Page 60 of Kat Bethel

A symbol of eternity and his initial.

Abiel’s forever.

Hot oil bubbled inside my chest until it boiled over.

Fucking bastard.

I grabbed one of the little soaps off the sink, throwing it at him. Of course, all it did was go through him, and he didn’t so much as step back.

I wished I knew how to kill him. I’d settle for getting to maim him at this point. This was why I couldn’t let myself fall into the temptations he offered.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” My voice broke with pain I'd stuffed deep down inside me. Only to realize that tears were pouring down my cheeks.

Damn it.

I wiped the tears away, but the floodgates had already opened. I stared at the ceiling, trying to force the tears to stop.

I was so weak.

Shadows wrapped around me until all the light was suffocated and the room disappeared. Darkness hugged me tight in a hold that pressed against every inch of me. I could swear it seeped into my chest and curled in the gaping hole that was there.

“No!” I shoved at nothing. “Go away.”

A dangerous growl rumbled deep enough to rattle my bones. “If anyone ever hurts you again, I will destroy this entire world.”

Why did part of me believe him?

I needed to feel indispensable and desired.

To be whole, for one moment. Even if that moment destroyed me.

Warmth radiated around me that made me want to melt into the comfort I knew he could give.

“Get off.” I tried to shove him again, but of course that did nothing, but make his hold tighten, until it was almost restraining. “Stop.”

He felt too good.

I couldn’t lean into that or I’d be another dead body on his hands.

“Why?” Such a simple question.

Yet it was the last crack in the shield I kept at the ready.

An ugly sob burst free from my chest. “You’re going to hurt me.”

“Never.” More lies.

Anger was easier than the pain. So I punched and kicked where he stood, hoping to get some of that prideful rage to take over. Nothing worked, naturally.

His grip never wavered.

That didn’t stop me from trying. Clawing and scratching at where he should be until exhaustion made me collapse to the ground.

It wasn’t working.

Everything was too raw.

I didn’t have anything to hide behind.