Chapter 14
ARIA
The late-afternoon sun shines over the horizon as we get farther away from the house.
My body is littered with bruises. Some have turned black and blue, while others have a yellowish tinge.
My bones ache with the pain from the beating my father gave me, and my mind isn’t faring much better.
It’s numb as I sit in the back seat of the car, staring unseeingly out the window while the driver takes me away from everything I’ve known my entire life.
I still can’t believe I’m on my way to a damn convent.
To say it was a disaster when my father found out what I was hiding would be an understatement. Everything changed in an instant, and it’s hard to wrap my head around all that happened to me this past weekend.
He came back to ask about the baby’s father, and I’m glad I didn’t break. I kept up the lie, sticking to my original story of a random hookup and saying I didn't know the guy's name. I can’t believe the asshole actually went through with his threat to send me away.
I place a hand over my tummy, a smile crossing my face as I think about my little nugget in there.
I’m just glad that—it’s a miracle really—I was able to avoid being hit in the stomach when Father was hitting me and kicking me.
I’m just hoping and praying that everything really is fine.
I haven’t had any cramps, spotting, or bleeding, so I’m taking that as a good sign.
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I made a silent promise to always protect her and do everything in my power to keep her safe, but most importantly, keep her away from my father’s clutches.
Maybe, while I’m at this convent, I can come up with a plan to run away from him and the life I’ve always known.
I let out a sigh because I know disappearing will be harder than it sounds.
I have no money with me, nor do I have access to any.
He said everything is already paid for. Plus, I’m sure he’ll have the staff there watching me, so I’ll have to scope out the place to see what my options are.
My mind goes to Enzo next. I wonder if he’ll notice my absence. Will he even look for me? Highly unlikely, since we don’t have that kind of relationship. For all I know, he could just say good riddance and be done with me.
And that is such a depressing thought, because being with him made me feel so alive and wanted for the first time in my life.
I didn’t feel like I was a burden. Our relationship was obviously an unconventional one, but it made me feel free even if all we had was sex.
It was more than I ever could have asked for.
That little glimpse of what life could be like makes me want it even more now.
It takes a little over an hour to get to the convent. We’re somewhere in Indiana, at least that’s what the sign said. It’s already dark by the time we make it here. I get out of the car and look around, taking in my surroundings while the driver takes my bags out of the trunk.
The church is huge, with an exterior like an elaborate castle, built centuries ago.
From what I can see, it still looks pretty new.
My driver motions for me to follow him, and I do.
Instead of walking up the steps that lead into the church, we walk past them toward the stone path that’s at the side of the building.
There’s already a nun there, waiting for us.
“My name is Sister Agnes,” she says in a strict voice.
“Hello, Sister. My name is Aria.”
“I know. Follow me, and I’ll take you to your room,” she says, turning around and making her way down the pathway. Well, I can already tell that I won’t be having any fun here.
We walk until we reach another building, this one behind the church.
We step through the door, and there’s an archway leading out, but I don’t get to see what’s past the arch because she steps up the stairs that are to the left of us.
Once she’s at the top, she begins walking down the long corridor.
The only sound that can be heard through the silence is the sound of her shoes click-clacking as she walks ahead of me without checking to see if I’m still with her.
Following her is my only choice, for now at least. The beams along the way have an arch design that makes it look uniform but also cold and uninviting.
As I continue to walk behind her, I look to the right and see that there’s a big courtyard down below.
I’m guessing that the archway downstairs leads out to the courtyard.
There’s a fountain in the middle, with benches around it, and other seating areas throughout the space. Getting a better view now, I can see that this building was made into a square surrounding the courtyard. I wonder what else there is to see here.
When we get to the end of the corridor, she turns right and walks a few more steps before coming to a stop in front of one of the doors. She opens it, steps inside, and I follow along.
“This is going to be your room for the duration of your stay here,” she tells me in a monotone voice. Wow! I feel so welcomed here already!
“Thanks,” I say, trying not to roll my eyes at her welcoming personality.
“As per your father’s request, you are not permitted to leave the grounds unless it’s an emergency or you have a doctor’s appointment, given your current condition.
When you need to leave, one of the sisters will escort you.
Tomorrow, we’ll go over the rules that you are required to follow while you’re here,” she says, before turning to leave.
Great! From one prison to the next…
My driver steps into the room, places my bags on the floor by the foot of the bed, then turns and leaves.
I look around the room. There’s a bed, a writing desk and chair, a shelf with some books, and that’s about it.
It’s pretty bare if you ask me. Two other doors in the room lead me to the bathroom, shower, and a small closet.
I’m already tired, so I guess I’ll unpack tomorrow.
There’s a knock at my door, and I walk over and pull it open.
No one is here, but I see someone left a tray of food for me.
I bend down to grab the tray, and when I stand up again, I look out at the courtyard.
At least they didn’t lock me in my room. Small mercies, I guess.
I take my tray and put it on the table, lifting the lid to take a look.
It’s roasted chicken and vegetables. It looks good, but I’m not really hungry, so I cover it back up.
I have no clue what to expect from this place.
Based on what Sister Agnes said, this is just going to be another cage for me.
Same thing, different walls. I can’t go anywhere, and I have no idea if there’s even anything to do here. This just sucks balls.
After all the emotional, physical, and mental turmoil that has plagued me over the last few days, and now being here, I decide to just take a shower and head to bed early. At least I have my own room. That should count for something, right? Maybe after some sleep, tomorrow will look brighter.
The next morning, once I’m presentable enough, I take a hesitant step out of my room, expecting a guard posted by my door or something, but I’m relieved to see that’s not the case.
I look around and see that the corridors are as empty as they were last night, except for a few people milling around down in the courtyard.
I start to walk down the hallway, retracing my steps from last night because I have no clue where the hell I’m going. I’m halfway down the hall when Sister Agnes calls out to me, making me jump a little, as though I was just caught doing something wrong.
“Glad to see you’re finally up,” she tells me in what absolutely sounds like a “she’s disappointed in me” tone.
“Let me show you around so you can get acquainted with the place.” I’m thinking that’s her normal voice, and she could lighten up a little.
It definitely seems like she has a stick up her ass.
Dear God, please forgive me for thinking that about a nun.
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” I tell her as I begin to follow behind her.
She shows me the recreation room, which is a decent size.
Half of the room is set up for board and card games, and the other half is set up for movie nights with a big enough television.
There’s also a library here and the classrooms for all the classes they provide that we have to attend against our will, or maybe that’s just me.
She also takes me over to the church, quickly showing me the inside.
Lastly, she shows me to the dining hall at the end of our tour, then starts to leave me to get breakfast.
“The only classes you have are religion and Bible study. Religion is on Wednesdays, and Bible study is on Fridays. You’re also required to attend Mass every Sunday. Other than that, you are free to do whatever you wish in this compound as long as you don’t cause any trouble,” she tells me.
“I understand.”
She walks away, and I’m left to watch her retreating form. A moment later, I shake myself out of my stupor and head inside the dining hall for some food. I’m actually starving. I need to feed my baby girl. Sometimes I forget I’m eating for two now, and I didn’t end up eating the food last night.
I grab pancakes, eggs, sausage, and some milk, along with some juice, before heading to one of the tables. The sisters who are still eating are all together at one of the tables. No way in hell am I going to even attempt to sit there with them.
A few other girls are sitting at different tables. Some are together, and some are alone like me. I’m halfway through my breakfast when someone comes over and sits in the chair across from mine.
I look up to see a beautiful girl. She looks like we might be the same age, and she has a friendly smile.
“Hi. I’m Isabella,” she says.
“I’m Aria. Nice to meet you,” I say.