A Touch Of Hate

Chapter 21

Levi

My hand didn't waver, as one of my swords painted a crooked arch in the air between us. There were no reckless thoughts and no pain, and my fingers didn't tingle from the fantom touch of her silky hair. No memories clouded my mind, and my pulse stayed even.

Because it couldn't have been any other way.

Because I didn't care.

And I was determined to keep telling myself that until it became the truth. I forced my mind blank and studied Verity. Her chest rose in rapid shallow breaths, and her big eyes focused on me and me alone. Not even the weapons in my hands, as though she didn't feel the danger radiating from the blades. She was looking at me. And her eyes, so dark, it almost swept the ground from under my feet, seemed to gaze into my very soul. As though she knew I wouldn't attack. As though she could tell how much this hurt.

Bullshit! She was irrelevant!

It shouldn't have hurt. Why would it? Yes, the way she played me was frankly embarrassing, but it wasn't anything I couldn't fix. Yes, I was annoyed with how much my stupid head fixated on her, and how my thoughts refused to abide, bringing back various memories and torturing me. Like, each time when her cheeks went red with embarrassment. Or when my fingers glided along the pale skin of her fragile wrists. When I carried her away from the forest after the mission meant to capture the Female titan. How her soft little body curved itself around my front in the saddle, adjusting to me just perfectly.

Fuck!

I should've found a way to get rid of this infatuation before it blossomed.

Sucking in a deep breath, I made sure my expression didn't budge as I shoved all of those thoughts away. Focusing on the moment, I had to remind myself of the reason we all ended up here. Eren and Historia were abducted by Kenny and his men. And Verity was one of them.

She'd made her choice. And so have I.

"Do you have a death wish?" My tone was calculatingly cold, ringing with dangerous notes. Verity flinched, but kept quiet, and her eyes didn't shift from mine. For once I couldn't read emotions on her face, however fake they might have been. Her expression stayed vacant of anything, leaving out even the mock regret she ought to be portraying. No matter Hange believed that Verity didn't lie about it all. I thought otherwise. She was fake through and through.

My grip on the sword tightened, muscles straining. I didn't want to be affected by her. But I fucking was. Would I carry on with what I had to do? Yes. No matter how hollow it left me, I would carry out my duty. I took one step toward her, readying myself for a kill that would no doubt haunt me for the rest of my life, when someone grabbed my other arm, weakly jerking me back. I glazed behind, and my eyes met Hange's. She could barely stand, leaning heavily on Moblit, as she reached over, stopping my advance. I glared at her, but she didn't bat an eyelid. Four-eyes knew me too well, saw right through my masks as though they were made out of glass.

"Don't," she whispered, her eyes half-closed and her breathing heavy, pained. I jerked my arm out of her grasp and faced Verity again. I had to do it. There was no doubt in my mind. "Stop!" Hange yelled, effectively freezing me to a spot. I watched Verity as her eyes jumped to the wounded Hange at my back. Her lower lip trembled, and something akin to hurt ghosted over her face.

I didn't buy it.

"Shove it, four-eyes," I grumbled.

"She saved me, you dumbass!" Hange croaked, and her voice rang with some resemblance of laughter, which sounded hysterical to my ears.