Clothes lay on a colourful heap on our bed with a suitcase open, my footsteps echo as I saunter to the wardrobe to get the rest of my things. I return to the bed with my set of lingerie and start folding clothes into the bag. The heap disappears into the box, I straighten up and sigh when Brandon's arms wrap around my waist from behind.Brandon tucks his head into the crook of my neck, his breath fans my ear and my body thrums in response when he says, "If it were in my power, we would have stayed back." I smile and nod. "I'll make it up to you."My head bobs up and down again, already tired of hearing his apology. I understand; it's not his fault. The call he received when we were at the

I stare at his retreating back unable to grasp what just happened until Brandon turns sharply to repeat his order. "Follow me."The invisible forces keeping my feet rooted to the ground lets up, I nod and trail behind him like a diligent puppy ready to serve its master. Silence is my only companion as we go down the long stairs and onto the lone corridor, passing through doors I didn't know of their existence. He stops without notice and I almost run into his solid back.A string of apologies leaves me, I twiddle my fingers, bite the inside of my lips and sigh. Brandon shifts to the side, I take one look in front of him and understand why he stopped. Seconds go by as he works the key into the keyhole of the door and my heart picks up pace, beating hard against my ribcage. My fists clench and unclench at my sides, I s

I wake up with a start, a string of curses leaves my lips as I turn to lie on my stomach and sigh in relief at the switch of positions. My whole body is sore, my anus, vagina and nipples scream for some tender loving care plus a warm bath. I blink twice, noting the change in the colours of the walls for the first time, we are in our bedroom but I have no recollection of how I got here. A small laugh escapes me, I am a deep sleeper, I can sleep through a storm and last night was hell, there is no way I would have felt him carry me.The mattress dips with a new weight, Brandon's face comes into view and I frown, he chuckles but I don't share in his humour. This man almost split my asshole, nearly ripped off my nipples and vagina with those damn clamps he used on them and he has the guts to laugh at me like he can handle the number of strokes he dished out. He needs an ass-who

A yawn slips from me, the back of my hand goes to cover my mouth and I nod with my head almost hitting the table. I blink twice, fighting to stay awake and the yawn escapes me. The light of my phone screen comes on, a peek at the time shows it's past nine and Brandon is not here yet. He's not picking my calls, in fact, no one is. Brandon. Clarissa. Joshua. They have all gone quiet on me and I'm starting to get worried. I miss them. Him.The letters on my screen blur, tears fill my eyes, I squint and reach for the mouse to reduce the laptop's brightness. I cast a look at the empty plates on the dining table, the stainless flask at the centre, this is my first time of cooking since we got married and I decided to surprise him with dinner. Spaghetti Bolognese. I don't know if he likes it, so far, he hasn't chosen any meal above the other, he eats whatever he's given.

I wake up with Brandon's arms around my waist, his leg between mine and our bodies pressed against each other. My muscles scream in protest when I try to push him off in an attempt to get out of the bed and a new wave of annoyance hits me when his arms tighten around my waist. He stirs, runs his fingers across my naked stomach before trailing a line down my hips. I freeze, waiting for his breathing to return to normal so I can try again."El," he murmurs when I finally pry his arms off me, his voice unusually low and his hand blindly searching for me. "Don't leave me."My body goes rigid, the butterflies in my belly flutter as my feet connect with the floor and I cast a tentative look at him. His closed eyelids, the wrinkles that appear on his forehead and the rising and falling of his chest call attention to me. I sigh, my decision to sneak out of the room crumbling like my resolve