Page 68 of Broken by my Bully

Bastian loves speculating about the nature of cruelty?

This is right up his alley.

Swallowing, I unlock my phone and hold it up over the piece of paper, waiting for my hand to stop shaking. Then I zoom in so the words scrawled on the bottom like an afterthought aren’t visible in the shot.

Click.

I carefully fold up the paper and slide it back into the envelope.But I don’t put it back in the glove box, because what’s the fucking point?

If I had a lighter, I’d burn it.

But until I get a wallet, I can use the envelope to store my cash.

I take a breath, wipe my nose on the sleeve of my sweater, and DM the pic to my professor.

No context.

No explanation.

No ‘caption.’

If Professor Rooke’s as clever as he thinks he is, he won’t need any.

I’m giving him exactly what he wants.

My pain. My secrets.

And the sick part is, I want to give him more.

I want to see that look in his eyes again, that heady mix of fascination and hunger.

I want to be the puzzle Professor Rooke can’t stop trying to solve.

I want him to take me apart piece by piece until there’s nothing left but pain and need.

I want him to rebuild me into something new.

His.

Haven

As I’m driving out of AHC’s parking lot, the loudpingon my phone has my head swiveling down like one of Pavlov’s dogs. Instead of watching the road, I nearly mow down Melissa with my car.

My car skids on the gravel. Melissa turns to stare at me, her hair taking a moment to stop moving. Then she points a long fingernail, her shoes crunching over the gravel as she walks to my door.

I reluctantly roll down my window. “I almost killed you.”

“Good thing you didn’t. We have an assignment.”

“What?”

She flicks her hand, briefly glancing away with pursed lips. “Got distracted by my ex’s DMs. Fucking man child.” She grimaces faintly. “Everyone else has paired up. Only us two left. Could be worse, right?” She ducks her head and stares into my car.

I try not to wither into a husk, because I know it looks like shit in here.

“You can drive with me,” she decides.

Why is everyone trying to get me into a car with them today? Do I have a ‘kidnap me’ sign taped to my back or something?