Alice moved just a little to the left and the sunlight reflected off her necklace. It was silver, like mine, but much thicker. Not something a woman would normally wear.
My hand rose to the collar Edward gave me. The metal felt good under my fingertips. It was strange now that I thought about it. I wasn’t a slave anymore. I wasn’t owned by anyone. Why did knowing that I still had this piece of him around my neck make me feel better?
I closed my eyes and gathered my thoughts. It was now or never. “Alice?” I paused, and she waited.
Before I was able to get my question out though, the server came with our salads. After she checked to make sure we had everything we needed, we were once again left alone. Too much time had passed and I was wondering if I should even bring it up now.
“What is it?” Alice asked.
It was only then that I noticed I was only moving the lettuce around my plate. I hadn’t even taken a bite yet.
Once again, I closed my eyes and gave myself a pep talk. “Is your necklace? I mean is it…”
“You mean is it a collar?”
I nodded.
“Yes,” she answered as if she were talking about the weather. She didn’t miss a beat of eating her salad.“It’s one of them. I have several, but this is the one I usually wear to work.”
One of them? “Why?” I swallowed nervously. “Why do you have more than one?”
“Well I have ones I wear everyday and then ones that are only for the playroom.”
“Play…room?” No matter how much I wished it weren’t so, I could hear my voice shake.
“Yes, the playroom.” She cocked her head to the side. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t like play…rooms,” I whispered.
My hand rose to the collar Edward gave me. The metal felt good under my fingertips. It was strange now that I thought about it. I wasn’t a slave anymore. I wasn’t owned by anyone. Why did knowing that I still had this piece of him around my neck make me feel better?
I closed my eyes and gathered my thoughts. It was now or never. “Alice?” I paused, and she waited.
Before I was able to get my question out though, the server came with our salads. After she checked to make sure we had everything we needed, we were once again left alone. Too much time had passed and I was wondering if I should even bring it up now.
“What is it?” Alice asked.
It was only then that I noticed I was only moving the lettuce around my plate. I hadn’t even taken a bite yet.
Once again, I closed my eyes and gave myself a pep talk. “Is your necklace? I mean is it…”
“You mean is it a collar?”
I nodded.
“Yes,” she answered as if she were talking about the weather. She didn’t miss a beat of eating her salad.“It’s one of them. I have several, but this is the one I usually wear to work.”
One of them? “Why?” I swallowed nervously. “Why do you have more than one?”
“Well I have ones I wear everyday and then ones that are only for the playroom.”
“Play…room?” No matter how much I wished it weren’t so, I could hear my voice shake.
“Yes, the playroom.” She cocked her head to the side. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t like play…rooms,” I whispered.
Oh I'm so happy when Bella begins to open up... even if it only means asking questions. And I'm so happy that its with Alice. She is able to help Bella see the "lifestyle" as a choice and not as a prison sentence as she has previously experienced.
ReplyDeleteI'm on pins and needles for your next update!
Cheers,
Ouiser