I take a deep breath as Leroy stands up. Swallowing, I sink my head. Did I really just decide to live with him, not knowing what to expect? I tense as I notice him walking around me. Nervously, I wait for what will happen now. I wince as I feel his hands on mine.

Easy, Rina...

He's just untying the knot.

Our fingers touch each other constantly until the knot loosens and I can finally move my hands again. I hastily bring them against my chest and rub my red wrists. Leroy stops behind me. I feel his breath brush against the back of my neck and confirm it with goosebumps.

"Follow me," I suddenly hear him say. Hesitantly, I stand up and walk after him. As I thought before, we are in a warehouse.

Only now, I can feel how cold it actually is. Even my hands are ice cold and the rubbing movements don't make it better. I don't feel comfortable in my own skin, a bitter feeling of fear slowly spreads through me and I know that this feeling will not disappear soon. The man in front of me is walking briskly ahead, so I can't keep up with him, certainly not because my butt fell asleep.

And then I stumble.

My eyes snap up and I gasp for air, but it's already too late. I fall and my chin hits the stony ground terribly hard. Far too late, I understand that this would not have happened if I had raised my hands for protection. I don't move for a few seconds, but then the biting pain kicks in. My chin burns like hell and I feel how hot my chin gets. Tears gather in my eyes.

It burns like a candle under my chin.

Sniffing, I prop myself up on my elbows and raise my upper body, sitting on my knees. I completely ignore Leroy, but he comes back in my mind when I open my eyes for a moment and catch sight of his shoes in front of my hanging face. I hear footsteps and feel two cold hands on my waist.

He lifts me gently up and places me on my feet. Sharply, I suck the air in and try to hold the tears back, but it hurts so much that I see black dots flicker in front of my eye for a moment.

"You just scraped your skin. It's not like you have a broken jaw, so stop crying," I hear him say near my ear. He sounds so impassive, distant, that I can't think it's normal anymore. A cold shiver chases down my spine. I snort softly.

"Why don't you fall like me and then comment my pain," I whisper angrily, hoping he didn't hear it. But he is still standing behind me, his hands placed on my hips. So how could he not have heard it?

And I'm sure of it. He heard it. Because a few seconds later, I'm back on the floor. I shout out in shock and this time I would certainly have landed on the floor with my chin again, but I turn my head to the side just in time so I fall on my left cheek. But how could I not? I didn't expect him to push me.

"And? How's the pain now?", I hear him ask. This time he sat down next to me and looked me in the eyes. His poison green eyes look bored at me. Tears cloud my vision and only with an effort I hold myself back from screaming out immediately.

He just pushed me...

Why did he do that? Just because I said something back? Just because I took the right to respond to his stupid statement?

But why did I think to say anything at all...?

That was really silly of me. He sighs softly and pulls me out of my thoughts. I didn't move from the spot and just silently let my tears run free. I feel his hand on my right cheek and then the other on my left cheek.

Slowly he turns my head in the left direction and carefully places it down. Then I feel his arm around my shoulders and the other one wraps around the back of my knees. In a single movement, he is back on his feet, only this time with me in his arms. Then he walks away, paying no attention to me. I quietly exhale the air I've been holding without realizing it. My head is spinning and I'm getting hot.

Just don't lose consciousness now...

Hesitantly, I lean my head against his chest. I want to build a solid wall between the two of us so that he stays away from me, but since I'm afraid of actually losing consciousness, now that I suddenly feel so dizzy, I stop my thoughts for a moment, ignore everything and close my eyes. Because that's still better than not being able to control my body anymore...

He takes a deep breath but doesn't push my head away. My burning chin makes me grit my teeth, but as we leave the warehouse, the ice-cold air hits my face instantly, making me sigh in comfort for a moment. Yes, the cold feels damn good right now. It's already dusk outside. The dim light from the streetlamps seems spooky and leaves my body covered in goosebumps.

Leroy suddenly presses me closer to him, so close that my face buries itself in the crook of his neck. Suddenly, he takes his arm from my back and I literally cling onto him.

I will not fall again!

He takes another deep and loud breath as he realizes how close I really am which makes me swallow empty for a moment.

He holds me close and not me him!

Gritting my teeth, I glance at him. His eyes are focused on something that is probably behind my back. The dim light creates dark shadows under his eyes, defining his distinctive face. It frightens and fascinates me at the same time how well the shadows fit him as if they were a part of him.

A familiar sound snaps me out of my trance. I recognize the contours of a car as I slowly look over my shoulder. So, he just took his keys out of his pants pocket and that's why he had me pressed against him like that? I feel his hand against my back again. He opens the car door and places me in the back seat. He buckles me up as if I couldn't do it myself and then closes the door without giving me another look.

But right after that, the door opens again, after he has been at the trunk for a moment. And when I suddenly see the rope and the tape in his hands, I involuntarily widen my eyes.

I look up at him in shock, but he keeps his impenetrable look.

"What, what are you doing?", I huff.

"Either you comply with me or it's going to be uncomfortable," he simply replies.

His eyebrows furrow when I don't move. I swallow.

"Listen, I don't want to get my hands dirty, so think a little bit about your chin and do what I want. I won't hurt you then either," he says carefully as if I could break from his cutting words.

Just do what he says, Rina...

And when I give him my hands so that he can tie them and I finally get a tape on my mouth, I ask myself if it was a mistake to decide for my life.

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*sigh* oh Leroy...

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