Tie My Heartstring's ❦

twisted

Katie

I woke up to a light snore. Hudson was back and sleeping, looking so deep in his slumber that I didn't want to wake him. Not that I had a reason to. He couldn't have made it clearer he didn't give a fuck about my boredom.

I was the stupid one for thinking I could handle it. As I moved to the door, my gaze caught something that glinted silver in his bag. Everything inside of me went quiet. Even my heart.

The knife lay there, just a few feet away on the chair, gleaming ominously in the dim light. My eyes flicked back to Hudson, his back turned as he slept, oblivious to the thoughts brewing inside me.

He may not be a good man, but something always held me back. I had fallen for him hard, so hard that I worried when this was all over, there wouldn't be anything left of me. I was trapped in this twisted dance of desire and fear, and the stakes had never been higher.

I glanced back at the knife, my gaze torn in direction as the sudden conflict ripped me in half. A part of me wanted to ignore the chance of freedom, to walk away and hope for a better tomorrow. But the other half wondered if this was my only chance to save myself.

I couldn't take another's life, that much I knew. I could never bring myself to hurt Hudson, not after all we'd shared, even if it was wrapped in chaos and pain. But I could threaten him. I could scare the shit out of him.

Taking a deep breath, I felt the adrenaline surging through me, fueling my resolve. I needed him to understand the gravity of what he was doing to me. He had to feel the fear he had instilled in me, to know that I wouldn't be his pawn any longer.

Slowly, my feet moved of their own will. I stepped closer to the chair, heart racing as I wrapped my fingers around the cool handle of the knife. My hands shook as I held it. It felt heavy in my hand, a symbol of the power I was reclaiming. I turned, holding it at my side, the weight of my decision sinking in.

I immediately wanted to drop it, to let it clatter harmlessly to the floor, but when my mind replayed a haunting image of myself—lifeless and forgotten—I tightened my grip.

I couldn't end up like Maggie, a ghost of my former self, discarded and overlooked, just another victim in his twisted game. I refused to let him have that power over me. The thought of him finding another girl to manipulate, another life to ruin, filled me with a rage that ignited a flicker of defiance within me.

My heart raced, and I took a step back, my pulse pounding in my ears. What was I about to do? The silver gleamed in the dim light, a siren call promising an end to the pain but also a descent into darkness I wasn't sure I could navigate.

The memories flooded back—Maggie's face, her dreams, all snuffed out in an instant. I could still hear the whispers, the questions left unanswered, the weight of a world that moved on without her. I wouldn't be a footnote in someone else's story.

Hudson stirred awake and turned, making my heart drop. Surprise flickered across his face as he took in the sight of me standing there, the knife glinting ominously in the low light. I could see the realization wash over him, the moment when he understood the shift in the power dynamic. "What are you doing?" he asked, the casualness of his tone masking a hint of concern.

"I'm taking control," I replied, my grip tightening on the knife. "You need to understand what you've put me through. This isn't just a game for you."

His expression shifted, a mixture of amusement and something darker. "You think you can threaten me?"

"I'm not here to kill you," I shot back, taking a step closer, my heart pounding in my chest. "But I need you to know I'm done being scared. You've pushed me to the edge, and I won't back down now."