Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
It did not mean that she had to run in order to avoid being hurt.
This is what she kept doing and it was frustrating. Hadn’t she just been warned against running from them?
“I need to be a fighter again,” she told her toys. “Stupid Angie.”
Beating herself up and hiding had become second nature and she didn’t like it. Forming a fist, she thumped it against her thigh.
Okay, that did nothing to help.
All it did was hurt her thigh.
Ouch.
And it reminded her that she should have insisted Jared ice his hand. Was it sore?
“Why do I do this to myself?” she muttered to Wally. “I should have just said no and come up to bed with the two of you. Sure, I might have wondered about what I was missing. But that’s better than knowing what I’m missing.”
Watching them together had been so hot.
She’d been so turned on that she’d nearly come then and there. Which was strange for someone who couldn’t even make herself come.
Apparently, all she’d needed to do was watch some man-on-man action.
The two of them touching each other. Both so masculine and muscular.
Both so fucking hot.
She should have just stayed and heard them reject her.
Then it would be a clean break.
Then she’d know for sure.
The world around her started to close in and her heart raced.
Do not panic.
You are not going to panic.
Knowing she needed something to help her, Angie brought her fingers to her mouth and sucked them.
Heck, she was already hiding out in a closet, so why not?
As she sucked, her Little started to take over and she lay down on her side, curled up into a ball as she hugged Wally and Wallina. Maybe she should have come up with a better name for Wallina.
She could shorten it to Lina.
A knocking sound penetrated the bubble she’d built around herself, but she ignored it.
She didn’t want to be interrupted. She was busy.
Super busy.
Uh-huh.
The busiest. Maybe she should get Lina a hat. She’d look good with a hat. And a dress. Ooh, yeah.
The door to the closet suddenly opened and she tensed but tried not to move.
The monster wouldn’t find her if she was quiet and still.
Of course, he’d probably punish her harsher once he did find her. And unfortunately, she’d eventually need to pee or eat.
No, wait, the monster was dead.
He was gone.
So who was trying to find her?
Was she playing a game of hide and seek? Ooh, she really needed to be quiet then.
“Angie?” a voice called out.
She slid her hand across her mouth to stop her giggle. Did they think she was silly? She wasn’t going to answer them.
That’s not how hide and seek worked.
“Where do you think she went?” one man asked.
Hmm. That sounded like Jared.
She liked Jared. He wasn’t horrible like the monster. Maybe she should tell him where she was. He didn’t seem to be very good at hide and seek.
Although there had been a few times where he’d been a bit mean.
So maybe not.
“I think she’s close.” That was North.
Hmm. He’d been kind of mean too. After all, he’d kidnapped her. And then he’d locked her up in a windowless room.
Like the one you’re in now.
Yeah, but this wasn’t scary. It was cozy. And she had Wally and Lina.
Obviously, they would take care of her.
“Baby, why are you hiding under that blanket?” Jared asked.
“Maybe she’s playing a game,” North suggested.
Oh monkey-bum-faces. That’s why she was hiding. This wasn’t a game. They didn’t want her anymore.
And they’d come to find her so they could reject her.
That just sucked. Well, she wasn’t going to tell them where she was.
Then the blanket was ripped off her face and she let out a shocked cry. Jared stared at North and shook his head.
“I was trying to get her to come out on her own.”
“I know,” North said as he put the blanket down. “But I didn’t see the point when this would get things moving quicker.”
“Sometimes quicker isn’t always better.”
“Yes, I know,” North replied.
What were they talking about? Actually, it didn’t matter. She was activating her invisibility.
“Invisibility go!” she said quietly.
“Are you pretending you’re invisible?” North asked. “Why?”
That was kind of a dumb question. Wasn’t it obvious why she’d activated her invisibility shield?
“Can you see me?” she asked suspiciously.
“Of course we can see you,” North replied as Jared grabbed his arm, shaking his head.
Then Jared crouched and looked around the wardrobe. “I can’t see you. That’s a good invisibility shield.”
She knew that he was humoring her. She wasn’t stupid. And she hadn’t fully regressed to the point that she lost her adult side.
It was just easier to pretend sometimes.
How many times had she pretended to be someone else? Even before her father had basically sold her to Fergus, she’d lived the life of a fairy princess, a pirate’s daughter, an ordinary girl in a boring world.