Page 69 of Destined for the Devil
At this moment, I realized that if I didn't fight for my life, I would never leave, and I was too goddamn angry to let that happen!
"Let go! You fucking psycho! Let me go!" The words ripped out of me, but I knew no one would hear me—there was only one neighbor on the floor, and they were usually out of town.
I writhed with all my strength, throwing punches and kicks, and somewhere in the commotion, my shin hit him between the legs.
He doubled over with a groan, his grip loosening just enough for me to tear free and beeline it for the exit doors once more.
But Roman didn’t give up.
His strong fingers closed around my ankle, and he pulled—hard. My knees hit the floor, and both of us toppled over, as if in a wrestling match.
I was at such a disadvantage! We were on the floor, him pulling, me pushing, both of us breathless and furious.
I was losing. Like quicksand, Roman was gathering me into his clutches.
Tears poured down my cheeks, and I looked back at him only to get hit with another dose of devastation. His left cheek was bleeding, the cut from the keys having done a good amount of damage.
Immediate guilt flooded me; I didn't think it would hurt him like that! Suddenly, I felt that I was wrong. What was I doing?! I was leaving him! I would never see him again! How would I live without him now?! I loved him!
"Isla..." Roman begged breathlessly, the pain in his voice cutting me like a machete. "Baby, please!Please, stay!" I struggled to climb away, but he kept tugging me closer, and I was almost within his full grasp oncemore.
No. He killed my family; he destroyed everything I loved.
I didn't love him.
I didn't love him.
I didn't love him!
I repeated the lie, forcing myself to believe it.
"No! Let me go, Roman! Roman! Let me go!" I shouted in a panic.
But then something came over me. It was now or never.
Both of us toppled over, I looked back at his beautiful eyes filled with agony and kicked him with all my strength, landing right in his nose.
“Blyat!”he cursed loudly and released me immediately, his hands flying to his face. That was all I needed. I scrambled to my feet and rushed toward the staircase, flying down the stairs, holding onto the railing for dear life.
My time with him flashed in my eyes as I raced down the never-ending staircase. It was over. All of it wasshattered, broken, never to be repaired again. All his sweet words, all his gentle touches. Every single moment we shared together was thrown into the abyss of our tragedy.
And it wasourtragedy. We were forever linked by his terrible actions.
I finally made it to the ground floor but stopped abruptly and waited behind the door, trying to catch my breath. What if he was in the lobby waiting for me?
My adrenaline and unexpected exercise rendered me almost blind, but I waited and waited. It felt like a whole day passed, but then, in the small window of the door, Roman appeared, rushing out of the elevator and out the front door.
He wasfurious. The look in his eyes sent shivers through me—he was determined to find me and bring me back. Blood gushed out of his nose, dripping on the gray t-shirt he put on. Taking long and fast strides, he disappeared behind the front doors, and tires screeched outside a fewseconds later.
This was the first time he parked his car outside instead of in the underground garage, and my heart sank even more—he anticipated that I would escape.
My phone buzzed in my little purse, but I forbade myself from looking at it. Instead, I slipped into the dark night and caught the first cab I saw, heading to the bus terminal.
The phone didn’t stop ringing. Again and again, it buzzed after a one-second pause, but I ignored it. It was too painful to see his name.
All of L.A. blurred. The cab rushed past orange streetlights and tired storefronts, but I saw nothing, drowning in tears in the backseat. The city felt endless. And I knew, without a doubt, Roman had lost me.
In every possible way.
