Settling myself down into the sheets, I can smell Ryder's musky scent covering it. With a final drop of my eyes I fall asleep seeing the face of the man I despise the most. Nicola is a frail woman, and her skin pulls tightly against her bones. Her blonde hair hangs straight and wiry down her sides to reach her hips, her light eyes surrounded by thick eyeliner. The look doesn't suit her petite frame and I can see that the possible shake in her hands has something to do with it. She's making me something to eat and she gave me a nervous smile and I shake of her head when I offered to help. Even her reply was off. I've only been here for a couple of days and already I want to leave, these people aren't the type of parents I want. Henri, Nicola's husband, was the exact opposite of her. He was tall and his body was lean. He was alright looking but there was something even more off about him then there was about Nicola. He hasn't had much of a conversation with me but he's been watching me and when I look over at him he's palming his crotch. What's even creepier is that she is only five years older than me and fifteen younger than him. He's being nice though. He's always smiling at me and greeting me whenever I walk past him but most of the time he isn't here. When he is home I've noticed how tense Nicola gets the closer he is to her. The look she gets on her face when he steps up behind her and leans down to whisper in her ear is haunting. Once I caught her eyes and I could see a hint of guilt hidden in them. That night in the bedroom I was given that was next to theirs, I pressed my hands tightly over my ears. *** Doing up one more button of my shirt then normal I walk into the kitchen expecting to see Nicola standing around the island like she normally is but she isn't here. It's Henri standing there with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of either tea or coffee in the other. He looks like you're normal cliché dad with his blue wash jeans and open white polo shirt. "Good morning Charlotte you're looking wonderful this morning." He says giving me a smile. I give him a smile back keeping my hands locked over my front where his eyes flick down to. When he shifts his legs slightly he looks away from me. "Where's Nicola?" I ask. "She had to go out for something. She should be back in a few hours." He says causally, dropping the paper down onto the counter. Usually he wouldn't be here at this time of the day and for the first trial week of a possible adoption they aren't allowed to leave me alone in the house. I still want Nicola over him. I'm still sceptical of him. "How do you like it here Charlotte?" He asks me now sitting his mug down and leaning his hip against the thick marble. "Nicola and I really like having you here. We hope you stay with us. You fit in very well to our lifestyle." My chest tightens a little at his words, not comfortable by what he means. When I take a step back he follows me closer with his own. "You want to stay with us right?" He questions stepping in again. "You want a family, someone to replace the parents that never loved you and just left you all by yourself." I wince at his words. They were harsh. I feel a light shake move through me and I'm quick to steady it not wanting to show him how his words affected me. "I-I-I'm not sure." I whisper tightening my hands around each other, his eyes taking note of the movement "You're not sure?" he smiles, his hands slipping into his deep pockets. "Maybe I could show you something to seal the deal." He whispers to himself. "How a real family expresses their love." He holds his hand out to take mine and reluctantly I do. I want him to love me. I want a family and he's offering it to me. "Come into the bedroom. Show me you love me and you can stay. You can have a family." My hearts beating fast but I still take it and allow him to lead me up the stairs towards his room. When the door slams with a click behind me my heart rate quickens again but not nearly as close as to what happens when he pushes me down onto the bed and positions his body over the top of me. He shouldn't be doing this and I shouldn't be allowing him to do it. "Relax Charlotte. This is how father's show love for their daughters." He says with a smile. "You want to stay right Charlotte?" "Right." My voice shakes when I answer.