Skyfall

I stepped out of the closet and closed the door behind me. Louis was standing in the middle of my room, looking for me. When he heard the closet close, he spun around, confusion plain on his face.

“Is this a new style?” he asked.

“A new what?”

“A new style. You know, grunge, street style-“

“No,” I interrupted. “This isn’t a new style.”

“But, your hair...”

I ran a hand through the ragged mop.

“Yeah. My hair. What about it?”

He swallowed nervously. While he was thinking up a response, I took a moment to realise how different we both seemed.

I stood in bare feet covered in lacerations, wearing plain jeans and t-shirt, my hair wet and dripping onto my shoulders. He was wearing shiny black shoes, dress pants and a dinner jacket with a white cravat. His own hair had been styled, his short brown hair swept to the right, ending in curls. His blue eyes were still fixed on my hair, and I raised an eyebrow.

We were from completely different worlds, and I would never love him.

“It’s different,” he settled for finally. “I was expecting you to be dressed differently.”

“Oh,” I crossed the room and picked up the lingerie from where I’d peeled it off. “You were expecting something like this?”

“Yes,” he replied, and I could tell he was trying not to look embarrassed.

“Well, I decided differently,” I dropped the lingerie back on the floor. “I also didn’t like how they’d done my hair, so I cut it off.”

“Cut it-“

“-off, yes.” I settled on a large trunk against the wall, crossing my arms and legs. “Listen, I don’t know who the hell you think you are, Louis Nova, but I’m not a doll. I’m not your plaything.”

“I know you’re not,” he tried to counter, but I held up my hand and he stopped talking.

“Can you honestly tell me that you didn’t come to my room right now to sleep with me?”

He didn’t say anything.

“Well?” I prompted, and he dropped his composure.

“No, I can’t say that. You know what I was expecting.”

“Why on earth would I sleep with someone I’d just met?”

“Because... we bought you.”

I frowned at him.

“You can’t buy me. You don’t, and never will, own me.”

“But-“

“That isn’t something up for negotiation.” I snapped, and he fell silent. “Now, you can scuttle back to daddy-o and let him know he can just take me back. I was happy where I was.”

“Really?” Louis asked, and I could see that he was genuinely curious.

“Yes.” I didn’t mention my plans to escape.

“But why?”

“I don’t have any family,” I admitted. “At the Salesroom, we’re fed, clothed – when it’s not a sale day – and looked after. I don’t have any qualifications or experience so I can’t get a job. I wouldn’t last a day on the streets.”

I was surprised at how true the words coming out of my mouth were. I was even more surprised when Louis sat on the bed and patted the duvet next to him, beckoning me over.

“Just to talk,” he said quickly when he saw my expression. “I promise.”

I rolled my eyes but walked over and sat next to him anyway.

“Where is your family?” he asked me, kicking off his shoes and facing me on the bed.

I shrugged.

“No idea. I grew up as a ward of the state and when I turned eighteen, they chucked me in the Salesroom.”

“But you’re educated?”

“Yeah. We were all taught to read and write, and do sums, all of that. But not enough to get a job, I think.”

“You might be wrong there,” he was far off in thought. “There are plenty of businesses that take trainees.”

“Trainees?”

“Yeah, you get paid and trained at the same time.”

“I like the sound of that,” I said eagerly.

A life outside this one. I’d never seriously considered it before, but now it seemed that it was just within my reach. I leant back on the bed, crossing my legs and watching the young nobleman in front of me.

“You’re different to what I thought,” I told him. “You confuse me.”

“You’re different to what I thought as well,” he said, and a smile lit up his face.

I leant forwards again to continue talking to him when I spied something silver glinting in his pocket. Before he could stop me, I seized his jacket and opened the pocket, pulling out the handcuffs the Salesman had handed his father before we’d left.

“What are these?” I whispered. “Louis, what are these for?”

“They’re for... uh,”

“So I didn’t get a choice to how this night went, really?” I spat at him in disgust. I flung the handcuffs down next to him as I stood up off the bed. “With or without my consent, huh?”

“It’s not like that!” Louis protested.

“Out.”

“Please, Alexa-“

“Get out of my room!”

I headed for the bathroom and closed the door behind me. Pressing my ear to the door, I heard Louis get up off the bed and leave. When I heard the bedroom door close, I sank to the floor and put my chin on my knees and berated myself.

I let my guard down for a second, and this is what happened.