"Have you seen the news today dear?" Mr. Fray asked, staring down at her with an impartial expression. It concealed cruel intentions, the hint of a smile. "I have." She replied with a sinking feeling in her stomach as the man nodded, bidding her a lovely day as she continued down the stairs to join Carter for breakfast. Had staying the night been a mistake? For more than the sake of an edible breakfast in the morning- Sylwia noted an abandoned bowl of cereal alongside the rest of his family falling silent and leaving the kitchen as soon as she crossed the threshold.
There was a tabloid on the cover. Words about weight loss, the latest pyramid scheme- She was on the cover. Staring up at Carter with a fond smile as he held her close. She had no idea when or where the picture was taken, all the events Carter had ever invited her to turning up blank in her mind as she slowly turned the cover, moving over the words inside. If she had been more confident, she could have laughed it off and said they should frame the picture, because aside from the ads surrounding the edges, it wasn't aesthetically horrible . . . Sylwia's hands were shaking so badly she tore one of the pages, pushing the thing away from her as she sat down, tears sliding down a pale face.
She had been doxxed. She'd been so careful too, and Carter had been respectful of her wishes- Silly. Playing in her own little bubble, living on the moon. She thought she was safe from it, never listening, no matter how many times Carter joked about the fame and paparazzi. Sylwia pulled up her sleeves, hiding her face as she heard sobs that didn't sound like her own escape her. Pathetic. What would Carter think of her? Sylwia very badly wanted to run away, but that meant leaving the safety of Carter's house- She was trapped, and the only option she had was to draw in on herself, making herself as small as possible. They were going to tear her apart out there! And she wasn't strong enough to carry all the pieces and put them back together. Going over her every mistake, digging into her past and exposing secrets she wasn't ready to tell Carter yet.
It was a scary thought, losing your life like that. Carter wouldn't stick around either. Not when they were done with her. Sylwia knew how it worked.
She reached across the counter, taking Carter's hand in her own when she calmed down enough to look at the world with one eye. She wasn't wearing her mask- She had taken to showing her face around the other, but right now she needed to hide away and the best she could manage was covering half her face. The other had been hovering, like he was unsure of how to act. Whether or not she'd appreciate his presence. Had she ever been that harsh, or was their relationship so uncertain? When had it become a relationship to her? "Why do they do this? Was I-" Sylwia trailed off, brow furrowing. "Do you think it was that bitch whose wallet we kept stealing?" // @eeliabwrites
