Saved by a CEO

1

My eyes catch the little girl with a bright smile on her face. Her fair hair is in a perfect high bun and her face lights up when an eldery woman gives her a dark red sweet from her pocket.  I frown and launch forward, hitting the sweet out of the woman’s hand before she can give it to the little girl.

“What the hell. Who are you.” The old woman yelled at me.

“What’s that.” I point at the sweet laying on the white tiles.

“It’s candy.” The woman said in a snarled voice.

“Grandma?” The little girl looks from me to the old woman, which I now learned is her grandmother.

“Oh sorry.”  I let my head down and embarrassingly as I take a few steps back.  I try not to catch a glimpse of judgy eyes but when I look up for a split second the old lady looks at me with surprise and confusion.  As if she wants to unravel me.  

So I quickly walk inside the shop, Jason is in.

“I told you to wait outside.” His voice is harsh.

“I forgot to tell you, I need tampons.”  I can’t help formy voice to come out shaky.

“Always something.”  He rolls his eyes and pushes me aside, as he shuffles past me.

I let my head fall down, feeling like a total let down.  I hate to let Jason down.  I hate to let him down but I also hate him.  I can’t describe it.  

Not knowing if I should follow him I wander down the aisle with sweets and candy on the racks.  I bite my lip thinking of how long ago I had something sweet in my mouth.

“Hey, little girl.”  A guy about ten years older than me, said with a toothy grin on his face.

I looked down and didn’t say anything.

“Where’s your mom?” He asked, taking off his cap.  His hair was raven black and his skin pale.  At that time, his eyes seemed so genuine as if he truly were bothered about me being all alone.

I raised my shoulders, not having a clue where my mom was.  She dropped me off at the park where so many kids were but as the hours passed, they all went away one by one except for a little boy, sitting on the swings and intently watching our encounters.

“How old are you?”

I raised both my hands to indicate that I’m ten.

“Wow, you're so young and your mom leaves you out here all alone.”

“She isn’t alone.” The boy on the swings yelled.

“Oh are you her brother?”

“No, but I don’t like you, so go away.” The little boy wasn't afraid and almost acted like a superhero.  I was shy, so I didn’t say anything , except look at the boy strangely.

“Oh, you don’t like me?” The guy stepped away from me and slowly stalked towards the boy.  He was friendly with me, but most certainly not with the boy, as his eyes turned into slits and he all of a sudden turned so scary.  I was afraid that he was going to hurt the boy so I looked around for anyone who could help us.  No one were around.  Not even cars drove by and the sun was slowly setting.  I watched the guy's strong hands gripping on the swing’s chains and he hovered over the boy.  I swallowed many times, trying to figure out something to do in my head.  Maybe I should scream as loud as possible or maybe I should run away, but given that the boy just stood up for her I didn’t dare to run away.  So as sneakily as possible, I picked up a rock , two sizes bigger than my hand palm.  I silently walked up to them, putting my fingers to my lips to make sure that the boy won’t say anything or glance at me too much.  His eyes stayed strictly on the guy’s face.  When the guy violently started to shake the chains, I speeded my walk and without thinking I hit the rock with force behind his head.  The guy turned, holding both his hands behind his head, where I just hit him.  He snarled at me and before he could do anything I hit him again, this time on the side of his head.  He fell with a loud thud to the ground and I started hyperventilating with fast breaths and invading stars in my eyesight.  I couldn’t believe what I just did.  I looked at my hand, still tightly holding on to the rock and with disgust I let it drop to the ground.  Before I could start crying, the boy jumped off the swing, grabbed my hand and dragged me with him in a fast run.

“Thanks.” He uttered, also seeming out of breath.

I ignored him, focusing on the ground in front of me, trying hard not  to strip or fall.

We passed willow trees and colorful flowers with our sweaty hands clutched tightly together.  Just then we stepped on the gravel road as a car speed right next to us.  A woman with wild blonde hair rolled down her window.

“I just saw what happened, get in the car.”

So we did.  Without any consideration we jumped in the car, feeling scared and helpless.

“Are you guys okay?” she asked with so much concern laced in her voice as she looked at us with her vibrant blue eyes through the rearview mirror.  I wanted to shake my head and burst out crying but the boy quickly nodded.

“Where would you like me to take you guys?”

“To the police station.”  The boy said, his brown eyes big and stern.

“You sure?”

“Yes!”

The woman just raised her eyebrows and we rode in complete silence until I started crying.

“Oh, you poor girl.” She started rummaging through a black bag laying on the passenger seat. She gave us candy each.  It was red.

“Eat it, it’ll help with blood sugar.”

“Hey!” I jerk in fright when a box of tampons is thrown at me.

I look at Jason, who laughs at me with his pointed finger. Usually I would’ve rolled my eyes but I only looked sideways for my eyes to fall on a long pillar with a mirror on it.  I feel strange seeing my dark hair, streaked with blonde lines, remembering that Sarah highlighted my hair yesterday.  I didn’t actually want it that way, but it’s already done.  My usually maked-up face is pale and dark circles are under my green eyes.  I sigh and quickly look down at my sneakers as I stand behind Jason in a quee.

“Need anything else?” Jason asks and I frown for the unusual question.

“What?” I didn’t say what because I couldn’t hear him.  I said ‘what’ because I was confused.

“I said do you need anything else?”

I raced through my mind knowing that I needed a lot of things, but the biggest mark in my mind is that I need love.  But I know that’s not what he meant and definitely not what he wants to hear, so I try hard not to cry.

“No, thank you.”  I say, hoping that he would shift his stare away from me.

“Next.” If I could use the saying “saved by the bell ``I would definitely use it on the girl that just called us.

“Hi sugar.” Jason says with a smirk and the girl looks at me weirdly.  She probably thinks that we’re together and that he’s hitting on her in front of me.

“How are you doing?” Jason continues.

“I’m good.”

“You’re very beautiful.”

I start to bite my nails, hoping that she would just ignore him.

“Isn’t that your girl.” She looks at me with raised eyebrows.

“That?” He widens his eyes as if I’m so much out of his league. “No this is my sister.”

He’s lying. Like he always does.  Sometimes I’m his sister.  Sometimes we’re a married couple. Sometimes I must pretend that I don’t know him.

“Oh.” The girl says, still looking bored, “Well, I have a boyfriend.”

Jason rolls his eyes but keeps quiet as he gives her a few dollars to the girl.

“Have a nice day.” She says to me and I just give her a quick smile before I go after Jason.  I take a bag out of his hand.

We walk in silence to the escalator and as we go down my eyes catch a tall man in a black suit.  He’s hair is curly around his eyes and his brown eyes are so soulful. When he looks at me his eyes widen and I quickly look away, before Jason could see that we looked at each other.

“What are you looking at?” Too late. Jason’s voice is loud as he yells the question at the man. “What are you looking at my girlfriend for, man.” Now I’m his girlfriend.

“Well, she doesn’t deserve you.” His voice is so dark and chocolaty and I just want to hear him speak more.  But what he said makes me gulp all my gathered spit, cause I know, even though I didn’t do anything, Jason is going to lash it all out on me.

“Shut your mouth, you scumbag.” Jason shouts and I feel thankful that he doesn’t make a move to go hit the man or something as he marches out of the mall, towards his truck.  I nervously climb in next to him.

“You slut.” He starts. 

I look out the window and pretend I don’t hear him.

“Your eyes were probably all over him.”

I bite my lips as he continues to rant all the way home.

“You don’t deserve what you get.”  His last words before he jumped out of the truck.

Well, I don’t want what I get, so yes I most likely don’t deserve it.

I take hold of the bags and walk to the back of the house, where little yellow cottages were situated. Everything is very neat, with a nice garden that we make sure stays alive.

“Oh, s**t, they’re here.”  I hear Lara’s voice.

“He’s inside, it’s just me.” I say and take the box of tampons out of the bag, knowing that’ll fetch the bags later and not even give me the tampons.

“How was it.” Lana asks with a bit of concern in her voice.

“It was fine, nothing major happened.”

I enter the room for my nose to be engulfed with smoke.

“Open the windows.” I hit the air, trying to get the smoke out of my face.

“Hi Tameryn.” Sarah says looking at me with curious eyes.

“Hi Sarah.” I say with pursed lips.

“How was the outing?”

“It was fine.”

Each week Jason takes a different girl and this week was my turn.  The week I dreaded the most.

“That’s good.”

Sarah somehow has one of the biggest crushes on Jason and no one knows why. She’s constantly jealous of us whenever we get alone time with Jason.  Not that any of us want it or need it.

“Listen Sarah, how can you like someone like that?” Lana  yells, clearly having enough of Sarah’s attitude.

“What do you mean, I don’t like him.” She defends herself.  I flop down on the old green couch next to Ashley, who gives me a small smile for a greeting.

“Yes you do.  Look at how you just looked at Tameryn, just because she got to go with Jason.”

“It’s not about that.” She insists but her eyes hold severe guilt in them.

“Then what is it? Because I and no one here can understand why you would like someone like that.”

“I’m pregnant.” She yells with straight eyes, “I’m pregnant with his child.”

Gasps fill the room and I try not look as surprised as I am.

“What?” Lana’s voice is soft as she stares at Sarah.

“Yes.” Sarah looks down with defeat.

“How do you know it’s his.”

“It doesn’t matter, I just know.”

“Wow.”  I look at Lana who looks at me with knitted eyebrows.  Sarah escapes to her room and we all let the news confront us in silence.

I hate Jason and now I just hate him more.  I bite my lips until it bleeds, trying to let go of all my anger.

“I’m going to kill him.” Sarah says to me and Ashley, sitting on the couch in front of us.

“I want to kill him too.” Ashley says,  in the high state she’s in.

Sarah clicks her tongue, “You’re high and you better get yourself out of it before Jason comes in.”

Ashley quickly escapes the living room leaving me and Lana alone.  Lana has black colored hair and olive skin with big brown eyes.  She’s so beautiful but she never sees it in herself.

“What are we going to do?”

I lift my shoulders unable to come up with something.  Sarah is pregnant.  I’m sure if Jason is going to find out, he’ll certainly freak out in the worst way possible

“I really do want to kill him.” She says and my mind quickly flashes to the man I hit with the rock,wondering if I killed him.

“Hey girls.” It’s Jaoson, invading our space once again.  He holds some dresses and lingerie in his arms and calls the others. We all look at Sarah, to look at the way she looks at Jason but she keeps her head down.

“Lana.” he calls and hands her a light green bra and panty, which already suits her skin tone, as she takes it.

“Sarah.” He gives her a velvet silky pajama minnie dress.

“Ash.” He says and I hope that he doesn’t see her high but he gives her a black pantie with a white oversized T-shirt.

“Tam.” He says and I hate the way he calls my name as if we’ve been lifelong friends.  He gives me a pink mini skirt with a white bra with fluffs all over.  I let out a sigh when he gave us all individual instructions on how to behave ourselves tonight.

“Tameryn,” he gives me a smirk, “Be sweet and childish.”

Sick.  I feel sick to my stomach.

“See you later.” He exits our room probably going to the cottage next to ours, as he’s still holding clothes.

We all scatter to do our make-up like we do all night and before we leave we take a few sniffs.  I hate doing it but it’s the only thing keeping me sane and I know that I can’t live without it.  It basically defines me.

We all squeeze in the back of the truck, wearing our usual black night gowns over the attire Jason gave us.

When he stops at the complex and gives us our keys to our rooms we walk towards it dreading every second of this moment.  I put the key in the door’s lock and entered the room, coldness seeping in my body.  I quickly lit up some candles with a box of matches laying on the bedside table to bring some warmth and light in the room.  Even though I’m already used to the stuffy smell, I spritz some lemon spray across the room I keep under the bed. After several minutes of staring blankly at the lit candle, a knock approaches the door.  Not feeling a little bit nervous I sigh, take off my gown and open the door with a fake grin.

“Hi.” I say, my eyes traveling a long way to some to the guy’s face. When my eyes meet his I immediately frown.  I know him.  He’s the guy that stood up for me at the mall today.  He’s the most handsome guy I’ve ever seen, but knowing he’s here and knowing he’s seeing me like this, makes me want to puke.  I shudder and take a step back as he glare at me with mean eyes.

“Name?” He asks but in a way that says that he doesn’t really care but wants to know what to call me.

“Rose.” I lie and somehow he’s eyes start with an intense stare.

He closes the door behind him and takes off his black blazer, revealing his see through white shirt.

“I’m Cameron.” He sits on the bed and pats for me to sit next to him.  Somehow I thought that he would be different.  But what is he doing here in the first place.

I obey him and go sit next to him.

“I like to talk first.” He says and I nod, waiting for him to probably unleash  all his horrible work days, or how tired he is of his wife.

“How old are you?” Hmm. That’s an unusual question.

“I’m seventeen.” I say and almost clasped my hand over my mouth. I should’ve sayd eighteen, 

“Besides this what would you like to be one day?”

Why does he ask such personal questions.  

“A marine biologist.”  A tamed dream, I know I never could let fly.

“I wanted to be a vet.” His intense stare starts to relax and a smal smile plays on his lips.

“Well what are you now?”

“Let’s just say I’m an undercover CEO of a few places.”

“Undercover?”  

“Yeah, I just feel too young. You know, for all the pressure.  People knowing you.  Doing stuff.”

“I understand.” I say, wondering his age. He asked me mine, so I’m going to ask him, “Well, how old are you?”

“Twenty.”

I nod and stare ahead.

“What’s your biggest dream?”

I hum in response not even sure what my biggest dream is, but something hits my mind like an astronaut will hit earth and before I can stop myself it falls out of my mouth.

“Get out of here.”

And without hesitation he answers, “Let’s go.”