Her body is tensed, prepared to spring to my rescue. There is a hardness to her that hadn't been there before, but fear as well. Theo scares her.
“Merida, leave now!” Theo screams in a rage.
Oh, hell no, I’m not putting up with this shit. “No, Merida. Stay. I’m coming with you.” She hesitates unsure of what to do. She looks between us and the direction of her car.
I know any minute she will is going to leave me behind. I move and Theo copies me, side stepping and moving in front of me again.
“Unless you’re going to tell me who she is, move.” My voice is ice cold. I hate the both of them right now.
“No, you’re staying here and that’s final.”
I shove past him, before his hands snake around my waist and he lifts me off my feet from behind.
He uses his other arm to trap my arms across my chest holding tightly as he walks toward the house.
When we approach the house, Tobias has finally came out, from hiding in the room.
Theo marches up the steps while I continue to struggle.
“Either you tell me who this woman is to you or I leave,” I growl at Tobias. Merida walks up the steps behind us, she keeps her distance, but I’m glad she hasn’t tucked tail and run.
Theo tries to take me up the steps, but I threw my head back, it connecting with his nose. I hear the crunch of it breaking, and man does my head throb. I think I did more damage to myself, but it is effective; he lets me go and clutches his nose.