Sin & Salvation

Chapter 45

I open the door to the master bedroom slowly, afraid of who or what I'm going to encounter once I do. Mustering up the courage, I twist the knob and push, hoping that Brett might be passed out already. But as soon as I open the door, I'm being grabbed by forceful hands, the door slamming shut behind me.

My breath catches in my throat as Brett wraps his fingers around it, squeezing harder than he ever has before. I swear I can hear bones cracking beneath his fingers, but quickly realize it's just my teeth from how hard I'm clenching them together.

Brett breathes deeply, his nostrils flared and his pupils blown. He looks like a fucking demon and while I may have found his animalistic traits attractive in the past, right now he's fucking horrifying. 

"So, Cora, tell me what the plan was here because I'm dying to know." He holds me tighter, my heels slightly lifting off the ground as he pushes me against the door. I shake my head in response, unsure of what he means.

"Don't give me that stupid little fucking look," he slurs, his breath reeking of cheap beer and burnt marshmallows. "Tell me right now and I'll consider not beating you within an inch of your fucking life."

His eyes bore straight into mine and my chest is burning from the lack of oxygen. I don't understand how he expects me to answer when he's making it physically impossible, but I quickly realize that:

1) He's drunk

2) He doesn't actually care what I have to say, he's just getting off on hurting me and seeing the fear behind my eyes.

I begin to see stars, the one's I'd been growing to love with Silas since he began using pain as a way to heal me. But once again, I become terrified and a tear slips from my eye, remembering all the things Brett is truly capable of. Every bone in my body wants to fight back, but I feel completely vulnerable and weak right now and I don't know why.

As my consciousness begins to fade, he releases my throat and I drop to the ground, wrapping my hands around my throat as it throbs from the pain. I cough violently, desperately trying to breathe oxygen back into my lungs. He swoops down, lifting me by the arm and forcing me back up.

He grips my cheeks in his hand hard enough to cause my teeth to bite into the tender flesh. The metallic taste of blood slides over my tongue and more tears fall down my cheeks as the familiar pain and fear all come flooding back in.

"When did you ask him?" He grips my hoodie by the collar, forcing me against the wall again. He lets my cheeks go, allowing me to respond to him finally.

"Brett, I—I don't know w-what you're t-t-talking—," I stutter, my body trembling so violently with fear and adrenaline that I can't get a full sentence out.

His hand flies up in an instant, connecting with my cheek so hard that I feel one of my molars shift slightly. I try to bring my hand up to soothe the sharp sting, but he grips my collar harder and drags me over to the bed, throwing me down onto it.

"I'm not playing these fucking games with you, Cora. Tell me the truth right fucking now or so help me god, you will never see a single person you love ever again."

His words are still slurring together and while many people would think he might not be capable of being violent, let alone forming a coherent sentence, they'd be dead wrong. Some of the worst assaults I've gotten from Brett are when he's drunk— especially right now.

I sit up on my elbows, shaking my head violently. "Brett, I swear to god I don't know what you're talking about, please," I beg, tears streaming down my face.

He lifts a hand towards me and I immediately curl up, covering my head to prepare for the blow. I wait a few seconds before peeking again, watching him grin at me slowly. His face looks haunting and I begin shaking harder, terrified for what he's going to do.