Broken Bad Boy
PROLOGUE
H er brown hair sprawls across my arm. Its soft, stopping underneath her chin, framing her round face. Shes been lying on top of me with her eyes closed for so long that I almost think she is asleep. Her breathing is slow and controlled; her chest rises and falls so subtly that I resist the urge to press my palm against her chest to ensure that her heart is beating.
She raises her head and opens her eyes as if she knows I have been thinking about her. Those honey-brown eyes gaze into mine, evoking a warmth that spreads across my chest, as always, before she leans in for a kiss.
I close my eyes, allowing myself to revel for just a moment in the softness of her touch. Until she softly whispers against my lips, I need to go.
My heart aches as she slowly pulls away, her frown subtly mirroring my own. It physically hurts the further she goes. I grab her hand.
Stay a little longer, I plead. Well figure out what to tell them later.
She chuckles softly, shaking her head in protest, but allows me to pull her right back onto my chest.
Five more minutes, I continue, my voice dripping with sheer desperation. Relief floods my body once I feel her head on top of my chest again. Just five more minutes, and Ill have enough. Ill be ready.
Five more minutes, and well hear sirens flooding down the street, Hayden, she jokes, but I cant laugh. My heart is sinking in my chest, and she doesnt even know it. She doesnt know what I know.
We have to be even more careful now. You know how overprotective he gets.
She reaches up with her dainty hands and cups my cheek, but I cant meet her gaze. If my betrayal isnt bad enough, it will be worse if I look into her eyes. It will seal our fate, and she wont even know it.
But shes adamant, as she is stubborn. Pulling my face towards hers, she places her forehead against mine, and my breath hitches in my throat.
Ill come see you tomorrow, as usual. It wont be long.
A chill whips around my body, rendering me silent. The room is warm, the windows are closed, and the sheets cover my body. However, I find myself grinding my teeth together. I avert my eyes, swallowing hard.
Her phone echoes from somewhere in the room, and she quickly turns away, jumping to her feet. I try to reach for her again, but shes gone. In an instant, she vanishes, and so does my room.
The gray walls have transformed into a bare concrete surface, marked by deep red stains. Instead of lying on my bed, I find myself huddled against the wall as a piercing pain shoots through my entire body. I squint at the figure before me, wincing as they take a few steps closer.
Get up, Hayden, the voice bounces off the wall, raw and rough, grating against my ears like chalk on a board. Be a man.
My labored breaths escape my lips in frequent gasps, and my eyes drag across the room, desperate for an escape. But I can hardly feel my limbs. I look down at my body, noticing the blood that has stained the cloth pants I wear and the bruises on my hands, legs, and bare feet.
The mans feet crunch on something as he walks closer to me. The smell of desperation fills the air, and a strong, brooding sense of doom settles in my stomach. My heart accelerates even though I still cant recognize his face. I know he is not here to save me but to condemn me.
Hayden, he sings, like a predator taunting its prey. Despite the pain soaring up my ribs, I grimace and force my body upright, the metallic taste of blood growing stronger. The sooner you fight back, the sooner you can leave. Isnt that what you want? You dont want to be stuck here forever, do you?
My chest rises and falls even faster. Hes so close now that hes blocking the light ahead. I swallow hard, gagging as the thick taste of blood fills my mouth. Slowly, he bends his knees as he stoops in front of me. My fingers weakly curl around a shard of glass.
The mans salt and pepper hair thins at the roots, leaving a bald spot covering more than half his head. His large nose and ugly snake-like eyes are the first thing I see, permanently twisted out of place from one too many blows.
The man is truly grotesque; maybe hes what every wicked person sees when theyre about to die.
But youll never escape, will you, Hayden? You just dont have it in you, he concludes, his breath reeking of cigarettes and poor hygiene, as he tucks his dry, cracked lips into his mouth. Youll die... and youll end up just like your bitch mother.
My jaw tightens. I ignore the pulsating pain that surges through my head and focus on the pressure clawing around my neck as it tightens. The man shakes his head, his mouth slowly forming a grin. He opens his mouth to speak again, but before he can, in a swift motion, I stab the shard of dull glass against his neck with enough force for it to get stuck.
His eyes widen as his grin quickly fades, and I watch him tumble onto his ass, my palms - my entire body burning with fury.
Now, let me the fuck out!