Page 102 of Make Her Bleed
"Just stop." My voice cracks as I look away from him.
"Aria, I can make up for this—"
"You aren't even on the right fucking spectrum." I look up at him, fighting the tears, and catch the desperation in his eyes.
Yes, him forgetting my birthday hurts like a bitch, but I'm not in the mood to deal with his antics. He has screwed with my head too much in the span of a few hours.
"Just leave me alone. You've done plenty of damage for one day, don't you think? You'd probably just use my birthday as a way to torture me some more, and I've been through enough torment to last me a lifetime, thank you very much. You've been jerking me back and forth for weeks and I'm done.
"For future reference—you know, with girls besides me—when you fuck their best friend, know it sends a certain message. You know what that message is? That you don't give a shit about them. You wanted to torture me or get back at me for screwing the guys? Good job. You do enjoy taking two steps forward then ten steps back when it comes to me. Don't worry though. You go right ahead and keep screwing my best friend because you drove the point straight home so hard that you beat a dead horse with it. I'mnevergoing to let myself feel anything for you, ever.” I turn away from him and head for the stairs.
"Aria, stop. It was a fucking step—"
"One, it doesn't matter if it was a step to C-4 or not. You crossed a line. If you wanted me to be just yours, you should've been willing to just be mine. Now, I'll never be yours."
Suddenly, my back is pinned to the wall, his hand around my throat.
"Youaremine, Aria." His hisses as he stares at my lips, but then his gaze drifts to my eyes, softening at whatever he finds there.
"Two, that wasn't the step. You changed it." Tears prickle at my eyes as my lip trembles. "You changed it to hurt me in a way you hadn't before. You made me cry," I admit.
His eyes widen and I wonder if he really didn't see my tears when he ran off with Kaylee.
"You erased every step forward you ever made and I doubt you could ever get them back."
He cringes at my blunt honesty, but he doesn't let me go.
"Aria, come to my bed," he begs, but his hand shakes … the same way it did when he tried to kill me. He can't make himself force me to do what he says.
"Are you so thick to think I would come to your bed after you screwed Kaylee? It was bad enough knowing that you forced her to suck your dick every day before you kidnapped me. Not only did you fuck her and we all heard you do it, but you took her to your bed, a place only I have been, and you let her bathe in the tub you put in just for me. You don't give a damn about me, Kai. You just don't want anyone else to have me."
I grip his hand and pull it away from my neck, seeing something on Kai's face that I've never seen before in my life.
Defeat.
I turn and take a few steps up the stairs before he speaks. "I'm not giving up, Aria. You're mine."
"Did you tell Kaylee that, too?" Maybe it's petty, but the words falling from my lips give me a sense of power over him.
I walk straight to my room, pull the door open, and step inside. I close the door and lean back against it, fresh tears falling down my face.
I can't handle any more heartbreak. I can't stand any more torture. The pain has to end.
* * *
I slowly openmy eyes as the sun blares through the window and I hear the front door close loudly. Kai must be leaving for football practice. Good. I don't want to see him after everything with Kaylee. Even small talk would be too much. I'd be tempted to slap the shit out of him.
I slowly push the covers off me and force myself out of bed. Walking into my bathroom, a flash of red catches my eye on the counter next to the sink and my eyes lift to investigate.
A small radio sits against the marble counter with a red bow on top of it, a folded piece of paper leaning against it with my name on it.
I pick up the paper and open it.
Happy birthday.
-Kai
P.S. You have a few surprises waiting for you downstairs.
