“Relax.” He whispered in my ear. As much as I would loathe to admit it, I did. Slightly. I look down and see it is indeed chains, but more of a chain necklace than actual ones.

And that’s when I realized it.

“You planned it.” I mutterered, ashamed of my own stupidity. Sending his men into my apartment, even though he had told me to pack up on the phone. The small and quick kiss when he saw me, so I would know what he wanted. He had covered my vision towards the chains, and had only been playing with them to make the sound.

“Planned what?” I can’t see it, but I can hear his stupid smile. The haze that had settled clears instantly, as he takes his arms around my waist and stomach and pulls me tighter. He puts his head on my shoulder from behind and looks up at me.

“You were the one jumping to conclusions. I said I would give you a second chance. You’re the one that didn’t believe me.” My throat tightened as his words was slowly sinking in. He was right. I thought he had found a loophole. Something to tie me down, after all. Fuck.

The best thing to say to that is nothing. I didn’t want to admit that I didn’t trust him. I didn’t want to thank him for not putting me in chains. I didn’t want to think about how much I had wanted to kiss him, and how he must have felt that.

I didn’t want to think.

“No need to pout.” He said, nudging his head against the side of mine. His hair tickled a bit and it took a fight not to react to it.

“I’m not pouting.” I said in an undoubtable pouty voice. Shit. He nuzzles his head against me and start petting my hair like I’m some sort of child that had just been told to go to bed early.

“There there, let’s go get some fancy breakfast, okay? You haven’t eaten, right? So cheer up. I know a good place.”

I do, in fact, not cheer up. Not at all. The thought of good food doesn’t make me lean back against him at all.

“That’s a good boy.” He said softly, and before I knew it, I had closed my eyes and been lulled to sleep from his nuzzling, petting, hugging and his warmth.

***

“Wake up.” A smooth voice breathed into my ear from behind and I sit upright, awake. How did I let myself relax enough to sleep in this kind of situation?

I look around and try to get an idea about where we are. I see a brunch place I recognize just outside the window and breathe a bit easy. Even though he said he wouldn’t lock me up, I still didn’t trust him. Or at least, I think I didn’t. If I didn’t trust him, would I really fall asleep so defenseless in that kind of position, where he could do whatever he wanted? I push the thought aside and focus on what to do now.

We walk in and sit at our regular table. I’m surprised that nothing has changed here. I’m even more surprised that he remembers this place.

For someone with money, he doesn’t usually go fancy places. I never thought to ask, but I did find the way he treats money out of the ordinary. The fact that we met working a shitty job also still bothered me.

I realize how little I know about him and his circumstances despite the amount of time I have spent with him. I know what he likes to eat. Waffles still seems to be his preferred choice since that’s what he orders. Eggs for me as it has a lot of protein and keeps me full for a long time. And I know he has no siblings, two parents that were divorced for a few years, but eventually ended up back together. I know he was raised with a golden spoon in his mouth, and yet doesn’t act like it. I know the only thing he truly wants to spend his money on are suits, movies, and, despite how much I hate thinking it, on me.

I know that at one point, he was my best friend, the next, my unofficial ´lover´, and at last, my captor.

I know I never figured out how things went as wrong as they did. Where I went wrong.

And when I looked at him now, eating his waffles in his refined way, looking at me with so much warmth in his eyes, I felt lost.

It’s too easy to fall back into the rhythm we had when everything was okay. It’s too easy to forget the bad stuff when he is like this.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked, taking a bite out of my eggs. I frowned and tried to snatch it back but I’m too slow.

“You.” I answered, taking a bite of his waffles as revenge. He takes my hand before I can snatch it entirely, takes it up to his mouth, kisses it, and lets go. I take back my hand with the waffle and eat it, though I don’t seem able to taste it.

“Me?” He smirked, focusing all his attention on me.

“What about me?” He asked, genuinely curious. I wonder what I’m trying to get at. Do I want an honest conversation? Do I want to understand him better? Or do I just pretend to do so? Not even I am sure. Instead of wondering, I just say the first thing that comes to mind.

“Why you worked in the grocery store, where we met, when you have enough money to not have to work at all.”

He stared at me for a bit, his eyes narrowing just a fraction.

“My parents have enough money for me not to work. I don’t. Or rather, I didn’t back then.” His answer surprised me, and I couldn’t help but let it show. He chuckled a bit at my expression but didn’t elaborate.

“Didn’t your parents give you money?” I asked, assuming he was at least given an allowance.

“Both yes and no. They wanted me to make my own money, and for me to know the ‘value of hard work’. And what luck I did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met you.” His eyes glimmered in that predatory way of his. I fought against a shiver suddenly shooting its way through my spine.

I want to ask him why he chose a free college, but I don’t want to hear the answer. Surely him having a higher education would have been better for him. For me, as well.

“I see…” I said non-committedly, absentmindedly taking another bite of my eggs. I try to push down all the questions I suddenly want to ask, but I don’t want to drag this topic out.

“It’s rare for you to ask about me.” He said, looking at me suspiciously. Amusement is entirely gone, and he stares at me, intensely.