Page 27
I gaped at him, the man in front of me a stranger from the kind, caring, and considerate man I’d been living with for over a week. Frustration and annoyance flooded my veins, mixing with the growing anger, and tears pricked the back of my eyes. “You’ll permit me? You’ll allow me? You’re starting to sound a lot like my parents.”
If I had blinked, I would have missed the snarl briefly twist onto Jacob’s face before he schooled his features and returned to take his seat behind the desk. “I’m trying to do what’s best for you, angel. Your parents did what was best for them. Now-”
Hurt that I’d been suppressing since his arrival at my parents’ house in the middle of the night spilled over, and I couldn’t stop my mouth from moving. “Why does everyone think they know what’s best for me?”
Jacob glared at me, his features set in stone. “Perhaps because you don’t make very good decisions for yourself.”
The insult hit me straight in my stomach, and I planted my hands on my hips, my voice breaking as I asked, “Meaning?”
“I’m not doing this now, Charlotte,” Jacob huffed. I’ve got work to get on with.”
He picked up his glasses and put them on, dismissing me as he returned his focus to the computer and started typing.
Outrage held me still, a storm swirling inside of me. A tear of frustration fell from my cheek, but I brushed it away, not ready to give up on this fight. “You said if I needed anything, I only had to ask.”
“You asked, and I said no,” he retorted, not tearing his gaze away from the screen.
A sneer twisted on my lips, and I folded my arms across my chest. “I want to go to the mainland for a day.”
Jacob snorted. “Out of the question.”
Every muscle in my body turned rigid with pure rage. How was I back in this position where someone wanted to control every aspect of my life? I’d honestly believed Jacob when he said he wanted to take care of me, but all he wanted to do was control me.
“I want to see my friends,” I snapped, trying to hold my ground.
A smirk pulled at his lips, and again, he didn’t look like the Jacob I’d come to know. “Your friends. The ones who got you into trouble with the police?” He raised a brow, shaking his head before opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out a phone. Laying it down in front of me, my jaw dropped. How did he have my phone? Before I could vocalize my question, he continued in his cold tone, a hint of smugness etched into his face. “The ones who haven’t reached out to check on you after you failed to attend school nearly two weeks ago?”
A pang of hurt added to the turmoil already circulating through me at learning no one had contacted me to see if I was okay, and the revelation pushed the thought of how Jacob came to be in possession of my phone from my thoughts.
“Check for yourself, angel,” Jacob added, nodding to the phone. “Not one of them has called or messaged you. I told you the other night, they’re not your friends.”
Another tear trickled from my eye. “They’re all I have,” I whispered, the pain in my chest growing stronger.
Jacob’s head tilted to the side, his features softening. “That’s not true. You have me, angel. I can be all you need.”
His words were gentle, but I heard the underlying meaning. He wanted me all to himself.
A painful lump lodged in my throat, and all the fight drained out of me. “Why? I just want a day off this island. Why won’t you let me go?”
He rubbed a thumb over his bottom lip. “Because I don’t think you can be trusted.”
“Trusted?” I shrieked, unable to stop myself when the fight that had just receded suddenly blew up again. “I’m not a child, Jacob.”
“Then perhaps you stop acting like one.”
My jaw dropped at the harshness in his tone, and before I could think better of it, my retort flew from my lips. “You know what, Jacob? Fuck you.”
Not giving him a chance to reply, I stormed out of his office, rushing through the house and down the steps to the beach, needing to gain as much distance from Jacob as possible.
I spent most of the afternoon sitting on the rocks, brushing tears away, and replaying the conversation I had with Jacob as I stared out to sea. My gaze remained fixed on the outline of the mainland in the distance as frustration, anger, and sorrow battled for dominance, with one question continuously rotating in my mind: was this what my entire life was going to be like? Controlled by those who owned me. Like I was some kind of pet that needed a keeper to hold the leash to make her behave?
Wasn’t that what Jacob was? My keeper…
By the time the afternoon sun was low enough to tell me it would soon be dinner time, I was mentally drained, and my question remained unanswered.
Reluctantly, I dragged myself back to the house and headed straight to the bedroom, rolling my eyes at finding a fresh set of clothes laid out for me to wear for dinner, and I internally cursed myself for giving in so easily and letting Jacob dictate what I wore.
The rebellious streak my mother accused me of having slithered through me, and instead of being the good pet Jacob wanted me to be, I crossed to the balcony, refusing to get changed and join Jacob for dinner.
