Lacie Ch. 12

Lacie's eyes filled with water, making the room swim as she fought her irrational fears and her sense of sudden anxiety and shame. She had wanted him so badly, it almost physically hurt her to not be in his arms. Shaking, Lacie slid down her door, eventually sitting on her soft carpet as she tried to calm herself down. Slowly, her eyes cleared and her breathing slowed. Unknotting herself from the ball Lacie had curled into, she finally looked up, gently knocking the back of her head against her door as she sighed.

"Don't be such a coward, Lacie" she said to herself in a whisper.

Still, Lacie quailed at the thought of heading back out into that quiet, empty hall. The huge, intimidating door at the end, and what it would mean if she were to walk through that door, terrified her. Knocking her head against the door a few more times in frustration, Lacie slowly stood. Her hand twitched towards her door handle as she stood there, torn. Finally, with a huge sigh, Lacie turned away, letting her hand fall to her side.

"Okay, you can be a coward." She muttered to herself, turning towards her bed as she slipped out of her clothing.

Groaning in relief at the end of the stressful day, Lacie was soon clad only in her underwear as she crawled onto her bed, stopping in shock as she spotted a small felt box laying just below her pillows. Reaching out with a suddenly trembling hand, Lacie picked up the small box, gently popping the lid of the long, royal blue, felt box open.

Her choker lay inside. Lacie knew it was hers immediately, the soft, subtle swirls in the ivory were intimately familiar, and the soft, thin lace of the satiny fabric of the black band was instantly comforting. Lacie's hands shook as she picked up the necklace, holding it gently in her shaking hands. Tears again formed in the corners of her eyes as she smiled, wiping away the moisture as fast as it formed. Lacie dropped the box, fully intending to put her choker on immediately. Brushing her hair out of the way, Lacie leaned forward. Pulling the lace to her neck, Lacie smiled. Then, when the choker was half an inch from closing around her, Lacie hesitated. A brilliant smile shone on her face as she got an idea.

Picking up the blue felt box, Lacie gently set the choker back inside. She would ask Master to put it back on her tomorrow at the party. She was his. She belonged to him. It was only right that he get to be the one to place that reminder around her neck once again. Plus, Lacie realized as an afterthought, it would probably send another cutting message to the people they were going to be around at the party. Smiling at herself, Lacie gently set the box on her nightstand, right on top of her alarm clock, so it would be the first thing she found upon waking.

Happy, truly happy for the first time in a long time, Lacie smiled as she realized she still belonged here. She was still wanted here. With that happy thought, Lacie slipped under her sheets, smiling as she drifted off to sleep.