Page 49 of Leave Me Behind
“Just get out of there, I can’t sit here and watch you be eaten alive.” My trembling voice is starting to steady out.
“And they say monsters don’t have weaknesses,” he chides me as he lifts himself from the sea. I scowl but watch the water drip from his abs and chin.
I sigh with relief now that he’s not in the water. “What are you doing out here anyway? Did Eren put you up to this?” I force my eyes away from his as he looks up at me. I scan the beach and water, but I still don’t see Eren.
“I come out here every chance I get. Eren knows that.”
Of course Eren knows. Is this his way of trying to get us to make peace with each other?Annoyed, I look back at Bradshaw. “Take me back to shore.”
“Is that an order?” he muses as he leans closer to me, reaching his hand out.
“We aren’t on duty,Bradshaw.I’ll order you around as much as I want.” I swat his hand away, but he grabs me anyway and wrestles me into his lap.
His amused expression quickly turns callous. “Does your cunt not ache enough from our lesson the other night? Have you forgotten who you submit to, Bunny?” He glides his hand down to my inner thigh.
My cheeks burn at his words. Why is he so hellbent on making me miserable? It has worn me down to the wire. I might as well just ask.
“Why do you hate me so much?” I wince at how sad it sounds coming out.
He brushes my wet hair back delicately and presses his lips to my shoulder. “Is that what you think? That I hate you?”
I bristle. “If you think your actions represent anything but hatred then I’m all ears.”
“Are you upset because I didn’t show you affection both mornings after I fucked you? You’re delusional if you think you’re anything other than a good looking,averagesoldier. I just used you for what I wanted in the moment. That’s all.” Bradshaw’s breath is hot against my skin.
I try to push us apart, but he doesn’t budge. “Stop dancing around the question, fuckface.”Don’t let his words get to you.I steel my mind the best I can.
He laughs again and tips us to the side until we’re falling back into the water. The icy water shoots straight to my bones and I rise to the surface with fury warming my tongue.
“What the fuck is wrong with you!?” I hit his chest and he only grins at my assault.
“I don’t hate you.”
I freeze, arm still partially raised for my next strike.
He snags my jaw with his hand and draws our foreheads together so there’s nowhere else to look but into his soulless eyes.
“I want to dominate you. I want to break you into a million pieces and make you answer only to me. I want to keep you as far away from my squad as possible before I ruin what’s left of you. Because if you don’t leave, that’s what’s going to happen. I’ll break you, just like I break everything. Is that enough? Will you shut the fuck up now?” He says slowly, cruelly, while squeezing my jaw.
A tear brims without my permission from pure rage.
Then I do something stupid.
I spit in his face.
My muscles tense as I wait for his reaction, but all I get is a lazy, curious smile.
“See? I told you your fear was stupid. You haven’t thought about it once since I tipped us over.”
My eyes widen before narrowing skeptically. He did that on purpose… He’s fucking with my mind on a whole new level now. Taking my fears from me too?
“Just take me back to the beach… please.”
He finally gives in and takes me back.
I wait on the shoreline for Eren while Bradshaw goes back out to surf. Reluctantly, I watch him for ten minutes before Eren taps my shoulder.
“Where did you go?” I snap at him. He flinches at the bite in my tone.
