Blackmailed For Love

I sat down on the sofa and opened the first box of the two in the soft overhead light coming from above the tv console.

I peeled the soft tissue that glimmered in the dim light and looked at the dark purple silk nestled in there.

With hesitant fingers I picked up the silken fabric, it unfurled in my hands as I let it drop down in front of me.

It was a sleeveless and a backless dress with a slit up to just below the waistline.

I would be half naked in this dress but still the thought of wearing it lit up a spark of anticipation deep inside my lower belly.

The other box had the same colored heels with red bottoms.

It took me twenty minutes to get ready as I didn't do much except to put Band-Aids on my nipples as the dress won't allow me to wear a bra and my nîpples poked through the fabric as if begging for attention and applied a natural shade of pink lip gloss.

I looked like a virgin trying to be a seductress.

I shook my head at my own thoughts as I stepped out of the bathroom, 1 faltered when my eyes met dark greys.

My daughter was sitting up in the bed and she was looking at me with wide eyes and a curious tilt of her head.

"Anna…"

"Mama, you look beautiful."

My heart squeezed with love at her words.

I walked to her, concentrating on not falling face first because of the heels I was wearing, it was safe to say I wasn't used to such type of footwear.

"What are you doing waking up? I thought you were asleep."

I said as I sat down on the bed beside her.

"I was."

She said with a silent Duh at the end.

I bit down on my bottom lip as my lips twitched, but she slipped closer to me and said, "I had a bad dream."

I cupped her cheek and pulled her on my lap, uncaring of the expensive silk.

Cradling her against my chest, I smoothed her dark hair back and asked, "Talk to me.

What did you dream about?"

"Someone was taking me away from you."

She replied, her voice small and a slight shaking entered in her voice.

My arms tightened around her.

And I said, "No one is going to take me away from you."

2 "Promise?"

I pressed a kiss on her head.

"Promise, my little angel."

She looked up at me and asked, "Where are you going?"

I didn't know the answer to that myself, but I replied, "Dinner."

Her brows lowered and her grey eyes turned inquisitive.

"But we had pizza."

I tapped her nose.

"Yes.

But I am meeting someone."

"A boy or a girl?"

For some reason I didn't lie to my daughter.

"A boy."

She made a thoughtful face and asked, "Is he your boyfriend?"

I shook my head.

angel, he

you want him

nodded, "I

my lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys

bit and then held out a thick black

painful pang as I knew what was in her small fist even before she

"Wear this.

our lucky

her grey eyes

black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere

"It's yours.

keep it

hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my fingers around

it to me and I'm loaning

can give it back to

battle when I

and said,

want you to go

bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me

a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere hidden but apparently the same thought crossed my

her palm in a silent demand as she moved on her

her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as she tied

before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle on the

would just look in

we drew as children but with jagged edges and veins running inside it, crystal clear and shining but now I only had smallest broken part of it, the other half and the bigger part was left behind in the cottage on the Aaron estate when I accidentally dropped it while trying to pack all the things I could get my hands on which didn't matter later when I had to run from one place to another because of the stalker that didn't let me settle in one

this makes you look the

announced as she

tight hug, just then I

as I said with a

her palms and brought my face closer to

fierce as she

will always be the

tears away and said, "So are you, my

kissed her nose and in return

"I love you."

you too,

and

made a face and I said, "Now, go

laid down and I tugged the blanket

I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

"When will

"Soon."

replied "Good

the bedside drawer and made my way

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

I swallowed the knot

be back

pulled the blanket up

that my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I didn't want

the time, my mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting

my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact

that he had

pregnant when he

now that he has

would've happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if we

inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful, cold and

knew it even before I opened the

I wasn't prepared

be there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

me feel half naked so I wasn't going to

made my way toward my mother's bedroom

here soon so I decided to

I

intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name

wasn't the case as I

to take notice of me when I came into