Betrayal - A Bucky Barnes Fanfic

Chapter 16

With a tingle in her stomach, she gets out of her car. It is already dark and the car park in front of the small building complex is bathed only in soft light by a dim streetlamp. She closes her car door and takes a deep breath. She is excited, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. What's he going to say?

Determined, she walks towards the building complex. She has only been here a few times, he doesn't like her coming to visit him at home. What would the neighbours think? She has left her campus in the dark on purpose – she wants to avoid being seen.

Every step towards the building is difficult for her. What if he throws her out? Yells at her? Breaks up with her? She needs him like the air she breathes, without him she doesn't know who she is.

She reaches the front door and presses the bell hesitantly. The intercom remains silent, instead the buzzing of the door signals her that she can come in. Was he expecting her? She enters the small hallway, which suddenly seems far too small, far too cramped. She has to calm down, her breathing is much too fast.

A door on the first floor opens and she follows a man into the flat.

"We talked about this, didn't we? You are not to come to my flat," he says sternly to her and sits down on his leather sofa. She sits down next to him. His figure is slim, he is wearing a black suit, although it is already late. Does he have somewhere to go? She wants to look at his face, but she can't. It is too blurry.

She hears a wild babble of voices. Who is speaking? She can't place it, her ears are ringing. He has his hands clasped together, his posture tells her that she isn't welcome here. She wants to leave, to get away from here, from him, she feels uncomfortable, unsure, like prey. But she can't. It's as if her body doesn't belong to her, as if someone else has control over it.

"Why can't we be together?" Did she just ask that? She sounds so desperate.

"Ava, I explained to you that once you graduate, we will have all the possibilities in the world," the man replies softly, leaning in towards her a little. She doesn't trust his words, she has heard them many times before.

"Do you love me at all?"

"You know the answer, don't play dumb." His voice sounds distant, but she hears the threat, the danger in it.

"Then why do I have to keep it a secret? I don't understand." She wants to stop her mouth from speaking any further, to stop before something bad happens. But what? It's on the tip of her tongue, but she can't think of it. She's been here before, she's had this conversation before.

"Enough. You know the answers. I would have thought you'd be more mature, but maybe I misjudged you." He sounds annoyed and fear spreads through her. Run! Run!, she screams at her body and it obeys. She jumps up from the leather sofa and wants to rush to the door, but a hand stops her. His long, slender fingers close around her wrist. She shivers and feels the goose bumps on her skin. He pushes her against the wall, his face too close to hers.

"You'd better get rid of that defiant manner tomorrow, pet," he says in a threatening tone. She doesn't want to upset him, she wants to please him. Why? She regrets starting a fight, she needs him so desperately.

He presses his lips to hers. They are cold and taste of mint. "You will always be mine, remember that," the faceless man threatens her. He bursts out laughing, the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the sound.

She feels dizzy, the room spins. Something touches her, but she can't tell what it is. Has he put his hand on her breast? She focuses her eyes on his face. The outlines become brighter, his laugh more intense, his grin wider. She knows him all too well. His hand is heavy on her chest, she can hardly breathe. He stops laughing and looks at her with his mischievous grin, the image crystal clear. She'll never forget those eyes.