Ella lay curled up in front of the fire place in the basement. The cement floors ice on her bare skin as she pulled the woven blanket she made up to her shoulders.
A rustling noise broke the silence, startling her so much that she sat up. Ella turned to the window that rested behind her. A tall, lean body was coming through the open crack.
She couldn’t see its face, the only light that came through the room was the soft bake of the fireplace.
She was silent for a bit, thoughts rushing through her head as her stomach stirred.
Should she be scared? Confused? Afraid? Defensive?
When the figure slipped its other foot through the window, she realized from the body type that it was a guy. Tall, lean, strong muscles making his sleeves tighten around his shoulders.
His back was turned to her, but when Ella saw his coal black hair, she whispered, “Prince Blake?”
After brushing off his clothes, he turned to her, smiling softly, his green eyes happy and glowing. “Hey, there, Princess.”
Ella stood at an instant, panting slightly. “What are you doing here?” she demanded in a whisper, glancing at the door on her right. It was still shut.
Thank God.
If Olivia or Ivy caught him here they would kill Ella. And that was not an exaggeration. They actually would.
“I said I would be back to see you, didn’t I?” Blake tilted his head to the side.
Ella glanced at the door again, then back at Blake. She shook her head. “You can’t be here. You need to leave.”
“But I wanted to see you again,” he argued. “Why are you pushing me away?”
Another glance at the door. “You have to leave,” Ella said, voice shaking. “Please, you have to go.”
When she looked back at him, his brows were drawn together. “Why are you so scared?”
“You have to leave,” Ella repeated. “Please, just go.”
“Princess, what’s behind that door?”
“My family. Now, no more questions. Go.”
“Hold on,” Blake said. “Why are you covered in ash?”
Ella glanced down to see her arms smeared with dark black. “I was just resting by the fire place. That’s all.”
“This is your bedroom,” Blake stated, “correct?”
A nod.
“Then why is there no bed?”
Silence.
“Ella?”
“I...” she hesitated saying the word, “I’m a maid.”
Blake stared at her for a moment.
Ella thought she had to explain once she confessed herself truly. “When my father died... my stepmother took over the house... And I’m... a maid now... because I’m trash apparently....”
Blake stepped over to her in slow, soft pads. “Princess,” he whispered.
“Stay back….” She held her hand out to him, but he kept on walking to her. “Please… don’t get closer….”
He didn’t hesitate when she spoke.
“Stop!” she cried silently.
Blake put a finger to her lips, silencing her. “I know you,” he breathed. “I know you better than you think, Ella. I know you’re kind, sweet, and caring. I know you read to your sister, Ava, because she’s the only one who cares. I know you don’t want to accept help because you feel you deserve this abuse.”
“Stop…” she whimpered.
“Ella, I know you don’t.”
“You… don’t know me!”
“Do you really think you deserve this, Sweetheart? Do you really think you deserve to be cut? Burned? Beaten?”
He was getting to her head… and she needed him to quit it or she wouldn’t be able to let him go. “Stop it!”
She closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. Blake wiped it off with his thumb and she turned her head away, and he took the chance to pull Ella into a hug.
“Let go,” she whispered. “I can’t be with you.”
“For all you’ve been through, you deserve to be treated well,” Blake continued gently, ignoring her. “You don’t deserve this hell hole.”
Ella froze for a moment. “Stop….”
“You don’t deserve it.”
“Please….”
Goddamn it… he was getting into her head…
“You used to be the daughter of Jack Magaroth. One of the most famous charity workers I’ve ever known as a child.”
Blake stroked Ella’s hair softly, making her freeze as she tried to resist his comfort.
“I know you don’t deserve this because you are the most caring girl I’ve ever known. You’re also smart, kind, loving. But you don’t trust easily because of what you’ve been through.”
“You don’t know me…” Ella whispered.
“I can see it in your eyes,” Blake said softly. “I can read it in your body language. I can sense that you’re resisting because you hate yourself.”
She was silent for a bit, shaking, then Blake said, “Come to the forest with me.” It didn’t sound like a question
“I can’t,” Ella admitted too softly. “I can’t. Why don’t you understand? If you know me so well… then you should….”
Blake pulled away just enough to see Ella’s face. Tucking a strand of hair away from her eyes, he murmured, “You’re safe with me. No one will find out, I promise. I just want to give you a break.”
Ella blinked, then tried to glare, but his calm expression didn’t waver. “No.”
“Come with me now,” he said, “or I will come back in the morning. When you’re family is up. And I’ll take you out myself.”
“I’m… not… going… with… you….”
“Do you not trust me?” he wondered curiously.
No… she thought, it because I can’t get attached to you… I’m not the one for you…
She never responded, but Blake’s eyes darkened with a sympathetic emotion as if she did.
“Come with me,” he urged.
“No….” Her voice cracked and she cursed internally for letting it.
“Please?”
“Prince… Blake…” she swallowed down the lump in her throat that wanted her to scream yes, “I said no….”
“I will get my guards down here in the morning,” he threatened. “I’ll have them confront you and your stepmother about the abuse in this household.”
“No!” Ella pounded her fist into his chest, but he didn’t wince. “Don’t! Let go!”
“Then come with me,” he said.
She shook in his grip… he was being so cruel… but he still stroked her hair as if to calm her. “Why are you doing this to me…?”
He didn’t respond, but there was a light in his eyes…
“Prince Blake… let me go….”
“Sweetheart…” he murmured, “I’m trying to help you.”
“I don’t want help!”
He stared into her eyes, lashes lowering. “You just lied.”
“What? No…” she tried to swallow the lump again, “no I didn’t….”
“You lied again.”
“What?”
“Your tells are obvious,” he stated, “you tense and look away.”
“You’re wrong….” Her voice was still shaking.
He smirked as if he caught her again. “Prove it then. Look at me—into my eyes—and say that you don’t want me to help.”
Ella’s eyes widened, and she tried to control her body as she stared into his gaze. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I don’t want you to help….”
He only smiled. “Lie. Lie. Lie.”
“I’m not lying….”
“You just lied about lying,” he let out through a chuckle.
“I didn’t look away,” she stated.
“You tensed.”
She glared at him. “Well… I’m scared….”
“And why is that?” He tilted his head to the side curiously.
She parted her lips, trying to find the right words. “You’re being very forceful….”
“So… that’s why you’re scared?”
A nod.
“Look into my eyes,” he said, grinning, “and tell me that I’m scaring you. That I should leave.”
Ella breathed shallowly, staring wide eyed into Blake’s judging gaze. She felt tears build when she said it… because she didn’t want him to go… but he had to… “You’re scaring me… I want you to go….”
He smirked. “Really?”
“Yes….”
“You want to say it without your voice shaking?”
Ella’s heart pounded faster, but he kept on stroking her hair. “I’m scared… of course my voice is shaking….”
“Hmm…” he continued smiling, making her want to hug him back, but she shouldn’t, “so… you’re sure your voice is shaking because you’re scared, not because you’re lying?”
“Yes,” she said after a minute.
Goddamn it… why couldn’t he just leave?
“What can I say to get you to come with me?” he asked softly. “Hmm?”
“I can’t…” Ella said.
“Do you mind telling me why?”
“I don’t want to…” she explained, feeling tears build at the lie. But really… she was thinking… I’m not allowed to…
“Lies, lies, lies,” he sang.
“Prince Blake,” Ella tried to snap, but it came off as a cry. Why was she so vulnerable around him? How could he read her so well?
“Just twenty minutes,” he promised, eyes softening at her scared expression. “Twenty.”
“Okay…” she finally agreed. “Okay… fine….”
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