Page 51 of The Pretty Psycho

"Gladly!" he bellowed. "But only once you open the door."

"Vega?" Yolanda's voice trembled.

"Don't you dare, Yo," I threatened. "If you open that door I'll fucking stab him, I swear to God."

The pounding suddenly stopped, just before his voice came through again, making me shiver. "Vega," he started. "Baby, please. Open the door. I don't want to break it down, but if I have to I will."

"I'm not opening the fucking door, Adrian!" The audacity of this man. I agreed with Yolanda on many things, but I still needed time to process all the information I had received in the last couple of days. I still felt like I was nearing the breaking point, and a couple of hours away from him, judging by the dark skies outside, were not enough to have me embrace him. "Go away!"

"I'm not going anywhere," he mumbled. "If I have to I'll camp out here the entire night, but I'm not fucking leaving!"

"You should," I blasted out. "There's nothing keeping you here."

"Vega," Yolanda moaned. "I told you already he wasn't gonna let go. I'm surprised it took him this long to actually come." Yeah, I was surprised as well, and I wasn't sure if I was angry athim for staying away or glad he actually listened, at least for a little while. "He sounds tortured."

"Good," I bit out. "Let him stay tortured. I still don't trust him." The truth was, I didn't trust that I wouldn't turn into a puddle the moment he stepped through that door, and I needed a clear head to think about the future. My fucking future.

I wasn't angry at him, not really. I was angry at the situation I was in and it was easier hiding out than coming face to face with him and confronting all those demons waiting for me. It was easier drifting into sleep than dealing with this whole shit show. I just wanted a couple of days to wrap my mind around everything and then I could make a decision.

"Fuck this shit," he grumbled from outside the door. I could hear his footsteps getting away from the door, and I ignored the cracks appearing on my heart when I realized he wasn't going to bother anymore.

"Is he just—" Yolanda started speaking when a crash sounded, making me jump from the bed. The door rattled, making Yolanda run toward me. "Is he breaking down the fucking door?" I… It seemed that he was.

Something slammed into the door again and within seconds, it flew open, revealing a heavily breathing, flustered-looking Adrian. His eyes zeroed in on me, drinking me in as if he was a man starved for just a sight of me. My heart pitter-pattered at the sight of him, reminding me why I needed to stay away for a little while.

I couldn't think with him around.

I couldn't remember all the reasons why I should stay away from this man. I couldn't remember why I didn't trust him and why I didn't want to let him in. I hated the fact that he couldn’t let me be for just a little while, but the sick and twisted part of me absolutely loved the fact that he came here, that he demanded things even when I wasn’t so sure about us.

It was toxic.

It was insane.

But it was us.

His hands wrapped around the doorframe, leaning against it, but his eyes never abandoned mine. There were so many emotions in them, so many things I wanted to hear and so many others I wasn't ready for, but one thing was for certain—he wasn't going to let me stay with Yolanda. Not now.

"Adrian," I warned, my voice filled with trepidation at this beastly-looking man who started coming toward me. His steps were sure, predatory, stalking me, claiming me with each passing second without even knowing it, and I was prey stuck in his web, unable to move.

I was barely able to breathe when he reached me, his trembling hand landing on my cheek while his thumb rubbed in circles over my skin.

"Hello, Bambi," he murmured, his eyes shining with more than I could take right now. "Did you sleep well?"

He expected an answer from me. He expected me to be compliant, to be meek and mellow.

Well, fuck that.

My left fist connected with his cheek and he never saw it coming. His head flew to the side just as the pain ricocheted through my hand, making me hiss in pain.

Both of my hands were now incapacitated, but it was worth it. So fucking worth it, no matter what.

"I slept just fucking fine,” I spat out, glaring at him as he massaged his cheek. Those obsidian eyes blazed with dark promises reserved only for me, but the hit wasn’t anything he didn’t deserve.

I told him I needed space.

I told him to let me be for a while.

But as per usual, he only heard his own thoughts. He only heard what he wanted to fucking hear.

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