10. Nerissa
CHAPTER TEN
Nerissa
H e has me pinned to the bed and my heart is racing so fast I can’t breathe. His cock is pressed up against my pussy and I can feel how hard he is. The darkness in his eyes tells me I am in danger and the worst part of it - the worst part of it - is that my body wants him.
My pussy throbbing with desire, my body wanting to thrust up against him.
But the tears are falling down my cheeks because I am terrified. I don’t know what he plans to do with me. I don’t know how dangerous he is - or worse - I know how dangerous he is .
When he gets off me, making me promise not to scream, I’m shaking.
“I came here to talk.” He says. “I thought you would be happy to see me.”
He has his back to me as I tug the dress back down over my hips.
My body still warm with desire but my mind knowing better.
I look around, rushed, scared, desperate, and see my oversized hoodie lying on the floor next to the bed. I lean over to grab it.
I need to hide my body. I need to cover up.
He is watching me when I sit back up on the bed. His eyes are hungry with need. They are dark and menacing.
I watch him too. My eyes locked onto every move he is making.
Honestly, I know that if he wants to - he can do anything he wants to me. I can’t fight him. He is almost twice my size. I wouldn’t stand a chance.
The thought, to my horror, thrills me.
I push it away, disgusted in myself.
I watch as Tuomo tries to regain some sense of control over this situation.
When he looks down at me again, his eyes are calm. “Can we talk, little bird?”
He asks so politely it seems odd given the circumstances. It’s a stupid question since I do not have a choice.
“We - we can talk.” I say, moving to the other side of the bed. I know my sweatpants are on the floor and I want them.
“Good.” He sighs in relief. “Can I pour us a drink or something?”
“I have nothing to drink.” I snap.
“Yes, you do. You have that bottle of wine your friend Hayley left here.”
My jaw drops open again. How can he know that?
The same way he knew what dress I liked.
With my feet I find my sweatpants and squat down to grab them - without taking my eyes off Tuomo. I am furious, but there is only one way out of this horrible situation.
I have to play along. Somehow. I need to appease him.
I need to find out what he came here for and why - and then I can get him to leave.
He walks to the kitchen while I tug the pants over my legs. I feel so much better covered up. I look like an idiot with the dress sticking out between the hoodie and the sweatpants, but I couldn’t care less right now.
Tuomo pours us each a glass of wine while I hover on the other side of my bed, unsure what to do with myself.
He leans across and hands me the wine, then he chuckles, eyeing me up and down.
“The sweatpants are just as cute as the dress, little bird.”
How the fuck is he making jokes now?
I take the wine and take a massive gulp. I need to calm my nerves, so I think straight.
Tuomo takes a seat on the single chair on the other side of the bed. I sit on the edge of the bed.
He hasn’t changed much. He looks more rugged, sexier, stronger. His body is more muscular, filled out and - what the fuck. Stop perving. Find out what he wants and get him out of your house.
“What did you want to talk about?” I say, trying to sound polite, but my voice is shaking.
“Us. Of course. I have been waiting, and now you are twenty-five. You are not in love. You are not married.” He pulls a small velvet box out of his pocket. “Little bird, this is not the way I imagined tonight would go. But I came here to ask you to marry me. It’s time.” He leans forward in the chair, and he puts the box onto the bed in front of me, the lid open.
He’s fucking crazy—or I drank so much I’m hallucinating. I don’t say anything but I’m sure my face is saying a lot of stuff.
My eyes drop to the ring in the box.
A beautiful little bird, created out of sparkling stones, set into a ring - it is glittering in the fairy lights. Mesmerized for a moment.
“Remember, I told you that next time I saw you I would give you a real one.”
“A real one?” I stammer.
“Yes.” He says, standing up suddenly and marching over to my dressing table. He yanks the top drawer open and pulls out a box. A box that is very special to me and filled with memories of my mother - of the Vece mansion - yes - but only because it reminds me of my mother.
He opens the lid and takes out a small plastic bird charm.
He sets the box back down and tosses the charm onto the bed next to the diamond ring.
The little bird. The bird he gave me.
I barely remember it. I know he gave it to me, but the bird was more a symbol of a new beginning for me - in my mind it has nothing to do with him. I had it in my pocket the day I left the Vece mansion. The day I started my new life. It was my wings to fly away.
I pick it up and twist it in my fingers.
“Oh.” I say, unsure what to do. “But - what is this?” I touch the box.
“It is your engagement ring. We are going to get married.” He says with a smile that runs pins and needles down my spine.
“I am not marrying you.” I blurt out, gripping the plastic bird so hard it is spiking into my palm. “I will never marry you.”
His eyes grow dark with anger. “You promised. We made a promise to each other. When you turned twenty-five, we were going to get married. It was a pact, Nerissa.” He snarls and hisses in anger.
“A pact made by a child. I didn’t take it seriously. I haven’t even thought about you since that day, Tuomo. I don’t even know who you are. I never did. All I know is that you and your family are all monsters. You stole my brothers from me. My mother died in your house. You are just like your father. I would never marry someone like you. I know what your family does. You are evil. You hurt people. You are—”
He flies at me and clamps his hand over my mouth.
“How dare you say that? How dare you compare me to my father? I am nothing like him.” The fury in his eyes is a death sentence for me if I make one more wrong move.
I nod against his hand, tears spilling down my cheeks again.
I need to pull myself together.
This is not a game, I better not aggravate him even more.
I reach up and touch his hand, locked so tightly over my mouth that it is hurting.
I run my fingers over his skin, and his grip loosens.
He drops his hand away, but his eyes are still locked into mine.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean - You aren’t like your father.” I whisper, hoping I am saying the right thing.
He nods. “It’s ok. I forgive you, little bird.” He sits down on the bed next to me.
Tuomo reaches up and brushes his fingers across my cheek, wiping away a tear. “I am sorry I made you cry, little bird. I came here because I love you. I never stopped loving you. You don’t mean it when you say you haven’t thought about me since that day. We made a pact, and we have to honor that pact. It’s the only way to stay true to ourselves. We are meant to be together.” He’s delusional, completely nuts. He’s got to know that he sounds crazy.
I bite down on my lip and feel the ache as a bruise forms inside my mouth. I need to stop doing that.
“Tuomo, I mean - that was long ago. So much has changed since then. You don’t know who I am anymore. You might not even like the person I grew in to. And I don’t know who you are. We can’t just get married. It would be stupid, and reckless of us.”
It sounds reasonable, everything I am saying is logical, but his eyes tell me he hates every word spilling from my mouth. I’m making him mad.
He swallows hard and looks away for a second.
Thinking.
Plotting.
Deciding.
My heart is racing with fear.
My hands are shaking.
How can I get him to leave?
He stands up from the edge of the bed and starts pacing around my small apartment. I have agitated him again. Fuck. This is not good.
I glance at my window, wondering how high the second story is and if I could jump out of it and not kill myself.