DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" belongs to Dylan Thomas. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warning: Reference to drug use.
Previously:
"Don't say that name." I could hear the quiver in my voice. Oh my God. How does he know? Who was he? How did he find out? Oh God, Oh God. This wasn't good. "Don't you ever say that name again."
I pulled back to look him in the eye. It was imperative for him to understand the seriousness of the situation. This was no joking matter. If they even suspected he might know me, he most definitely would not be leaving here. At least he wouldn't be leaving here while breathing. He watched my face for a while before he nodded and moved his eyes to scan the room. He wouldn't find anything out of the ordinary though. The cameras were well hidden.
"My name is Daisy," I said, pulling his attention back to me. "That's all you'll call me." He smiled, but it was tight.
"Well, Daisy," he said after he took a deep breath. "I'm Edw-" I shook my head and leaned as close to him as I could without actually placing my lips on his.
"You're 'Handsome'. That's all I need to know." I turned around and sat back with my ass on his crotch. "Let me do my job, Handsome. I can make you feel good."
I rolled my hips brushing against him enough to drive him crazy. At least, it worked last time. Last time I remembered vividly, because for the first time in a very long time, I could remember every part of the dance. I'd been lucid and aware for the first time in years. Each minute I had with him was etched on my mind even weeks afterwards. He had been an enigma – not rude or handsy or rough.
I tried not to think about what he'd just said. He knew me; he knew my name. I didn't know how, and I didn't want to know. It would do me no good. Thinking about my old life only led to heartache…or worse. Before I got much further into the routine, he placed a hand on my hip stilling my movement.
"Can't we just talk?" I couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled from my lips. The sound startled me. I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed. I turned my head to look at him over my shoulder, and the look that seemed to be on his face cause me to sober. He was a little blurry from the pounding in my head that caused my surroundings to be fuzzy.
"Talk?" He nodded. "That's not what you paid for." His jaw tightened.
"Yes, it is." He shook his head. "This was the only way I could think of to talk to you."
"If all we do is talk, they'll know something is up." He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
"Fine." I could hear the frustration in his voice. "Come back to the hotel with me so we can talk privately." I pulled his hand from his face, took his other, and moved them to my hips. He was acting strange for a man receiving a lap dance, and if he wasn't careful, he was going to alert them.
"I can't just walk out of here." He spun me around and moved to the edge of the chair. I stood in front of him and continued to move.
"Then wait until the end of your shift. Come to the hotel instead of going home." I couldn't tell if he was stupid or truly did not grasp the situation. I pushed him to lean back and bent at the waist to hover my face close to his. I let my hair fall around us creating a curtain between our faces and the cameras. "Please. Come with me tonight."
"My shift? Do you know my story? If you know my name, surely you know my story, at least the public version of it."
"You were taken."
"Yes." I stood, spun around slowly, and untied the robe before lowering it off my shoulders and dropping it on the ground. When I turned back, I could see a war in his eyes. He didn't want me to undress, but part of him struggled not to enjoy the view at the same time. "I did not choose to come here, and I most definitely did not choose this profession. My services are not mine to offer. There will be no talk back at your hotel unless you pay an obscene amount of money to rent me for an off-site all-inclusive."
The more I talked, the paler he got. He must really have not comprehended the scope and ramifications of the situation, of my life. I stood and sashayed around until I was standing behind the chair. I leaned down, running my hands from his shoulders, to chest, to abs. I kissed his neck a few times before moving so that my hair once again obscured the view of the cameras.
"Whatever you think is going to happen, it's not." I rubbed my hands down his thighs as my vision blurred. I didn't know if I'd make it through this dance. "This is my life; it's the only way to stay alive now. It'd be best to just forget about me all together." He reached up and wrapped his arms around my upper body.
"I can't do that. There are people that care about you. Alice cares about you, misses you."
I froze. Alice. I hadn't thought about Alice in so long. I never knew for sure if she was alive, if she was able to find help and stay out of the hands of those men. I thought about her constantly for months, and made myself sick with worry. I eventually came to realize the only way to survive was to put her out my mind. I had to put everyone I knew out of my mind. I did everything I could to forget them. When I thought about them, about home, it made me nauseous.
And Charlie. Oh God. I knew Charlie would be worried sick. He'd also be blaming himself. My heart seized at the thought. Oh Daddy. He was the Police Chief for the small town of Forks, Washington. Being a cop, I knew he'd think it was his fault. It wasn't. There wasn't anything he could do about it. But Charlie being Charlie would take the responsibility on himself.
"Alice." Her name fell from lips in a whimper. Oh my God; she's alive. I wanted to cry. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to throw up. So many questions raced through my mind, but I couldn't handle it. I was starting to hyperventilate.
He pulled me around so I was straddling his lap. I could hear him trying to calm me but everything was a blur. I was lightheaded and out of control. I couldn't handle this. I just couldn't. My stomach churned, and I tried to swallow it down. The combination of knowing Alice was alive and the crash from the cocaine was just too much. I could feel myself falling apart at the seams.
AN 08/12/2018: So Alice is alive, though I don't think that's a shock to anyone. We still don't know how Edward knows Alice, but that will come in chapter 10. Poor Edward's struggling with this whole situation. He's very naïve in this story, but then again, so are millions of people in our world that aren't truly aware of the trafficking business. What do you think of Bella's revelation and how Edward's taking it? How do you think he's going to respond/what he's going to do?
