Strict | H.S.

Chapter 27.

[Ava]

The moment Harry glared into my brown eyes from across the armrest in the Rover, he hadn't taken his enraged emerald irises off of me. He tapped the black steering wheel with his long fingers. "Get out!" he repeated.

"I-I don't want to a-anymore," I whimpered, my stomach twisted in fear. It felt like I was about to vomit.

He forcefully yanked the car keys out of the ignition, opened his door, and climbed out onto the dirt shoulder of the road. A short scream of terror escaped from my mouth as I watched him through the rear view mirror. His looming, dark silhouette trampled around the back side of the black Rover, coming to a halt at my rolled down window.

"Harry! Stop!" I panicked, scooting far away from the window from which he towered, desperately wishing I could roll up the glass, but the engine had to be running for it to roll up. "W-what are you doing?!"

"You said you wanted out." Harry snarled, his hands resting on his hips.

"N-not anymore!" I corrected, pressing the lock on the door so that he couldn't get to me.

"I don't care," Harry seethed with rage. He stepped forward, his boots crunching on the gravel. He was fast like a snake as he reached his arm through the window and pressed the unlock button on my door. "You don't always get what you want."

Shaking, I slammed my hand down on the door buttons, trying to lock it back. However; I wasn't quick enough. Harry opened the door and grabbed my arm. Screaming, I tilted my head back using all my power to pull away. It was no match for his strength though. Harry yanked me out of the Rover and reached behind me to shut the passenger door.

"Stop!" I screamed, digging my heels into the dirt. His tight hold on my arm never lost it's strength, not for a second. I started smacking his arm with my free hand, but he snatched up that one too. The tense, unyielding pressure made me drop to my knees in front of him and I started begging him to release my hand.

He loosened his grip on my hand, but he did not release me. "Stand up," he commanded.

Whimpering, my bottom lip shaking, I wobbled up on my feet. "P-please, s-stop."

"You've been a very bad girl, Ava," he rasped in a slow, calm tone. "I'm gone for one day and this is what you do?"

I glanced up at him and the angry expression on his tanned face shot terror through me. I swallowed hard, my gaze on his chest. I could see his bird tattoos through the thin, white button up shirt. "I-I'm s-sorry."

He released my hand, bringing his fingers to my chin and tilted my head up. Our eyes made and maintained contact. "I better never catch you doing stupid stuff ever again." His voice deepened. "Jumping out of a moving vehicle? That's dangerous, Ava!"

My pulse leaped high when Harry shouted the last sentence, the sheer raspiness of his voice penetrating my mind. I listened to every word he lectured out to me and I absorbed it.

"C-can you let me go?" I asked, shyly.

"And risk you running into the woods and getting lost? No," he growled, pulling me closer to him. "Who knows what's lurking in those woods."

"I'm not going to do that!" I huffed, smacking his wrist that still held me. The smacks from my small hand against his skin echoed until Harry roughly grabbed my wrist, and pulled it up in the air so far that I had to stand on my tippy toes.

"Stop. Slapping. Me." Harry threatened, his face lowering to my level, our noses almost touching. "Want me to turn you around and slap your bottom like that?"

"No!" I squealed, my eyes going wide.

Harry lowered my arm out of the air and brought it down to my side. "Then, I suggest you better start behaving."

"I am!" I yelled.

"No, you stop with that attitude of yours," he warned, menacingly. "I'm serious. I am not putting up with it, Ava."

"I wouldn't have an attitude if you hadn't told me to start behaving! I haven't done anything bad since you stopped the car!" I demanded, annoyed. "Why did you even stop?!"

"I stopped because you tried to jump out! I was going to punish you, but I felt pity for you!" He shouted, his free hand going down to his black leather belt. "But now you're back-talking me!"

I frowned, realizing the horrible mistake I had just made. "No. N-no. N-no! Harryyy! Please, forgive me!" I begged, my face contorted into an ugly, terrified expression. Tears falling.

Still holding onto my arm with one hand, he unbuckled his belt with his other hand, and yanked it through the loops on his jeans in one motion. If I hadn't been so scared at the moment, I would've been impressed.

He opened the back seat door. "Forgiveness has nothing to do with consequences." Harry huffed, dragging me forward. "You earned this, young lady."

"N-no!" I pleaded as he bent me over the seat, the side of my tear-stained, face flattened against the smooth leather seat. He raised the belt into the cool night air and cracked it against my thin yoga pants. Sharp tingles radiated on my rear and I blubbered. He lifted the belt up and whacked it down again and again and once more. With each strike, the more stinging it created.

I remained bent over the seat, not moving. I heard the jingle of the buckle as he laced the belt through his jean loops. My sobbing had lightened up but I still cried. He pulled me up to my feet and flipped me around to face him.

"It's over, Ava." Harry rasped, "Get in the car."

"Why should I listen to you?!" I yelled, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I begged you to please not punish me! And you still did!"

"That's different." Harry replied, strictly. "Calm down."

"H-how is it different?!" I cried.

He put his finger to his lips. "Shhh, Ava. I punished you for behaving badly." He opened the passenger door. "If I can't ask you nicely to get into the car, I'll put you in it myself."

I hiccuped, wiping my eyes. "N-no! You're going to tell my Mom!"

Harry grabbed my shoulders and leaned down to my height, his eyes sincerely looking into mine. "Ava, listen. I understand that you're scared. You and I both know you made a mistake. Okay?" His hand went down to mine. "As long as you learned a lesson, that's all that matters. The punishment is over. I'm sure you're tired from tonight. I'm taking you home and you can get some sleep."

I nodded. "I am t-tired. Does that m-mean you won't tell my Mom?"

"Let me think about it." Harry replied, gently nudging me to the passenger seat. "Let's go."

"O-okay." I sniffled, getting inside the Rover.

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To be continued...
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Love, Lily xx