Chapter 10: Containment
1645 Words
The moment I reached for my bag, he proceeded to step closer. He didn’t touch me, but it was enough to block my path.
Not obvious, but undoubtedly intentional, and that was when I felt it.
A small flicker rose in my chest. It wasn’t fear, it was something closer to awareness.
“Sit down,” he said quietly.
“No,” I refused, just as quiet, but more firmly than before.
Another pause formed between us, as I stared at him in defiance.
People were still talking around us, laughing, eating, clearly not paying attention to us.
“You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be,” he said, as a frustrated exhalation left his lips.
“Too bad, I’m not going anywhere with you,” I spoke, as a flicker of irritation crossed his features.
“Well, that’s not an option.”
The sudden pressure in his voice made me realize that this was no longer a request, he was demanding me, and that created an unsettling feeling in me.
“Are you threatening me?” I asked, my voice tighter than before.
“I’m informing you,” he replied. “That this conversation will happen.”
“Then tell me who it’s with?” I demanded.
He studied me for a second, like he was deciding something, and then it was there again.
“You’ll see.”
No, absolutely not.
I grabbed my bag fully this time, slid passed him, and out of the booth.
“I’m leaving.”
Then his hand moved.
He didn't grab me, but it was enough to stop me from moving any further.
“Don’t,” he warned.
My heart started to beat faster in my chest, as I felt the need to get away from him.
“Get out of my way.”
“Julia.”
“Move.”
The word came out sharper this time. It was louder, which made a couple of people glance over. But it wasn’t enough to be of any help. If anything, it only seemed to make it worse, as he lowered his voice, as he took a step closer.
“Don’t make a scene.”
The way he said it, somehow scared me more than anything else he had said.
Because it sounded too controlled, almost practiced, in a way that made me realize he had probably done it before.
“I don’t know you,” I argued, as my voice started to shake. “Just leave me alone.”
Despite my attempt to contain it, and not show him that his consistent pressure actually was working, it was painfully obvious, that he saw right through me.
“You know someone who does.”
“I don’t care,” I hissed, this time more desperate.
For a moment, the silence stretched between us, then, his tone changed again. This time it was colder.
“If you don’t come with me,” he said quietly, “then this will escalate in ways you won’t like.”
His words made my stomach drop, or the possible meaning behind them did.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I whispered, as I felt a lump forming in my throat.
“It means,” he replied evenly, “that you’re coming with me... now.”
For a moment, I didn't say anything, and neither did he. Instead, he just stood there waiting for me to decide, while my mind started to run wild. Trying to weigh my options, but none of them seemed safe.
Laila still hadn’t shown up, no one else seemed interested in helping, and something about him, and the way he stood there, told me he wasn’t bluffing.
My fingers tightened around my bag, before an exhalation left me.
“Fine,” I said, in a small voice. “I’ll come with you.”
The car
As I stepped out of the diner, the air felt colder than I remembered it when I arrived.
I walked a few feet ahead of him at first before I slowed down, because I didn’t have the slightest clue about where I was going.
“Over here,” he said, gesturing toward a black car.
Of course, it had to be black. Every horrible scenario of what could possibly happen, flooded my brain, and that’s when I hesitated.
“Get in,” he said.
“I’m not—”
“Julia.”
His voice cut through my name again, but this time, there was no hint of softness in it, just clear expectation.
I opened the door and slid inside. The seat was cold.
Then the door shut with a quiet, final sound, and suddenly it fully hit me.
What I had done — What I had just agreed to.
“What is this about?” I asked, my voice unsteady. “Where are you taking me?”
My questions didn’t faze him, he just continued to start the car before looking at me with an unreadable look on his face.
“You’ll see.”
“No,” I replied quickly. “That’s not good enough. You need to tell me right now— ”
“You’re not in any danger,” he cut in, but I didn’t believe a single word, he said. Instead, I laughed, though it came out wrong, and uncontrolled.
“People who say that usually are.”
For a moment, he stared at me, not saying a word.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, like him saying that was going to convince me otherwise.
“Then let me go.”
“No.”
Just like that, my chest tightened again.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, as my voice started to break.
“Because it’s necessary.”
“For whom?”
Once again, he didn’t answer.
“Do you even hear yourself?” I shot, while turning slightly toward him. “You just walked into a diner, told me to come with you, and now you’re saying it’s necessary like that explains anything.”
“Julia.”
“Stop saying my name like that!” I snapped, as silence followed by a heavy atmosphere.
“Lower your voice,” he said, but it sounded more like a warning.
I let out a shaky breath.
“Or what?” I challenged him, but he didn’t answer, and somehow, that was worse than a verbal threat.
My eyes started to sting, while tears suddenly appeared, falling on my hands.
I hadn’t even noticed I was crying before that.
“I just want to go home,” I whispered, slowly feeling my resilience c***k.
“I didn’t do anything,” I added, quieter this time. “Why is this happening?”
He glanced at me briefly, as something shifted in his expression.
Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed it, but it was enough.
“This isn’t about punishment,” he said.
“Then what is it about?”
Then there was silence again. At first, I thought he wouldn’t say anything, but then he spoke.
“Containment,” he replied, making me frown. The word landed wrong, almost like a slap on the face.
It was cold and calculated, and with that I felt the fear settle deeper in my chest.
“Containment?” I repeated. “Like I’m some kind of problem?”
He didn’t respond, which only made it worse because that meant coming up with my own conclusions.
I wiped my eyes quickly, frustration rising through the fear.
“Okay,” I said, my tone shifting again, sharper, more defensive than before. “If this is about last night...”
As quickly as the words left my lips, I realized my mistake, and, of course, he caught on to it.
“Last night?” he prompted.
I quickly looked away immediately.
“Forget it.”
But it was already too late.
“Julia...”
“Don’t!” I snapped. “Just don’t.”
To my luck, he decided to leave it at that, but as silence once again seeped through the air, it was different.
It felt tighter and more dangerous.
I folded my arms, shrinking slightly into the seat.
“Just tell me where we’re going,” I said, quieter than before.
“You’ll see.”
I closed my eyes briefly, feeling defeated.
Because I already knew, he wasn’t going to tell me anything, and I was already in the car. Already part of whatever it was, with no say in what was going to happen.
The rest of the drive was quiet.
Not in a peaceful, calm manner, just heavy, tense air, where every second stretched longer than it should, until the car finally slowed down, and stopped.
I opened my eyes, seeing an office building, making me frown.
“Out,” he said.
I didn’t move immediately, as my hands started shaking again, and I hated that he probably could see it.
“Julia.”
As he said my name again, I opened the door and stepped out.
My legs felt unsteady, but I managed to keep walking.
The Office
The building was quiet, so much so every step we took echoed slightly as we walked inside.
I didn’t speak or asked questions.
What was the point, when he wouldn’t answer them anyway?
He led me down a hallway before stopping at the door and opening it.
“This way.”
I stepped in, and immediately I froze, as I saw Gabriel.
He was standing near the desk, looking composed and controlled, like nothing about the night before had ever happened.
Like we didn’t just...
I felt my stomach twist because suddenly everything felt like a mistake.
The fear shifted. It wasn’t gone, just... Different because I finally started to understand.
The situation had never been random, and whatever it was, it was about him.
- Writer
