Tainted (Jadine Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

Nadine, finally aware of what was happening, turned beet red. She stood up and kicked the guy in the gut out of pure instinct. She wasn't used to being in such a close proximity with someone else, especially with someone of the opposite sex.

The guy was still lying on the ground; however, curled into fetal position. He clutched the area that took Nadine's blow, feeling immense pain as he struggled to form words to say.

After almost a minute of groaning and squirming, he was now back on his feet. His eyes were trained on Nadine, shooting about a thousand daggers her way.

"Wow. You sure are grateful."

Nadine glared at him momentarily then shifted her gaze to a pebble on the ground which seemed much more interesting than the male in front of her.

A pang of guilt formed in the pit of her stomach. The guy just saved her life and what did she do in return to repay him? Oh, yeah! She kicked him in the gut and distanced herself from him almost immediately as if the guy had some kind of contagious disease. Cool, right?

Not to mention that the guy was practically hugging her while they were on the ground. Oh, wait. Scratch that. He was the one on the ground; she was lying on top of him.

Fuckity fuck.

The thought suddenly sinked into her. That just minutes ago, she was on top of him. She was on top of a boy. God, what if someone walked in on them while they were in such an awkward, and must I say, rather intimate position?

That would've been such a mess if ever someone did appear out of the blue. And Nadine wasn't fond of explaining things. But that would surely embarrass her to the core.

That guy wasn't just any guy. He had sun-kissed skin, natural stormy gray-looking eyes and jet black hair; his jawline prominent while his nose was a bit crooked, looking like it's been broken a couple of times in the past. His body was lean and just right, making Nadine think he must spend his time often working out. He seems to have foreign blood running in his veins.

Over all, he was without a doubt, attractive.

Hell, the word attractive didn't even give the man's looks justice, if she were to be honest with herself.

"The least you could do is thank me." The guy brushed the dirt and scrap of leaves off his jeans as he spoke, "Nahulog ka, sinalo kita." He paused for a fleeting moment and wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Nadine rolled her eyes and threw the pebble she was so interested in earlier, successfully hitting him on his shoulder. This made the man grunt.

"Damn, lagi mo nalang ako sinasaktan. Ganon ba ako kahirap mahalin? Tangina naman, Bash. Ganyan ka ba katigas?"

A moment of silence..

And Nadine burst into a fit of laughter.

His accent was hilarious.

The guy couldn't help but laugh along with Nadine. Her laugh was music to his ears. He was mesmerized by her smile. What a rare moment it was to see Nadine being so carefree.

But the moment was cut short once Nadine realized she had let her guard down. It dawned on her that she couldn't. For pete's sake, she shouldn't.

The charming man noticed her resolve and shook his head.

"You should laugh more often, smile more often. Live a little, Nadine." He flashed her a genuine smile before turning around, raising his hand as a gesture to bid goodbye.

Nadine was stunned, glued to her spot as she watched the man walk away from her, a nagging feeling tugging at her heart screaming that the boy was someone once very dear to her.

**

[Time: Later that night]

Slap!

"You are such a failure! A disgrace to the family and the organization!"

Slap!

Nadine bit her lip, fighting back tears. No. She wouldn't let herself look weak. No. She couldn't shed a tear. No. She shouldn't be vulnerable. She had to be strong. She had to be strong for him.

Showing any signs of weakness would be some form of betrayal. Not only to him, but also to her own self. She made a promise. And she always stayed true to her words.

"You were given one job, Nadine! How the fuck could you mess it all up?!"

Slap!

Nadine continued to receive slaps, wincing everytime rough calloused hands made contact with her cheeks. She kept her head hung low. By the looks of it, her face was probably swollen by now, and she would surely gain a couple of fresh new bruises by morning, in addition to the purple one she's already been sporting. She could feel the metallic taste of blood pooling in her mouth, the overwhelming urge to spit it out got the best of her.

She spat the blood in front of her, the blood nearly landing at the tip of her punisher's shoe. This was considered as an act of defiance, earning her a hard punch to her stomach.

"You have the nerve to disrespect me?! You useless twat!"

She landed on the floor with a thud, but now she felt nothing. Nothing but numbness. She reached up to her forehead, only to see her fingers covered in red sticky hot liquid. It was blood.

She couldn't find the courage in her to fight back, to defend herself and speak up. She knew if he were here, he wouldn't approve of this. He'd go absolutely mad.

Whenever Nadine was hurt or in trouble, he would always come running to her side and save her, just like he always did.

But where is he now when Nadine needs saving the most?

Nadine's eyesight was becoming blurry, red spots clouding her vision like a haze. She could feel her consciousness slowly slipping away, drifting towards a pitch black abyss.

In the deepest darkest depths of Nadine's mind, somehow, she knew she deserved this. All of this. All the beatings, all the harsh words, all the unbearable pain inflicted on her.

For all of those were nothing compared to the pain and the huge hole she had in her heart.

"Sorry.." She managed to whisper, before darkness consumed her.

**

Author's Note: I know it's short but I would love to hear some feedback from ya'll! A comment or two would be nice.

Pakangkang,
Ché