Shatter Me (18+ Only)

Chapter 22

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Fun Fact...Researchers say a vigorous sex sesh can help you burn up to 5 calories per minute. So it's not quite a replacement for a gym membership, but it may be a close second

lmao no gym for meeee

***

     It had been 2 weeks since my little "incident" that got me all kinds of fucked up. Sure, my bruises had cleared up into yellow memories, and my cuts had scabbed over. But I was still furious. I was angry, and my anger hadn't, nor would it ever, clear up.

    I was angry, because somehow my life, my once shitty, boring and tedious life, got mixed up with the Devil himself. And now, I have this huge target on my back.

   Draven was coming. Today. And I had to pretend like one of his little henchmen didn't try to kill me. I had to pretend like that little altercation didn't happen, and that it didn't severely fuck me up inside. I had to pretend like I wasn't angry.

   "Here, try these on." Rose said, handing me black lace-up boots.

    I was dressed in a long, thick, black cloak. My white blonde hair was combed neatly, its thick strands cascading down my back. My scars and bruises covered up with makeup. I wouldn't give Draven and his men the satisfaction of seeing me hurt. 

   "You're going to be okay, yeah? He's not going to try to kill you, not with all of us here, not in Romen's home." Rose said carefully, her green eyes grazed the phantom bruises on my neck. 

  I nodded tightly, lacing up the boots.

  Rose was dressed as I was, and I could tell she was on edge, everyone was. I didn't know who he was, all I knew was that he wanted me dead, and he was absolutely terrifying.

   There was a knock on the door, and I jolted with surprise as Romen walked in. 

   It caught me off-guard sometimes. I'd be lost in my own thoughts, or watching something and then suddenly I see him, and it's like I'm lost for words. He was so severe and beautiful, and I know men aren't supposed to be beautiful, but he was. And it wasn't the perfections that made him beautiful, but those real and raw imperfections. 

   He wore black-as we all did. His eyes were a dark red, reflecting his tense and on-edge demeanor. His hands were crunched at his side, folding and unfolding in fury and discomfort. his sharp jaw was clenched as his eyes grazed me, before settling on Rose.

    Beautiful, tall, muscular, exotic Rose.

    "Leave us." He said to her tightly, her face fell in displeasure as she nodded grimly before leaving the room.

   Romen pulled out a cigarette, his fingers illuminating bright orange flames as he lit his cigarettes, and puffs of smoke engulfed his face.

    He hadn't spoken to me since that night. And truth be told, I didn't want to see him. I was so vulnerable in front of him, so broken and destroyed. And no matter how hard I tried not to cry, not to break down, I couldn't. I expected him to dismiss my brokenness as weakness. I expected him to walk away and have someone else clean up the mess that I was. But he did something nobody has ever done for me. He held me, he calmed me, he took my fury, my pain, and my brokenness, and held it in his arms until I felt whole again.

    He took those shattered pieces of me and refused to let go, no matter if they cut him or broke him. 

   He gazed down at me, exhaling a cloud of grey smoke.

    "Draven will be here soon." He said lowly.

   I nodded, clutching the cloth of my cloak, tightening it around my fists.

    "Are you afraid?" He asked.

    "No." I said immediately. I wasn't scared. I was angry. I was furious and hostile and seething with rage. But I was not scared.

    Romen cocked his head to the side, holding my eyes until I resorted to looking at my boots. 

   "Good." He said, exhaling another cloud, his eyes glancing down to my neck where I had covered the bruises.

    "They're gone, the bruises are gone, my tears are gone. And I am not scared." I said, meeting his eyes, accepting the challenge that his gaze provoked. I refused to be intimidated.

   His cigarette disappeared into a puff of ash before he smiled at me, and took two long strides until he was directly in front of me.

    "That's right, Sparky. Don't be scared. Because although your bruises are gone and your tears have dried, that pain and those memories are still there, and you won't forget. They'll stick to you like glue, and I will not tell you it won't happen again, because it will. It will keep happening, and your tears will continue to dry and your pain will subside, but believe me when I tell you, that shit makes you stronger. You will not forget, and you will not forgive. And you will give them Hell."

  With that, the Devil extended a tattooed hand towards me. And I took it, my body pulsing with the adrenaline of his words.

  ***

   We were lined up like soldiers, unsmiling and on guard. All dressed in black. Romen stood beside me, his hand no longer holding mine, but the memory of it was still there.

   Everyone was on edge. But I was just simply angry. I wanted to kill Draven, for making me feel so small and so useless. As if I was simply just a grain of sand, annoying, and easy to brush off. He would have me killed to easily, because my life meant nothing to him.

   I'm going to kill Draven.

   I met Fallons watery gaze as he shook his head at me, obviously reading my thoughts.

   Hey, Fallon? How's it going with your creepy crush on Rose?

  He flicked me off, reverting his eyes to the front door, where I heard steps falling behind the massive entry way. 

   Draven is here.

***

Xx

Aleksei :)