Through the Lens

Deep Shit

Hailey's POV

My entire body went numb and I froze at the sound of his voice, chills running through me as I realized exactly who was pressed up against me. I screwed my eyes shut, biting my lip as if I could rewind the last ten seconds like they didn't happen, where I could go back to being happy and not having to deal with what I knew I was about to. I released the breath I'd been holding and turned around to look at him, promptly removing his arm from around my waist as I glared at him.

"What do you want, Brad?" I snapped, his cocky grin looking back at me.

"Fuck, you've always been so hot when you're pissed." He chuckled, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me towards him. "Come here."

I slapped his arm away, beyond annoyed that he was even trying to speak to me, but it's not like I expected any less. I just stood there, glaring at him and waiting for him to say whatever douchebag thing he was about to so I could get on with my evening.

"Come on, babe. Don't be like that. I haven't seen you in so long." He cooed as he stepped towards me. "We should catch up. You know, for old times sake."

"You say that like old times actually meant something." I spat, stepping back to keep the distance between us. "You're still an asshole, and I still want nothing to do with you. Let's leave it at that."

"Oh, I don't think that's true. I think we both know we'll always share something..." He said softly as he ran his finger up and down my arm.

I closed my eyes, trying to keep down the bile that was rising in the back of my throat at his touch. I hated him, I hated what he'd done and how he'd done it, but mostly I hated myself for being so stupid and letting him. I hated that he was touching me, that he'd ever touched me, and I hated that he had something that he knew I'd never get back from him.

I tried to keep my breathing steady, not wanting him to think he was having any effect on me whatsoever, and he just continued to look at me while he trailed his fingers up and down my skin. I felt like I needed to shower just from being in his presence, and it took everything in me not to start screaming at him.

I was so angry, but at the same time he still had the ability to make me feel two feet tall. I despised the fact that every time he looked at me it took me right back to feeling that way, to feeling worthless and empty, and he knew it. He knew exactly what he'd done to me and how he made me feel, and he knew that every time he was anywhere near me I felt like that stupid teenager.

"Brad...please just leave me alone." I said, barely above a whisper as he started to trail his fingers over my collarbone and I tried not to let the tears fall that were involuntarily stinging the back of my eyes.

I knew he wasn't worth being upset, I always had, but that didn't mean I could stop it. I knew I should have yelled and screamed and shoved him away from me, but for whatever reason I couldn't. I was that weak, scared sixteen year old whenever I was around him and I hated myself for it. I pleaded with myself not to let him see me cry, not to give him the satisfaction, but all the feelings from that time came flooding back to me and I was nothing but a frozen mess of emotions.

I couldn't look at him, knowing as soon as I did he would win. I tried to look anywhere but at him, my eyes scanning the area for any sign of Sam or Finn, anybody who could help get him the fuck away from me. It wasn't like me, I had never been someone who let people walk all over me, but I was crippled by the memories of that night and the aftermath of it and no matter what I did I couldn't seem to say anything to him about it.

He took a step closer to me, bringing his face towards mine as he leaned over and held his lips over the shell of my ear, his breath fanning down my neck as he hovered there.