Following Me by Linde, K.A. (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📗

there.  This was going nowhere fast.  How had shelet him manipulate her so perfectly?  He had preyed upon her weakness andher desire to make him happy.  Even when she was desperate to get rid of him,it was hard to break old habits.  For so long, the thought of being withoutReid put her in an agonizing state of self-doubt and fear, but now, sherealized she had only projected what it actually was like when she was withReid on to what she assumed it would be like without him.  Living without Reidhad led her to Brennan, and when she was with him, she had neither self-doubtnor fear.

“You wanted to talk, but I’mdoing all the talking,” he said.  “Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”

He grabbed her arms and hoistedher out of the chair he had just thrown her into.  His hands circled her bicepand squeezed, pulling her face-to-face with him.  The pressure on her arms wasagonizing.

“You want to know why I left?”she asked.  “This is why I left.  I was tired of you hurting me.”

“If you didn’t hurt me so badly,I wouldn’t have to do anything.  Why do you want to hurt me, Devon?” he asked. He shook her forcefully.  “Explain it to me.  Why would you leave me, lie tome, cheat on me?” he yelled.

A tear ran down her cheek, andthere was nothing she could do about it.  “Reid, please,” she said, blinkingback tears.  “Don’t hurt me.”

“I shouldn’t hurt you?” he askedin disbelief.  He slammed her back into the wall.  “I shouldn’t hurt you?  Afterwhat you did to me, you think I should just let you go?  You think I should letsomeone else get his grubby hands on you?  You’re mine, Devon!” he yelled intoher face.  “You’re mine!”

Reid threw her on the ground, andher head collided with the corner of the side table.  She saw spots through hervision while she heard ringing in her ears.  She was sure Reid was sayingsomething, but she wasn’t sure what it was.  Her breath came out in gasps astears poured down her face, and then the shock of the fall hit her.  Shetentatively reached her hand to the back of her head and felt the lump that wasalready forming.  It was too tender to even touch lightly with her fingertips.

“Do you hear me?” Reid cried,bending over and forcing her to look at him.

“What?” Devon whispered, hervoice light and wispy.  She didn’t feel too well.

“You’re not even listening tome,” he cried, looking maniacal.  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.  Howcan I make myself any clearer to you?”

“I don’t know,” she said, tryingunsuccessfully to stand.

She felt silly sitting on thefloor with him towering over her, screaming at her, but she needed to let thestars clear first.  She had seen stars before.  Sometimes, she had blacked outfrom them.  She couldn’t black out right now.  She needed to keep her mindactive.  No sleeping.

Think about something else. Think about Brennan.  What would he do if he were here?  He was adoctor’s son.  He would take care of her, hold her while she cried, and kissher wounds.  He wouldn’t do anything to harm her.  He would wipe her tears awayand tell her he never wanted to see her cry again.  He thought she wasbeautiful.  That made her smile.

“Oh, you have something to smileabout?” Reid yelled, breaking through her reverie.  “Do share what is so funny.”

“Nothing,” she said, trying tostand again.

Reid grabbed her wrist and yankedroughly until she was on her feet.  Her shoulder wrenched, and she was sure hewas going to pull it out of its socket.  By the time he had lifted her all theway to her feet, her shoulder was screaming at her.  She steadied herself onthe wall to keep from falling back over.  The stars were clearing a bit, butshe still felt slow and hazy all over.  Her mind needed to start clearing. Reid was going over the edge, and she couldn’t afford to be out of it.

“That’s right.  You are nothingwithout me.  Just look at you,” he said, gesturing to her.  “You’re a wreck.”

“I’m a wreck because of you,”Devon mumbled.

Reid laughed at her.  “You thinkI made you a whore?  I don’t even know why I want to be with you, except that Ilove you.  I will eventually forgive you for the things you have done wrong.”

“You’ll forgive me?” sheasked in disbelief.  Really?  Was he going to try and blame her foreverything?

“That’s just the kind of guy Iam,” he said a bit too calmly.

Devon closed and opened her eyes,feeling the haze slowly lift.  It was too slow, much too slow.  She hadn’t hadthat much to drink so that she could stay alert, and now, with one tumble, shewas losing it.  She tried keeping her eyes closed longer to see if that wouldhelp, but when she opened them again, Reid was standing right in front of her.

When he pressed her backward, sheswallowed, wondering what else he could possibly want from her.  She was a foolto believe that he would just be able to talk, that he wouldn’t hit her like hehad every other time.  And she would be a fool now to think he was done withher.

Reid reached out and stroked herhair like she was a pet.  He was staring at her possessively, and it was terrifying. His subdued demeanor after an outburst frightened her more than the outburst. At least when he exploded, she knew what to expect.  The restraint made it moredifficult to judge him.

His hand trailed down her side toher waist.  Her head started to clear, and all she could think about wasescaping.  She wanted to run.  She wanted to get away, but she couldn’t move. He kissed her cheek, across her jawline, down her neck, across hercollarbone…anywhere he could reach.  Devon whimpered, trying to shift away fromhim, but his body held her in place.

“Reid, stop,” she pleaded.

He picked her up like a rag dolland carried her across the room to the giant bed.  Her panic heightened at thethought of what he might be thinking.

“Reid, please stop.  Please.  No!”

He tossed her back on the bed,and before she could scramble away,