Wrongfully Claimed

Chapter Seven

Warning: This chapter contains serious trigger warnings that may be sensitive to certain readers. Please read with caution.

The door was unlocked and creaked, as it was pushed open, forcing Aurora from her unconscious state to find Ryder walking into the room, holding a tray of food and a napkin tucked underneath his arm.

Her head was aching from how hard he'd hit her and knocked her out earlier on and her breathing was erratic as she took in huge gasps of air, trying to restore the oxygen into her lungs.

It was as if something had been sitting on her chest and strangling her to death, yet no one was there, other than Ryder acting as if all were right in the world again when it was far from it. He greeted her with a smile as he walked over to her bedside and brought her food to her.

She chose not to say anything to him. Instead, she just kept her gaze focused on her hands, perched on her lap in front of her, her fingers trembling the tighter, she squeezed her hands together to keep them from shaking like they always did when he was around her.

Without even bothering to look at him, she passed a fleeting glance over at the food, he placed down on her lap. She presumed it was already nighttime when she took notice of the roast chicken pieces; mushy peas, potatoes; and brussel sprouts spread out on her plate.

It had been a nice change from the usual breakfast morning fry-ups, she had been having consecutively for the last three days.

Even still as much as her stomach yearned to have just a single bite of that delicious food in front of her, Aurora couldn't bring herself to eat it.

Other than being convinced he was going to poison her one of these days, the idea of him standing over her watching her the entire time she ate tormented her.

Feeling as if she were going to be sick all of a sudden, she pushed the plate away, not wanting to eat the food he'd prepared for her, nor did she care if he'd struck her across the face again like he always did for turning her nose up to it either.

At this point, she didn't care what he did anymore. She knew if he didn't hit her today, there would always be tomorrow or the day after that it wouldn't have mattered.

She'd realized now that he was never going to stop hurting her. She was also aware that he was never going to let her go, so she figured what had been the use of trying to even stay alive anymore if her only reason for living on this earth was just to be stuck in this place and having to answer to him for the rest of her life.

"C'mon', Aurora, you gotta eat somethin'," he said, shoving the food back in her face, lifting the fork as he gestured for her to pick it up.

"You can't on go like this," he explained." I am startin' to get worried bout how much weight you startin' to lose. Please eat this. I took a long time preparin' this meal for you, and I'd like you to eat it. Have the chicken at least; it's amazin'. It was my Nana's old recipe."

"I'm sorry, I can't," she sputtered, shoving the plate away from him, disinterested, refusing to eat, but that didn't stop him for he just positioned it back down on her lap, prompting her to acknowledge the food in front of her.

" Please eat this," he said in a pleading voice that seemed different from the way he would act towards her which would normally involve him screaming at her by now or hitting her because she wouldn't do as she was told.

It was only when she caught a glimpse of what he had on after she'd brought herself to steal a glance at him, did she noticed how dapper, he looked as if he were going out somewhere tonight. She found herself staring at him, unable to take her eyes off him and she didn't know why.