Bound by Law

Bound by Law || 37- Cruel Surprise

WARNING, THERE IS TALK OF RAPE. IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE, PLEASE DO NOT READ.

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I snapped my head up from my lap and locked eyes with Gavin. He was sporting a black eye, there was dried blood on his nose, his lips looked swollen and his cheeks were both bloody and bruised.

He tried to smile upon seeing me stare at his face, mouth agape.

"Jai is pretty strong, which, to be honest, I should have expected. I mean I'm not surprised -- he makes a habit of hurting you, right?" 

I wanted to slap him for saying that, but the weird thing was that it sounded like he actually believed it and was worried on behalf of me. 

As he stepped closer to me, I panicked. "Tell me, aren't I right?"

"He has never laid a hand on me," I finally snapped, my hands shaking. The friendship between us, the good relationship that we had, seemed to vanish. I didn't recognise the guy in front of me anymore.

He didn't look scary, just desperate and different. The sudden shift in the atmosphere that told me this was a bad idea and to run caused my heart to beat against my chest so hard that it almost cracked a rib. 

Gavin kissed his teeth as he nodded, looking like he didn't believe me at all. Surveying his face again, I felt no pity. I wanted to feel bad, but I couldn't.

"What do you want from me?" I whispered, my voice quivering. 

He sighed, his face scrunching up with something like guilt for a few moments before it disappeared.

Does he regret doing this?

No. He wasn't capable of that. Not after what he'd done. He came closer to me and reached out to pull me into an embrace, but I moved away from him immediately.

"Get away from me!" I screamed, manically. "D-don't touch me!"

He sighed. "Please, don't cry. I'm doing this because I know you'll be happier with me," he said, his voice sounding strained.

"No. I'm staying right here."

"Come with me, Karishma. I'm being serious. You don't have Jai anymore, do you?"

The realisation caused a sharp pain to shoot up my stomach and strike my heart. I felt like someone was slowly stabbing me there, over and over.

I stayed silent at his question and he groaned.

"Please. I'll make you happy."

"You will never make me happy!" I yelled. I could see from my peripheral vision that he was beginning to get fidgety.

"Just come with me. Let's leave this god-forsaken place and start a new life," he whispered.

Shaking my head, I moved away from him and sat down at the edge of the bench. "I'm not leaving."

No one was here at the park. People only came on the weekends–when it was most comfortable and convenient. Which meant I was alone with Gavin and I was starting to dread coming here.

A few minutes passed and he turned around, hands clenching and unclenching, looking as though he was deliberating on what he was going to do. Just when I thought he was going to leave and let out a sigh of relief, he whipped around and grabbed me aggressively, throwing me over his shoulder.

I let out a petrified, glass-shattering scream as my mind processed what was going on.

"You've left me no choice. I-I have to do this," he said in a garbled voice. I twisted and wriggled in his grasp, trying to get out of his tight hold.