Page 19 of Taken By Sin

Before heading home, we swung into an electronics store, and he told me to pick out whichever phone I wanted. I told him whatever Bria had. He showed me how it worked, which wasn’t much different than the laptops we had at the orphanage.

Google has always been my friend, something I’ve relied on when I had questions that needed answering. That was saved for study time though, an hour of the day where I had the world at my fingertips on that laptop.

Now it’s in my hand twenty-four-seven.

I would dive into everything on it more, but I’m utterly exhausted from the day. Whoever thought shopping could be so tiring?

But I’m too excited to sleep just yet; I need to go through all of my new things.

For clothing, I picked out a silk pajama set, which I’m wearing now; it's a beautiful pearly white. I also have three dresses: two casual short ones and the little black dress that Bria insisted I needed. I'm excited about the white pants I bought, which will look great with a black top.

When I took off the pink dress that Bria chose just for me, it brought me so much joy to know her thoughtfulness behind it. I pull out my phone, Sin preloaded her number on it.

Magnolia: Hey! It’s Magnolia, I have a phone!

Bria: Yes! Sorry Sin kidnapped you, Rol told me when you didn’t walk in the store that Sin was trying to teach me a lesson.

Magnolia: :) Thank you for today, Bria. I really don’t think you understand how much is meant to me.

Bria: Anytime, I had a blast!

I set my phone down, grinning like a kid, and look at the jewelry.

I open the boxes one by one, marveling at all the glittery pieces. It’s like the Christmas morning I never got.

One of the pieces stands out as my favorite.

A necklace I’m currently wearing, featuring a rectangular pendant adorned with diamonds that cover every inch. At its center are three white magnolias.

I can still feel the way Sin’s fingertips felt on the bare skin of my neck. “Turn around,” he told me, draping it over my neck at the store. “It’s perfect,” he said as he turned me to face him. Our lips were mere inches apart, and I could have pinched myself for how romantic it was.

I don’t need to be blinded by him, by all of this, but it’s hard not to be.

I may be naïve, but I am an educated woman. I need to be careful.

But how can I be careful with a heart that thunders when he walks into a room?

My inexperience with men could very well be my demise.

I place my new things on the dresser and sink into the soft, cool sheets. My mind is whirling, so I close my eyes to relax.

Tomorrow, I could sit with him in his office while he does... whatever it is that he does. I could pluck a random book from one of his many shelves and settle into the comfortable-looking chair that’s near his desk.

I’ll casually flip through the pages, not paying attention to any words, waiting for the moment to strike up a conversation.

I think of Sin, the way he stands well over six feet tall. How when I look up at him, his jawline is rigid, his skin olive. The way in which his jet-black hair slicks back when he gets frustrated with Bria, when he runs his inked hands through it.

Those eyes. The way they look like an ocean and an emerald waterfall all at once.

The way that when he seems to get irritated, they grow cold, like looking to the sky during a thunderstorm.

In winter.

At three in the morning.

Maybe he’s awake now... I could just go see.

A yawn escapes my lips, and I sink into the warm embrace of the comforter.Goodnight moon.Just as I doze off, the knob rattling wakes me, but I don’t move.