"You know I can't let you go, right?" The man asked, voice gentler than I was expecting it to be. I looked up and he was staring right at me, eyes uncharacteristically kind.
I nod slowly, whispering, "Go ahead."
~~~
Ava Williams is just trying to l...
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I feel ridiculous. I shook my head, walking beside Jaime down the hallway in a pair of tan heels, his fast pace making it more difficult.
After I had pointed out that I had no formal wear to change into, Jaime gestured to the closet anyway. I stopped with my hand on the door knob. The closet was filled to the brim with clothes ranging from lounge wear to a full row of dresses. I thumbed through some of the clothes and they were all the right size. I turned my head to look at Jaime, eyes wide.
"I had them delivered yesterday. Hurry up." He closed the closet door, giving me some privacy.
I tried to keep it simple but the dresses were anything but. After several minutes of flipping through each item, and Jaime huffing outside the door, I decided on a wine colored long-sleeve dress to cover the scratches on my arm. The lace fabric flowed delicately over my chest and landed a couple inches above my knees. My dark hair fell in natural waves to my waist. Whenever I walked out of the closet, Jaime's eyes lingered a little bit longer than necessary before ushering me out of the bedroom.
Walking beside him now, I caught him stealing glances at me every few steps. I ignored him, studying the artwork on the wall as we passed them. Most of them were paintings of landscapes or cities that I didn't know.
We went down a set of stairs, it seemed like everything was downstairs. Voices drifted through an archway on the right and delicious smells wafted toward us, making my stomach rumble.
Jaime stepped through the doorway first, and immediately chairs scraped across the hardwood floor. Taken aback, I peeked around him and everyone was on their feet as we entered. Eyes followed us, or should I say me, as we approached the head of the table where two empty chairs waited. I searched the faces, recognizing the two men from the diner next to the empty chairs, but the dozen or so other faces were unfamiliar. Many of them scowled as they scrutinized me and others just watched curiously. I ducked behind a curtain of hair, heat rising in my face, as Jaime and I took our seats. Jaime nodded slightly, and everyone sat down again.
"Do they do that every time?" I asked Jaime as light chatter filled the room.
"Stand? Yes." Jaime replied curtly, barely glancing my way. His jaw clenched and I thought he was nervous.
Several people emerged from the kitchen, each laden down with several plates. Jaime, unsurprisingly, was the first to be served and they continued down the long table until everyone had their own plate.
I looked down at the golden roasted chicken breast, my mouth watering. Picking up my utensils, I took a small bite, taking time to scan the room. I noticed people glancing towards us and whispering, but Jaime just ignored them, not joining in on the conversation. If he can ignore them, so can I. I was about to take another bite when a feminine voice cut across the table.
"Who's she?"
The question was intended for Jaime, but the woman was staring daggers right at me. She was sitting a couple seats down on the other side of the table. Her golden hair fell in perfect curls around her shoulders and a smirk rested on her lips as her jade eyes slid over me in distaste.
