Author's Note: All characters are above the age of 18. I want to thank my wife for editing and my friend Ann for her encouragement.
All yesterday, I tried to console Vince. I know I fucked up, but at that moment, I was angry and wanted to show my father that I wasn't his little girl anymore. I'm a grown woman, and I can make my own decisions. And I don't give a damn about an inheritance from two grandparents that did nothing but look down on me from the day I was born. Let my cousins have my portion of the estate - I don't care. I'm not going to sell my soul just for money.
Of course, my righteous indignation didn't make things any easier with Vince. He's afraid that his mother, Aunt Isabella, will be disappointed in him. She always had a religious streak and didn't approve of anything too sexual or promiscuous. Yet she watches soap operas and telenovelas more often than she prayed.
Still, she's his mother. He loves her profoundly; he's very attached to both of his parents. It's one of his endearing qualities. The thought of what she might say regarding his involvement in BDSM has him sick to his stomach. While he swears he's not punishing me for this mistake, it certainly feels like a punishment.
Beyond short hugs and brief kisses, he hasn't touched me since Friday. He hasn't talked much to me either. Standing three feet away from him might as well be three miles, with how distant he seems. He says he's just worried and doesn't feel up to anything right now, but there are things I can do to make him feel better. I can hold him, listen to him, serve him, and if it makes him feel better, he can take his frustrations out on me.
I told him this, and he said that a Dom should never initiate a scene in anger. He seemed pissed that I would even suggest that he flog me for outing him. And I get it - it was a stupid suggestion - but I trust him, which is why I was willing to let him do that to me. Anything so that he would let me help and stop shutting me out.
I tried to reach out to Sophia or Aunt Billie, but they didn't answer. Maybe Vince told them of what I've done, and they're punishing me too. The conditioning is pushing back, telling me that I deserve it. I feel that Friday's scene with Vince had done a lot to help me conquer my conditioning, but now I feel like I've taken a step backward. If I just had someone to talk to, I'm sure I'd be alright.
_____________
Vince sat in the living room with a bored look on his face as he played an old video game. His character died. He flopped back into the sofa and tossed his controller to the side.
"Fuck it," he murmured. He closed his eyes and breathed a heavy sigh.
"Sir?" Persephone's voice tickled his ear, and a pang of guilt shot through his chest.
"Yes, Sephie?" he groaned.
"You're not even going to look at me now?"
He turned his head and looked at her. She was dressed only in a pair of panties. He was getting used to her inclination toward nudity - even enjoyed it - but it wasn't appropriate at this very moment. He just wanted her to go away.
"Yes, Sephie?" he repeated.
"You're punishing me," she said with a frown.
"I've told you, I'm not punishing you," he responded.
"You may not mean to punish me, but that's exactly what you're doing."
"I just - I can't be around you right now!" he said.
"You said that if you wanted to inflict real punishment on me, you'd ignore me, you wouldn't speak to me, you wouldn't touch me -"
"I kissed you this morning!" he protested.
"You know what I mean, Vince!" Persephone raised her voice.
"What do you want me to do?!" he yelled.
"Talk to me. Yell at me. Tell me how disappointed you are in me - how you wish you'd never met me. Anything is better than silence," she pleaded. "I just want to help you, and it's killing me that you won't let me."
"Sephie, I... I don't know -"
The phone interrupted Vince. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. His heart jumped into his throat when he looked at the screen. "Mama," he uttered.
"Hey, Mama! How was church this morning?" he said.
"Oh, it was nice. The sermon was about honesty and trust," Isabella said. "Vince - I have something to tell you, but I wanted to tell you face to face. Could you walk me through that video thing you can do? I don't know quite how it works."
"Absolutely, Mama. Let me get a camera, and I'll set it up here in the living room," he said. He turned to Persephone and mouthed the words
Get Dressed.
While Persephone threw on some clothing, Vince set up video conferencing on his side and walked his mother through the process of setting it up on her side. Persephone walked back into the living room wearing a simple green blouse and sat down on the sofa just as Vince finished up.
Minutes later, the image of Isabelle blinked onto the screen. She was a darker-skinned woman with black hair tied into a bun. Strands of silver weaved their way through her hair. Wrinkles from a lifetime of smiles and tears creased the corner of her eyes and mouth.
"Oh! I can see you now. Can you see me?" she asked.
"I can see you fine, Mama," Vince said as he took a seat next to Persephone.
"Persephone - is that really you?"
Vince saw Persephone look down self-consciously. "Yes. I can leave if you'd rather just speak to Vince," she offered.
"No - please stay. I don't mean to be, uh, too personal but, does it still hurt?" Isabella asked.
"Sometimes, ma'am," she mumbled.
"Can you come closer so I can see?" Isabella asked.
"Mama, that's -"
"No," Persephone interrupted Vince. "That's okay." She stood from the sofa and walked closer to the camera but looked away from it. "Is this close enough?"
"Look at me," she said. Persephone looked at the camera. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there after the crash. Your mother told me you didn't want to see anybody."
Persephone's eyes teared up. "The people I wanted to see didn't come, and I was too afraid to be seen by anyone else," she admitted. "I'm sorry, Aunt Isabella."
"Don't be. You were in pain and needed what you needed. I'm just sorry that you didn't get it." Isabella shifted in her seat. "I just want to thank you for taking my Vincent in. I know you didn't have to do that."
"He's been great," Persephone said.
"So, I've heard..." Isabella said darkly. "You can sit back down. I want to see both of you."
Persephone sat back down next to Vince and took his hand. He glanced over at her, and she looked nervously back at him.
"Now, there is something I want to tell you, Vince, and something you need to tell me. I already know what it is you need to tell me, but I want to hear it from you - not from your Aunt Debbie," his mother explained.