Christmas Escape

Chapter Five

Peyton

I felt like I’d walked into an alternate universe. A moose that ate baked goods and liked to visit the human residents of Badger Valley. As well as a house that had a name and a personality.

“I hope you like me Bessy,” I whispered. I didn’t think I could handle it if the house hated me too. The pipes gurgled, startling me. I shook my head and chuckled at the ridiculousness of the situation. There I was talking to a house like she was a living and breathing being.

I placed my suitcase on top of the bed and started to unpack my meagre possessions. Mom had insisted on buying me some clothes as all of my stuff was back at the house, I’d lived in with Jason. I couldn’t stand the thought of going back there. So, it wasn’t hard to let Mom buy me new clothes. Enough to get through until I could find some work and earn the money to buy more.

Once my clothes were packed away, I stepped into the large bathroom. The bath looked enticing. For my entire marriage, Jason had dictated when and what I could do. At first, he’d sold it to me that he was an alpha, a Dom and I was his submissive. When I first started dating him, I looked into the b**m relationships, and it appealed to me. However, it soon morphed, and I realized that this was no longer in the realms of a healthy Dom/Sub relationship. Jason was just an abusive asshole.

I shook my head as I tried to shake the memories out of my mind. It was going to take a long time before I would get over what he did to me. And I thought it was going to take even longer to ever trust another man again. Reaching over to the taps on the bath I twisted them and watched as the bath filled with steaming water.

Wishing I had some bubble bath I shucked my clothes off and dipped my toe in the hot water. Hissing at the sudden warmth on my cold toes. Once my foot was submerged it slowly got used to the heat and I was able to step completely into the bath before sitting down carefully so as not to get my cast wet.

I leaned my head back against the tub and closed my eyes, sighing out a long breath. I couldn’t remember the last time I was absolutely free. It was well before I met Jason. I would have only been a teenager. I’d spent a lot of time in the hospital thinking about what this new freedom would be like. I was able to take a bath whenever I wanted. I could go to bed when I was tired, rather than having a set bedtime. I could eat whatever I liked and not worry about the calories. It all sounded fabulous. But it terrified me at the same time.

Jason’s rules and abuse was so deeply ingrained in my system I feared that my mind wasn’t going to allow me to break free. On the last day I was in hospital one of the nurses brought in a cream bun for me. The guilt that I felt eating it, made me sick and I could only take a few bites of the sweet pastry. Even though the taste of it had filled my mouth with pleasure. It was such a confusing situation to be in.

I wondered if other women went through the same thing. Or was I simply crazy that I wasn’t able to embrace my freedom with both hands? Sighing again I carefully dunked my head under the water and allowed the warmth to soak through my hair to my scalp.

By the time the water was cold, I’d managed to think myself into a stomachache. I dried myself off, feeling the exhaustion that I seemed to carry everywhere with me wash over. Yawning I slipped into the yoga pants and sweater that Mom had got me. I glanced at the bed trying to decide whether I should take a nap or go down to the kitchen to help Micah.

Even that decision was a dilemma. I felt like I owed Micah a lot. After all, from what Dad had told me, he was opening this room for me rent free until I healed and got on my feet. He didn’t put a time limit on how long that would be. But at the same time, my body was still healing.

I glanced between the door and the bed unable to decide what I needed more. My guilt and the need to pay back Micah was strong, but my body was screaming at me that it needed sleep. Finally, I decided to head towards Micah. However, it seemed that Bessy had other ideas.

I twisted the knob on the door to find it locked tight. I knew that Micah hadn’t locked the door behind him because the key was still sitting on the dresser beside the door. I twisted at the lock again, and it refused to budge. I tugged on the door once more with a frown pulling at my brow. But no matter what way I turned the knob the door refused to budge. Surprisingly I didn’t feel any sense of panic about being stuck inside the bedroom. That didn’t make any sense. I should have been screaming and clawing at the wood of the door. Instead, something inside me told me I was safe, and this was Bessy’s way of making me rest.

“Bessy, do you want me to sleep?” I asked in exasperation. As if in answer the damned house groaned.

I shook my head and rested my forehead against the warm wood of the door. “I’m going mad. I’m now listening to a house.” I said with a huff. I gave the doorknob one more twist, realizing it was still locked. I turned and pulled the blankets back on the bed.

Slipping in under the blankets, warmth cocooned me. I felt even safer. With my head cushioned on the pillows and the weight of the blankets surrounding me, I felt like I was being held in a warm embrace.

“Thanks Bessy,” I whispered as I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take over. I could have sworn as I fell into a dreamless sleep, I heard the door unlock.