feeling rusty 😅

"Come on... we can break the contract one night."

"We already did.  On vacation."

I rolled my eyes.  "This is fucking stupid.  Just give me my pen baaaaaack."  I stomped my foot, folding my arms in a huff, knowing this wouldn't work on Gabe but unable to resist.

"The last thing I would do is reward your behavior from today with a smoke.  Come on, it's time to get ready for bed."

"It's not a reward, it's mine!  I don't wanna go to bed."  

Gabe sighed, calmly taking my hand and pulling me towards him.  "Look at me."  The sternness in his confident voice made me immediately obey.  His hazel eyes were serious.  "Do you trust me to be in control?"

I didn't even think about it.  "Yes."

"Then that's enough with your tantrums.  Instead of thinking about the weed I'm not allowing you to smoke, focus on my instructions."  He reached up to tuck my hair behind my ear, then lift my chin so I wouldn't look away.  "Get your toothbrush and pajamas out of your backpack, get washed up and changed for bed.  When you finish, get the bathbrush and cream, and bring them to me.  Am I clear?"

I gulped and nodded, teary-eyed.  Gabe bent down and gave a quick kiss to my forehead, finally letting go of my chin.  

As warm and cozy as he made me feel, once I scampered away to follow his directions, the bad thoughts came back.  Toby hating me.  His words playing through my mind on repeat.  All the times I'd fucked up friendships in the past.  My mind telling me what a horrible person I am.

I felt outside of myself as I brushed my teeth.  Splashing water on my face afterwards didn't bring me back to reality.  A little nervous about what Gabe would do and say, I decided to put my hair in pigtail braids.  Objectively, I looked cute.  My panties were blue cotton bikini briefs of Care Bears, and my matching T-shirt cut off just above them.  My freckles seemed more glittery than normal (probably from all the tears).  Fixing my hair just seemed like the perfect addition, and at least got my mind somewhat off of Toby.

Then I fetched the bathbrush and cream, hiding it behind my back as I went back to the living room.

Gabe sat in front of his laptop, working, but looked up and closed it when I arrived.  I saw that he had moved the bench out from against the wall, and there was a belt sitting on the coffee table.  As I inched closer, he stood and met me halfway, then kept an arm around my shoulder to walk me towards the bench.

"This is not a punishment," he said.

I almost got loud again, but then I remembered who I was talking to and kinda calmed down.  "What?  Why not?"

"Tonight you don't need to be punished..."

"But..."  His sharp glare cut me off.

"I'm in charge tonight, Molly."

My stomach twisted in knots, especially how he just said my name like that.  There was no other way to answer.  "Yes, Sir."  But I didn't understand?  

"I want you to put the events from today out of your mind — rest assured, you'll get your punishment for it, just not now."