Nadine Book 4

18. Good Girl

Tre sits me at the dining room table and sits beside me.

I scoot as close as I can to him. He puts his arm around me. "You going to be a good girl for dinner?" I smile. Him and Tye smile at me. Tre kisses my head. "What do good girls get?"

"Hugs and kisses and cake." They chuckle.

"What do bad girls get?"

I point at Dipak. They crack up laughing.

"What?"

I put my hand on Tre's mouth. Tye says, "Later."

Tre rubs his eyes. "You better be good then."

Dipak signals for dinner, and they bring the food right out. I pick at it. Tre leans in. "Good girls eat their dinner. Then they get some cake."

I eat it. Then he gets the servants to bring me cake.

Dipak stares at Omar. "How? I mean... What? No. Why?... How do we?"

"Let's go to Nadine's apartment, and we can talk."

I finish my cake.

I hold bear and sit on Tre's lap in my apartment.

"How long was she in this the last time it happened, and she went this young? And why did it happen?"

Tre shakes his head. "I don't remember what put her into it. But I remember I took her fishing and she learned how to clean a fish that day."

"Yea cause Aurelia walked up and asked how long she had been acting like that. I can't remember what happened either. But I don't think she was in it very long."

"It was before she came to stay with me then. She knew how to clean a fish then."

"It was real close to when she ran away."

"She was dealing with a lot right there. The 2 of us fighting over her."

"She was still dealing with her brother trying to kill her the first time too."

"The bonding contract."

"The breaking of the bonding contract."

"Getting caught spending the night with me and having Ronion cover for us."

Omar sits up. "What? I never heard that."

Dipak shakes his head. "Don't tell anyone that. We had to lie to the table to cover it up. She was with Tre, and it was a big issue."

Omar looks at Tre. "Have you heard about this?"

"Yes she told me." He rubs my hair. "My good girl." I snuggle into him.

"It seems she was dealing with a lot at that time. So I have to assume that she is dealing with a lot now. We know pirates, getting almost somewhat caught by them. The boat ride itself was traumatic?" Tye nods. "We know she's still dealing with being tortured and beaten." Tre kisses my head. "That's a lot in itself." He shrugs his shoulders. "She's been pushed to far again. I imagine that will last a few days to a week or 2."

Dipak rubs his eyes. "What do we do?"

He shakes his head. "Treat her like a child you're keeping safe. Make sure she eats and takes baths. Has clean clothes on. Gets her hair combed. Try a lot of redirect with her if she gets bored. She's going to push your boundaries. Try to stay patient and loving. We can always let her stay with Marcus. He has those therapies and doctors over there. That might bring her out of it quicker."

Dipak shakes his head. "No. We're not doing that. She can stay right here."

"You say that, like you are the one who's going to be taking care of her."

"We're not sending her to him Tre."

Tre rolls his eyes.

I cry and move down to the floor.

"What baby?"

"You want to send me away."

"No I don't baby. Come back up here." He puts me back on his lap. "If you get sent anywhere, then I will go with you."

I snuggle into him.

Tye winks. "Do you want us to bring you some painting easels here? I know you liked painting. We can get a few and some paints."

"Painting is fun."

"That's a good idea. She may be able to show us other things she's processing as well."

Tre rubs my back. My eyes are heavy.

The room goes black. Then I see red eyes. I watch them and they watch me. They're so familiar. There's a patch of light in the room. The red eyes get closer and closer. I get more and more scared. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

I throw myself off the chair and run. It's suddenly bright. He grabs me. I dig my nails into his arms and fight. "NO"

"You're safe." It's Dipak's voice. "It's me sweetheart."

I grab his face. It's really him. The 3 of them are still sitting in my sitting room. I hug Dipak. Then I start shaking.

"It was a nightmare sweetheart." He sits in a chair with me.

"Has she been having nightmares?"

"Not that I've seen."

"Not for me." Tye shakes his head.

"So this is still getting worse. I'll get a couple of other opinions tomorrow. But for tonight, I'll have Dr. Cruor give her the sleepy time juice, as she calls it. Or you are going to be in for a sleepless night."

Tre nods. "Thank you."

"Yell if you need me." Then he walks out and shuts the door.

Tre shakes his head. "We're not drugging her, so we don't have to deal with her nightmares."

"If the juice makes her not have nightmares. Then that's a good thing."

"We don't know if it will or not. The only thing that medicine would do, is allow us to sleep better. It may keep her in the nightmare longer. She wouldn't be able to wake herself up."

Dipak shakes his head. "I don't want to drug her either. But we have to do something. She has to sleep. Last time she laid there and cried. She was so tired."

Tre takes me from Dipak. "I'll do it myself. You're not drugging her. Not for this. She needs to process this stuff. Not be drugged." He carries me and bear to his place.

He lays me in bed in my underwear. Then he lays beside me. I rub all over him like always.

He rubs my back.

Sometime, halfway through the night, I have the same nightmare. I wake up screaming again. He cuddles and rubs on me some more. I fall right back to sleep.

I wake up alone. It's about the end of breakfast. I throw my dress on and grab bear. Then I go to the morning room.

Dipak glances at me. "What are you doing?"

"I want to go to the medical area. But I want cake."

Tre shakes his head. "No, you need to eat breakfast first."

"Medical area."

"Breakfast first."

"NO. MEDICAL AREA."

Tre stands up and crosses his arms. I sit down at the table as fast as I can. Tre hands me a plate of food and some blood. "Eat it and no complaining."

Tye cuts my toast. "Did you sleep ok?"

"I think so."

"She only woke up once. It was easy to calm her down and get her back to sleep."

Mary pokes her head in. "Where do you want the easels? Also, Marcus is here with a bunch of idiots who like the word doctor. They keep repeating it."

They laugh. I stand up.

"SIT DOWN AND EAT." I sit right back down. Tre is not happy this morning. "Put them in her apartment. Have the servants remove her sitting room furniture."

"What?"

"She doesn't want it anyway, and we need somewhere for the easels."

"She needs a chair."

Tye smiles. "She wants a rocking chair. Do they have any made?"

"I'll have them put a couple in there with the easels."

I eat my food and try to leave.

"Baby, you still need a bath and some clothes. Come on."

Tye sits up. "I can give her a bath and get her ready if you want a break, Tre."

"Of course you would."

Tye glares at Dipak.

Dipak shakes his head. "This is like taking care of a child."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Yea of course not." Tre leads me out the door and down to my apartment. "Get in the bath baby. I'm going to get your clothes ready."

I take off my clothes and get in the water. It's so nice. I float until he comes back. "You're supposed to wash."

I shake my head. "I like floating."

"You going to make me come in there and wash your hair?"

I giggle.

He climbs in. I get as close as I can and rub all over him.

"Good girls get kisses. I'm good. I ate my breakfast."

"I had to fight with you about it. That wasn't very good."

"Oh."

I stare at the water and he finishes my hair. Then he washes my body and oils me. We get out and he dries me off. He dresses me and leads me back to the morning room. He dries my hair.

Dipak and the advisors are sitting around the new table. Marcus is here too.

Marcus smiles at me. "Good morning."

I hug Tre and hide my face in his chest.

Omar sits up. "Maybe it's time we move her to the house. Go forward out there."

Tre rubs my back. "Do you want to go home baby?"

I peek at him and nod.

Mary stands up. "I'll have the servants move the painting stuff out there. And some food."

Tye stands up. Then he pulls me off Tre. "I'm coming with you."

Tre rubs his eyes, "Tye, she takes to much patience. It's not what you think."

"I don't care what you are saying."

Dipak laughs. "I like him more now." Then he winks at me. "Tre and Tye will take you to the house. They can watch you paint and make sure you eat. I'll come over after the meeting is done. I'm also going to order the servants to stay while you're over there this time. Marcus, you and your doctors will be free to visit. You are not free to enter her home, you must knock first."

"Of course."

"Kane and Omar, you're free to do whatever it is you do over there."

"While she is painting, we can do the layout for the new closet."

Dipak hands Tye some stuff. "Also, Gunner, will you go over and check for anything magical please?"

"Of course."

I try to go back to Tre and Tye holds me in place. I turn around and he picks me up. I wrap my arms and legs around him. He puts me right back down. I start to whine, and he lets me go to Tre.

Tre won't pick me up. I sit down on the floor and cry.

Omar nods. "And now she's bored. Hey, where's your bear?"

I look all over. I jump up. "I DON'T KNOW." I run out.