Chapter 46

It was finally Friday morning, and I was making my way down the stairs tiredly. People roamed around the corridors as I walked past them and headed to where I hoped the kitchen was.

"Take me to my mother," I ordered once I spotted Victor roaming around the huge kitchen.

He turned to look at me while closing one of the cupboards in the process and nodded his head. Without another word, he motioned for me to follow him and started walking in the direction of the stairs. I followed without a second thought and trudged up the stairs after him, turning corners every now and then until we finally stopped in front of a door being guarded by two men.

"Would you like me to wait out here?" Victor asked.

"No need to, you can go on and do your thing. I'll be alright from here," I said with a dismissing wave of my hand. He nodded once and left the way we came, leaving me alone with the two guards.

"Alright, step aside. I've got things to discuss with the woman."

They didn't hesitate to obey and open the door for me to pass through. I didn't spare them a second glance as I stepped into the bedroom and let them close the door behind me. It didn't take me long to spot my mother, given the fact that she was eating a sandwich at the edge of the bed.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked, her tone void of emotion.

"How have you been treated?" I asked, her eyes meeting mine once she heard my voice.

"Amelia," she whispered. "I guess you could say I'm being treated... nicely. Apart from the fact that I can't leave this bedroom."

"You won't be in here for long." I shrugged. "If everything goes as planned, we will all be out of here in a matter of time."

"You have a plan?" Her eyes widened, shining with masked hope.

"I always do," was my vague answer. "Make sure you eat and rest well, you will need it."

She furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity and slowly stood up, leaving her half-eaten sandwich aside. I stayed where I was, eyeing her every movement warily.

She walked toward me, stopping once she was two feet away. Her dark eyes stared into mine apprehensively, and a wave of emotions unraveled at the same time. Disappointment, sorrow, regret, pain. "You know, Amelia, there hasn't been a day where I haven't wished for things to have gone differently. For you to have grown up in a much better life, instead of this nightmare." She paused, her hand reaching forward reluctantly to touch the split ends of my blonde hair. "I guess I never really tried hard enough to give it to you, and instead found myself being a terrible mother to you. I will always live with that regret." Within all the emotions swirling through her eyes, honesty was present at that moment.

I sighed and gently pried her hand away from my hair. "There is nothing you can do anymore. All of this will be over soon either way, so just do as you're told and don't think too much into it."

"Wait, Amelia." She reached forward as I turned to leave. "What is it that you're-"

"Goodbye, mother," I cut her off and stepped out of the room before she could say anything else. I closed the door behind me and eyed the two guards at each side of the door. "Do not forget about the meeting at four later on today. Your presence is mandatory. Someone will come to get my mother later. You will be informed soon enough."

Both of them gave a single nod and I walked away, turning the corners I memorized once coming up to make my way back to the kitchen. Once I reached the kitchen, I saw Lindsey and Sophia chatting animatedly. They noticed me approaching and Sophia smiled, offering me a cup of coffee, which I politely declined. I sat beside Lindsey on the kitchen island and saw an array of food to eat for breakfast. My stomach automatically grumbled at the smell.

"I delivered some food up to your room, but only Chase was there," Sophia said while handing me a plate.

I instantly started pooling food on my plate as they looked at me in amusement. "Where is he, by the way?" I asked as I started munching on some toast.

"A doctor is checking up his wounds to make sure nothing has gotten infected. He's also getting his face painted on to cover up his bruises. It was quite a sight to see." Lindsey snickered.

I chuckled at this, picturing Chase struggling against makeup brushes inside a room. "He will get over it," I said with a careless shrug.

About ten minutes later, I finished with my food and downed it all down with some orange juice. I excused myself and walked out through some clear double doors, which led to what I assumed was the backyard.

It was huge, to say the least. Perfectly-trimmed grass covered most of the space, except one corner where the pool was at. There were at least five benches and two double-seat swings around. By my side, I took notice of a small garden, consisting of various types of flowers.

I walked toward one of the seat swings and sat down, admiring the fresh breeze. It was around twelve o'clock, judging by the bright sun above my head. The sound of an opening and closing door got my attention, and I saw Chase standing there, looking around the place until his eyes found mine. His face instantly brightened up and he jogged to where I sat, making me let out a faint chuckle.

"There you are," he said once he reached me. He took a seat beside me and smiled. "I swear I thought you left me to suffer on my own."

"Perhaps I did," I said teasingly.

"You're cruel." He chuckled. "At least some foundation thingy covered up the worst of my bruises. They hurt a lot, no kidding."

"Oh, trust me, I know the intensity of Bryce's punches. At least he didn't knock some teeth out." I smiled. He looked at me with a horrified expression, and I laughed at him.

He then gave me an amused grin and leaned back against the seat. "I don't know what's going to happen in the next few days, weeks, or months. I just know that whatever happens, I would like to have this type of moment every time. That way, I could say that each passing minute was worth it," he said, looking off into the distance. A relaxed smile played on his lips and I felt how the words tugged at my heart.

I reached for his hand and gently wrapped my fingers around his, him doing the same. A comfortable silence settled between us for a moment before I decided to speak up. "How about you take me out on a date?" I asked him mischievously.

His cheeks didn't wait too long to flush red as he met my gaze. "You want to go on a date?" he asked. "As in, right now?"

"No, you idiot. Not now." I laughed. "It could be later on today or another day for that matter. That is, of course, if you're confident that you're not going to chicken out."

"Hey, if I didn't chicken out when I was going to fight Bryce, then a simple date won't make me back out." He huffed then muttered, "Even though I can't tell which one is more nerve-wracking."

His last comment made me burst out in laughter and the tips of his ears turned red in an instant. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and chuckled along with me.

I didn't think much into it and captured his lips with mine when he looked at me. He was shocked for a quick moment before he responded to the kiss. At first, it was an innocent peck, then our lips started moving together in sync. He unwrapped his fingers from mine and brought his hand up to the back of my neck.

I could feel how he hesitantly opened his mouth a bit, and I took the opportunity to let my tongue wander inside his mouth. He let out a ragged breath and I smirked slightly, our tongues battling for dominance. My hands found their way into his hair, tugging lightly at the soft, dark strands.

A breathy moan left his mouth and he pulled away in an instant, with his cheeks and ears even redder than before. "I-I think we should head back inside. I'm a little hungry, aren't you? I'll go ahead and fetch something to eat for us," he rambled on, avoiding eye contact. He stood up and began to walk away, making me throw my head back in laughter and clutch my stomach.

"Y-You're so cute," I yelled after him while laughing. "I haven't heard you stutter in a while."

"I'm not cute, I'm hungry!" he yelled back over his shoulder.

"Well hello, Hungry! I'm Amelia. Pleased to meet you." I kept on laughing.

"Oh, shut up already," was the last thing he said before going back inside. I smiled at this and shook my head in amusement. I stood up and buried my hands inside my pockets, then made my way back inside the house after him.

Once inside, I caught on to Wesley's laughter and I peeked my head over the corner to see him ruffling Chase's hair teasingly.

"I'll help you out, man. Don't you worry," Wesley assured him then noticed me. "Lily, you should give the poor guy a chance to breathe. Don't scare him away after all the progress he has made!"

"Oh, shut your mouth, Wes." I rolled my eyes.

He just laughed and the women followed suit, making Chase grumble under his breath. He muttered something along the lines of going to take a shower and left the kitchen. So much for being hungry.

"That guy is too shy sometimes." Sophia chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder if he'll get over that shy phase."

"Perhaps he will," Lindsey said and Wesley agreed, making her smile.

I glanced at the clock and noticed it was a quarter before one. I made sure Chase was officially gone before turning to the other three people in the room. Their chatter came to a stop after taking note of my serious expression.

"What's wrong, Lily?"

I sighed. "I will need to discuss some things with you and Wesley in about twenty minutes. Let's meet up in Steven's old office. And Sophia, I will need a favor from you."

"Um, yeah sure. I'm all ears," she said and leaned forward against the kitchen counter. I glanced at Wes and Lindsey, silently telling them to give us a moment. Luckily, they got the memo and walked out of the kitchen silently.

"I would like you to get my mother out of here. It might be a little hard to do so, given how stubborn she is, but get her out of here, nonetheless. I'll take you to where she's being kept, but I need you to move fast," I explained.

After a few moments, she gave a small nod and I motioned for her to follow me. I went up for the second time to my mother's room and stood in front of the two guards. "You're dismissed. Take a break, eat, shower, do whatever you want to do and don't forget what I told you earlier."

They didn't waste another second as they walked down the hallway and out of view. I turned to Sophia and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Remember to go somewhere safe and don't ever come back to this place. I'll make sure Chase gets to you safe and sound."

"Wait, what about you?"

"Things have always been about me." I chuckled bitterly. "I will be alright as well. One last thing, though. How do I get to the office?"

She gave me directions from the kitchen onwards and once she finished, I made my way over there. Flashbacks ran through my mind as I wandered down familiar hallways to the dreaded double doors that led to the office.

I went inside and spotted Wes and Lindsey already sitting in front of the desk. I went behind it and sat down on the chair, staring at them both intently. "There has been a slight change of plans."

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[Edited: September 23rd, 2020 by michh_44]

Chase really is adorable, isn't he? Though also unpredictable, so who knows what he might do. Also, a change of plans?! Oh my, what will happen now? What will she change? Only one way to find out, folks...keep on reading. Vote and comment your thoughts, and I thank you very much for your time xx