Page 6 of Hold On

It’s the stuff of nightmares honestly.

He says nothing as he opens the car and shoves me inside, slamming the door before running to the other side quickly. Then, Bash gets in and levels me with a look that I wish would just kill me. I stop breathing before him for a completelydifferent reason this time. His glare is like a punch to the gut. He throws the car into reverse and speeds away from the bar.

Chapter Three - Now

Sebastian:

I’m so angry I’m seeing red.

I’m not paying attention to how fast I’m going, and it only registers I’m speeding when I see Alina clutch her door in fear, her beautiful bare legs wet and cold in the moonlight pouring in from the car window. Goosebumps are covering her thighs, so I reach for the dial to turn up the heater and turn on her seat warmer. She looks at me shyly, a silent thank you in her eyes before she opens her mouth hesitantly.

“Where are we going, Bash?” Her question is faint, and I can tell she’s doing her best to try and keep it together. I’m sure her mind is racing like mine is.

Actually, I’m sure of nothing.

I barely knew the girl back then and the woman sitting next to me now is a stranger. I’m not sure of anything other than the fact that I’m driving as far away from that fucking bar as humanly possible right now. “Sebastian,” she tries again, but I shake my head angrily and growl in response. “I have to go back…” she tries, which I knew she would say.

I was waiting for it. I pounce at my opportunity.

“DO YOU?!” I explode, my screams instantly filling the entire cab of the car. She flattens herself against the seat and nods her head yes. “You’re fucking pathetic,” I reply with a bitter laugh. She starts to cry next to me. “I just literally pulled that asshole offandout of you, who washurtingyou, and you’re asking to go back? What the hell is wrong with you, Alina?!”

I’m raging.

I’m taking everything out on her that I haven’t been able to process. And it all has to do with my own life going to shit. Well, mostly. I did find her fucking some nasty ass, abusive guy in an alley and now she’s begging to go back there. That’s never a good sign. She’s silent, but her tears are falling steadily as she avoids my eyes.

“Are you a fucking whore?” I accusingly ask her. Her body won’t stop shaking next to me. “So,what?!You went from being known as blue balls to balls deep?” Her face contorts with anger as she finally faces me.

“Like you’re one to talk!! Fucking heroin and getting kicked off your own tour?! Are you fucking kidding me, bro? You are in no place to judge me,” she bellows as she wipes her eyes, furious.

“How can you even give yourself away with such indignity?” I shout, avoiding her own accusations. She scoffs at my question.

“Just like a man to assume this was my doing,” she counters, crossing her arms in a huff. “Go fuck yourself, Bash!”

“Why? If I pay you enough, you’ll let me bend you over and have my way with your pretty, little pussy, won’t you?” I lash out.

“Like you could afford me,” she scathes and now I’m laughing out loud, truly amused.

“What do you cost?! Five bucks? I don’t thinkAlfredwas paying top dollar for you, sweetheart,” I say with an evil grin.

“Albert,” she stubbornly corrects me, as if it fucking matters. She’s silent after that and instead goes to put her pants back on before realizing her legs are still too wet. Her purple hair falls into her eyes and shields her from my view as she takes a few deep breaths. I’m white knuckling the steering wheel as I pull onto the street my mother’s house is on. It’s a private road that eventually opens up right to the front porch and roundabout driveway. I turn the car off with a huff after I park. We sit in silence as the rain pounds the hood of my Audi. Alina shifts,uncomfortable, and when I look over at her, her green eyes meet my blue ones.

“I have to go back,” she says quietly, causing me to clench my jaw in agitation. I don’t know why she’s so eager to return, but it must be bad. And I feel like a piece of shit for the things I said to her. But seeing that douche bag defile her perfect body was unnerving.

“I’ll call you an Uber later.” If she’s returning to that hell hole, it won’t be by my hands. But I won’t keep her from her choices. She can do as she pleases. “Why don’t you shower first and then maybe I can find something around here for you to eat.”

“Bash, this isn’t up for debate,” she says with an attitude, looking at me with fiery intensity.

Like how she used to when I was dicking her down, making love to her, body and soul. Lina Girl had been my everything. Now she’s angry at me for holding her to her own former expectations and standards of how she expected a man to treat her.

“Neither is what I just said. Shower, eat, then you can fucking leave for all I care,” I sneer.

It’s fake.Sofake. I do care. More than she will ever know.

Yet she left me all those years ago with little explanation. What had I done so wrong to offend her? Her eyes are still moist as she finally nods and looks to the house, the lights on and glaring out towards my car.

“Is someone home?” she asks. I nod.

“Mymother. I live in the house I bought her now. But she has her own space,” I say gesturing to the right side of the house. “And I have mine.” I point to the left side. A covered alcove leading to the backyard separates the two. My side is dark, no lights on but the one by the side door. She says nothing, butunbuckles her seat belt, looking at me expectantly. I do the same and exit the car, Alina on my heels.

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