Taking Jade Home

You decide that the only sensible place to take Jade for now is back to your place. Not necessarily in a seedy way, but because the two of you need some privacy while you begin to figure things out.

When you fantasised about claiming a cursed one, it all seemed so simple. You would walk up to some beautiful girl, make her your own and then live happily ever after together. Well, you have done the first part. But this is no fairy tale. It's the real world where all actions, even magically aided ones, have consequences. You are beginning to have to face up to the many moral and practical implications of what you have already done up to this point. That doesn't mean you are giving Jade up and sending her back to Lee with her memories of him restored. You have come way too far for that, and you are going to see this through, whatever it takes. It just isn't as straightforward as you would have liked.

First and most obviously, she was (and technically still is) engaged to someone. At first the idea of stealing the hottest girl from your school from the popular kid who used to physically and psychologically bully you seemed like a whole lot of fun. But what if Jade was happy in her relationship? What if Lee has changed since school, as you know you have? And there are all sorts of other practicalities on top of that. If they are engaged, it is a near certainty they live together, so Jade will no longer have a home to go back to. Of course, she can stay with you in your modest little flat, but that is a huge, unexpected and frankly unwanted adjustment for her to have to make. And how many friends will she have left after this? Hers and Lee's social circles will surely be intertwined, and you can bet everyone will side with the jilted fiance rather than the bitch who callously left him for another man after going for coffee, and now acts like he doesn't exist. She may be left with nobody but you. Sure, there are ways you can use the curse to bring her great happiness despite that. But it won't be the same for her.

Regardless, you can't help but feel an immense sense of pride as you walk down the street with Jade by your side, however undeserved. The looks people give you are impossible not to notice. Men are envious or even have admiration for you, women are looking at you differently now, like you must have something good going for you to be able to get a girl like that. Thankfully, you don't encounter Lee. You have no way of controlling him, and that exchange is not going to be fun when it happens.

"What are you going to do to me when we get to yours?" Jade asks, breaking the spell instantly.

How do you even answer that? You don't want to sound like a monster, and you don't consider yourself to be one, but it is pretty obvious you didn't activate her curse, make her ditch and forget her fiance and order her back to your place so you could have a cup of tea and shoot the shit with her. You aim for a diplomatic and honest response.

"I haven't exactly decided yet Jade, but I promise I will never hurt you"

She stares straight ahead of her and keeps walking. Not hurting her is the bare minimum you could offer, and gives you a hell of a lot of leeway to make her do all kinds of things she never willingly would for you or possibly even for any other man. She understands the implication of your words as well as you do. You just wish she wasn't so obviously scared of you. That feels horrible. But you want that fear to wear of naturally over time as you earn it from her, not to just magically dismiss it and turn her into a drone.

Eventually you make it back to yours and Jade takes a seat.

This is it. The culmination of all of your hard work, your painstaking research. You can delete your database now. You don't want anyone else to have what only you have earned - a beautiful woman entirely at your command. You could do anything you want with Jade within the privacy of your own four walls. And if any of what you do to her feels too wrong you could make her forget it. Or enjoy it and beg you to do it to her all over again.

Part of you feels uncomfortable with that and would prefer to find another way to achieve the same result. A slower burn, a subtler approach over time, bringing her along with you. Perhaps you could use what she inadvertently told you in the coffee shop to start building a connection with her. To show her you understand her in a way other guys never can.

Then again, with her sitting right in front of you and looking that hot, do you really have the patience and self control for the long game when the instant reward is right there for the taking?