Freefall | Eren x OC

Chapter 37: The Red Cadillac

Eren and you stayed in his old room that night, cuddling each other as you stared out the large windows and watched the trees sway in the breeze, the stars twinkling in the distance. You both had gone completely naked and were trying your best to resist the urge to go for another round while Zeke slept one room over.

"I'll speak to Zeke tomorrow after I get back from dropping you off at home," Eren murmurs as he watches the leaves blow up from a kick of autumn wind. "He'll understand, I'll try not to give out too many details though."

"What will you tell him?" you ask as you rest your head on his chest and let your fingers glide on the small letters of his 'FREEDOM' tattoo on his collarbone.

"Hmm, I'm not sure, I guess I gotta come up with something quick. Maybe say you're being aggressively pursued by someone at work, just not elaborate further than that."

"I hate that we have to tiptoe around this," you fume. "I want the whole world to know what he's doing to me, to us."

"To you. He hasn't done anything to me."

"Because he doesn't know you're a threat yet. He just sees you as a scrubby little brat who lives at my house." you look up at Eren's raised eyebrows. "His words," you mumble.

"What about me is scrubby?"

"I'm not sure Eren, I think he was just saying you were inferior to him."

"When did he say that?"

You sigh deeply as your eyes watch the trees sway, making dark shadows dance across the room. "In the hotel penthouse."

Eren inhales sharply through his nose as his arm instinctually draws your waist closer into his side. He's quiet for a few minutes. "Were you scared?" he asks gently.

"At first, I was terrified, he waited till we were settled into the room and my guard was completely lowered before he showed his true nature. And I fought him, I really did, but he overpowered me..."

"Rose you don't have to get into it with me if you don't want to..."

"It's okay Eren, if feels...cathartic to talk about it. Like if I speak about it, I'm no longer keeping it in you know?"

Eren nods, his fingers reaching up to caress your shoulder. He sighs to prepare himself, "Okay, go on..."

"I fought and then I...I just gave in. I guess I felt it was better to just let him do what he wanted rather than fight and possibly get myself even more hurt but...it was the worst feeling in the world to give up like that."

"Did he let you go? How did you even get out of there?"

"I snuck out when he was asleep, I think that's where I was really the most frightened. I was scared shitless he was gonna see me trying to escape and grab me. I almost ran down the fire escape stairs in fear. That was probably scarier than anything that happened up till that point."

"What I wouldn't give to have five minutes alone with that fucker," Eren mutters as he brings his other arm over to hold you close.

"You know the worst thing about escaping Eren?" you murmur. "The hotel staff saw my battered face and didn't do or say anything. It's like they were robots, like they knew his power and reach and didn't want to trouble themselves. One of them looked me in the eye with my bruises and the red slap on my face and it's like he looked through me..."

You feel tears well up. "I never felt more alone than I did then. I felt like if Tengen caught me downstairs and dragged me back up, none of them would've lifted a finger to help me. That's how powerful he is." With that, you roll off Eren and begin silently crying in your pillow. Eren reaches out to touch you and you flinch. He withdraws his hand before rolling over to spoon you, wrapping his arms around your chest.