The voice was cut off by a sudden burst of light.
While I was thankful for the silence, my eyes burned, making me duck under the blanket.
One lamp should not be that bright, especially broken on the floor. All that was left intact was the shade and somehow a still working bulb, which considering the base was in pieces, didn’t make sense.
If my retinas weren’t being scorched out of my head, I might have inspected it to see how it was on. Thankfully the thin fabric helped filter out some brightness long enough for my eyes to adjust.
When I could finally come out from under my shelter, my eyes weren’t drawn to the click of the opening door. They were pulled over to the bed.
I could’ve sworn the sheet on it was white, not blue. And where did those two pillows come from?
“Good morning Marnie.”
The way Preston’s deep tone wrapped around those syllables made me hate him a little more. No one’s name should sound that enticing, especially when it came from someone like him.
“I trust you got enough sleep?”
I huffed out a snort. There was the understatement of the year. “Not much else to do in here.”
“Aww.” His bottom lip popped out in a mocking frown. “Are you bored, Little Bird?”
Was a glare a good enough answer because that was all he was going to get?
“I can find something for you to do.”
I just bet he could. “I think I’ll pass.”
“You sure about that?”
I opened my mouth to tell him to fuck off, but that was quickly forgotten when Preston lifted his hand to display a bottle of water.
Suddenly that was all I could see. Nothing in the world seemed more important than that clear fluid. It sloshed and swayed off the sides with every step he took. And the closer he got, the more my throat felt like sandpaper.
“Is that for me?”Was my voice always that hoarse?
“Maybe?” Preston stopped a few feet away from the bars and tipped his head. “But this is a tit-for-tat situation.”
Of course, it was. “If you think I’m going to dance like some pet monkey, you’re sorely mistaken.”
I wasn’t that desperate. Okay, maybe I was. I couldn’t tear my eyes off that bottle, but I wasn’t going to let him know that.
“Dancing wasn’t what I had in mind, Little Bird. But I would like to see you crawl.”
I snorted. “That’s not going to happen.”
I’d die of thirst first.
“All right.” Preston tipped his head to the side. “Maybe two more days will make you reevaluate that statement.”
It hadn’t been that long. Had it? I was talking to myself, so it was possible. Damnit, I wish there was a clock in here.
“You’re bluffing.”
“I’m a lot of things, Little Bird. A liar isn’t one of them.”
As much as I wanted to argue, I couldn’t think of a single point in time when he had lied. I couldn’t think at all. My entire focus was centered on the possibility of a drink. I didn’t think I could survive another two hours, let alone two days.
“Will you let me out of this room?” If I had any hope of escaping, it wouldn’t be found within these four walls.
