Mare's Nest (Ereri)

Chapter Sixteen

"You can keep your money," I barged into Erwin's office. Hanji and Erwin stared at me in surprise. "What?" Hanji questioned.

"I said keep your damn money," I answered. Erwin stood from his seat, towering over me from behind his desk. "You owe us an update, Levi," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Hanji mimicked the motion simultaneously. "Here's your fucking update: I quit," I stated.

Erwin and Hanji gawked at me. The blond rolled his shoulders before placing his palms on the desk. "I would reevaluate your decision if I were you," he explained. "I have, a million times over, I said I quit," I replied.

The blond looked to the brunette. As if they were speaking to one another, they both nodded, and Hanji dug through the desk's drawers. She returned to her tall stature with a pile of sorted money.

"You can take this now, if you agree to continue with the job we hired you for," she said.

A few months ago I would have accepted the offer without question. But now I looked to the money and scowled. "I told you to keep your damn money," I snarled.

"What has overcome you?" Hanji asked like a parent arguing with their stubborn child. "I don't want the job anymore," I said, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

"Are you really foolish enough to walk away from this opportunity, and return to being a whore?" Erwin questioned. "I was foolish enough to take the job in the first place. Besides, I don't need to return to my previous lifestyle," I proclaimed.

Just as I was about to turn and leave, Erwin stormed towards me. "You mean to tell me, you're quitting to stay with The Peaky Blinders!" he cried. "Damn right I am!" I exclaimed. "We know the location, we can attack at anytime," Hanji stated. "I'll alert them before you can," I argued.

Erwin turned to look back at Hanji. "We shouldn't have hired a wench."

Rage bubbled inside my chest. Normally I would brush off a comment like this, but now I wanted to drive his head into the ground.

"What did you just fucking call me?" I growled. His gaze locked with mine again. "Are you offended?" he smirked. "I am not a wench," I defended with a scowl overpowering my features. "Your job description says otherwise," Erwin replied smugly.

My fists clenched by my sides, in an attempt to prevent myself from hurtling towards him. "It's no longer my job," I said. I flung the door open to storm through the threshold and slam it behind me.

***

I sat on the edge of Eren's bed. He had requested I meet him in his quarters, and I was honestly terrified of what he could say. Different conversation topics exploded in my mind and were starting to make me anxious. What if he found out everything? What if he wanted to call things off? I was beginning to enjoy my time with him, and I wanted it to continue.

I began chewing at my fingertips. It was a disgusting habit, but my emotions were getting the better of me.

The door opened, and I looked up expecting Eren, but Marco's gaze met mine. He smiled sweetly, and I noticed one hand behind his back. Marco protruded a scarlet red rose and held it out for me to take. "It's from Eren," he explained. I took it with a smile, admiring its soft petals. Marco bounded down the hall quickly without another word.

I stared at the empty entryway oddly before bringing my gaze back to the rose. The stem was free of thorns allowing me access to twirl the flower without pricking my finger.