Words like blades

Words like blades
Trista’s POV

The moment I stepped out of Chad’s penthouse, my entire body felt like it was set on fire, and it
wasn’t the good kind—it was infact the kind that burned through my nerves, leaving nothing but
frustration and unease behind.
I hated being in that space with him, i hated the way he pushed and pushed, acting like he had
some kind of unspoken claim over me. I hated even more that he thought he could manipulate
me into needing him, like I couldn’t think for myself.
I wasn’t stupid. I knew exactly what Chad was trying to do—He was basically trying to sink his
claws deeper in order to make me doubt myself and make me second-guess the very things I
knew were true.

But I wasn’t falling for it.
Not this time.
Not ever.
The cold night air bit at my skin as I walked toward my car, my heels clicking against the
pavement with every firm, determined step. My hands were trembling slightlydie to the cold as I
fished for my keys, the conversation replaying in my mind over and over again.
“You’re rejecting me now, aren’t you?”
“You never used to do that before.
”

I was getting more pissed the more I remember what just went down.
I swallowed hard, gripping the steering wheel tighter as I sat inside my car. The audacity he had
to try to manipulate me. The sheer arrogance of Chad thinking I owed him something just
because he had been around all these years.
He had helped me, yes. But his help always came with a price.
And this time, that price was me, I could tell with my eyes closed.
My fingers curled into a fist against my lap as I exhaled sharply.
He wanted control over me.

And I wouldn’t give that to him, over my dead body.
And the worst part? I could see it in his eyes—he actually thought he had it.
He thought his claws had entered deep into my skin like he hoped.
The air felt thick with tension as I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles white from the
pressure. My mind was in a whirlwind, Chad’s words still echoing in my head, twisting and
coiling around my thoughts like a venomous snake.
“You owe me, Trista.
”

I had expected manipulation from Chad, but not this. Not the way he cornered me, how he used
my past against me, how he dangled his so-called loyalty like a noose around my neck.
The worst part? A small part of me had hesitated.
And that hesitation infuriated me so bad.
My phone buzzed beside me, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. I glanced down, and
my heart stilled for a brief moment.
Leonard.
I hesitated.

After everything, I still hadn’t figured out how to feel about him. He had walked right back into
my life like a hurricane, upending everything I had built, every wall I had carefully constructed
over the years. And somehow, despite all of that, I still answered every single time he called.
Because deep down, beneath the anger and the whole resentment, there was something else.
Something I wasn’t ready to name.
I pressed my lips together before picking up the call.
“Trista,
” Leonard’s voice was rough, strained, like he had been holding something in for too
long.
“Where are you at the moment?”
I glanced around, realizing I had been sitting in my car longer than I thought.

“I was about to
leave Chad’s place,
” I admitted, not even sure why I said it. Maybe I wanted to see if he would
react.
Silence stretched between us for a beat too long.
Then—
“Did he touch you?”
My breath hitched.
“Leonard—
”
“Did. He. Touch. You.
”
I didn’t know how to explain it. How could I? How could I tell him that Chad’s words had shaken
me more than they should have? That I felt like a pawn in a game I no longer knew how to play?
I exhaled sharply.
“Not in the way you’re thinking.
”
Another silence. Then a dark chuckle.
“That’s not an answer, Trista.
”
A shiver ran down my spine. There was something in his voice, something raw and unhinged,
that made my pulse quicken.
“He tried to,
” I admitted, my fingers tightening around the wheel.
immediately.
”
“But I stopped him
More silence. Then a low curse.
“I swear to God, I’ll kill him, I will kill Chad.
”
I sighed, rubbing my temple.
“Leonard, I don’t need you to fight my battles.
”
“The hell you don’t.
” His voice was sharp now, cutting.
playing games you don’t even realize that you’re part of.
”
“Chad is very dangerous, Trista. He’s
“And you’re not?” I snapped back, suddenly feeking exhausted.
“You waltzed back into my life
and turned everything upside down. You left me, Leonard. And now, what? You think you can
just come back and claim me again? is that what you think?
Silence.
Then, softer this time,
“I never stopped claiming you nor did I stopped caring about you.
”
My breath caught in my throat.
I hated how his words affected me.
I hated that I wanted to believe them.
“Meet me,
” he said after a moment.
“We need to talk. Face to face.
”
I hesitated.
I needed space. I needed time to process everything that had happened tonight. But something
in Leonard’s voice made my chest tighten.
“Please, Trista.
”
And that was my undoing.
I sighed, already knowing I was going to regret this.
“Fine. Where?”
“I’ll come to you.
”
“No.
” I shook my head, gripping the wheel.
“I’ll meet you at the pier. I need some air.
”
A pause. Then,
“Okay. Be careful on the way.
”
I hung up, resting my forehead against the steering wheel for a moment.
What the hell was I doing?
The pier was quiet when I arrived. The waves crashed gently against the shore, the salty breeze
calming the chaos in my mind, even if just for a moment.
I stood there quietly, arms crossed, staring out at the dark waters. The wind whipped my hair
around my face, but I barely noticed anything.
I was too lost in my own thoughts.
Too lost in him.

I had barely been standing there for five minutes when headlights flashed from the road behind
me. My heart skipped a beat as Leonard’s sleek black car pulled into the parking lot.
I turned, watching as he stepped out of the car, his tall frame moving with the same effortless
confidence that had always drawn me in.
He was too captivating.
His gaze locked onto mine immediately, intense, unreadable. He looked tired, but more than
that—he looked like a man on the edge.
And somehow, that terrified me a little.
He walked toward me, stopping just a few feet away.
“Hello Trista.
”
I swallowed hard.
“Leonard.
”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then, he ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.
considering Chad’s help?”
“Tell me the truth. Are you still
He cut straight to the point.
I stiffened.
“I don’t have much of a choice at this point.
”
“Bullshit.
” His voice was sharp, accusing.
“You always have a choice.
”
Leonard studied me for a moment, his jaw tightening.
“Did Chad say something to you?”
I exhaled a bitter laugh.
“When does Chad not say something?”
Leonard’s expression darkened instantly, his fists clenching.
“What did he do to you?”
“It doesn’t matter,
” I muttered, turning away, but he caught my wrist, gentle yet firm.
“It does matter to me.
”
That was the problem.
It always did.
It wasn’t supposed to.
My throat tightened as I met his gaze, my emotions teetering on the edge. I didn’t want to fall
apart—not here in front of him, not now. But I also didn’t want to keep pretending like I wasn’t
drowning, like I wasn’t tired.
“I’m just tired, Leo,
” I whispered.
“Tired of all the games. Tired of fighting battles I don’t even
understand anymore, everything is just too much for at this point.
”
His grip on me tightened slightly.
“Then stop fighting alone.
”
I let out a sharp breath, feeling that familiar pull toward him—the kind I had spent years trying to
resist.
“I can’t afford to trust anyone, not even you Leonard”
Leonard’s jaw tensed, something flickering behind his eyes.
“Then let allow me prove it to you.
”
I shook my head, pulling away.
“I should go.
”
“Hold on for a moment Trista”
, he said while holding my wrist.
I glared at him.
“And what would you have me do right now, Leonard? Let my entire reputation
and year of hard work burn while I wait for some damn miracle to happen?”
His jaw clenched.
“No. I want you to let me help you.
”
I let out a bitter laugh.
“Oh You just think that way because that worked out so well last time?”
A flicker of pain crossed his face, gone as quickly as it came.
“I made a big mistake. Walking
away from you… it was the biggest mistake of my life, I still regret it everyday”
My chest tightened, but I refused to let my emotions win, listening to my heart has never worked
out for me.
“You don’t get to say that now,
” I whispered.
“I do. Because it’s the truth.
” He took a step closer.
believe me Trista.
”
“And I need you to believe it, I need you to
I looked away, trying to steady my breathing.
“Leonard, I don’t—
”
The argument between us had escalated too quickly. Words that had been restrained for too
long were finally unleashed, cutting through the air like blades.
Leonard stood in front of me, his jaw tight, his fists clenched at his sides. His eyes, dark with
frustration and something deeper—something raw—held mine in a battle of unspoken emotions.
“Dammit, Trista,
” he growled.
idea how much I—
”
“You keep acting like I don’t care, like I never did. But you have no
His voice cut off abruptly, his entire body tensing.
It happened too fast.
One second, we were locked in an argument, the tension crackling between us like an
impending storm. The next, Leonard’s expression twisted into something primal—fear, urgency.
And then—
“Trista, move!”
I barely had time to register his voice before his hands gripped my shoulders, shoving me with
force. The world blurred as I stumbled backward, my feet skidding against the pavement. My
back hit the rough surface of the sidewalk, my breath punching out of my lungs.
And then—the sickening sound of impact.
The unmistakable crunch of metal against flesh.
A choked gasp ripped from my throat as I watched Leonard’s body get hit, lifted off the ground
like a ragdoll, then thrown mercilessly against the cold pavement.
“No—
” My scream barely made it past my lips before the world seemed to tilt around me.
His body lay sprawled across the road, unnaturally still.
The car, a sleek black sedan with tinted windows, screeched as the driver slammed on the
brakes. But it was too late. The damage was done.
Blood seeped from beneath Leonard’s head, pooling onto the asphalt in a horrifying contrast to
his pale skin. His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven movements.
My pulse thundered in my ears as I scrambled forward on trembling hands and knees.
“Leonard—oh my God—Leonard, stay with me!” My hands hovered over him, afraid to touch,
afraid of what I’d find.
His eyelids fluttered, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something.
“No, no, no, don’t you dare close your eyes,
” I begged, pressing my palm to his cheek, feeling
the warmth of his skin rapidly fading.
“Stay with me, okay? Help is coming.
”

A strangled cough left his lips, his fingers twitching against the pavement. And then, barely
above a whisper—
“Tris…”
Tears blurred my vision as I cradled his face, my hands shaking uncontrollably. For the first time
in years, I felt completely helpless.
I didn’t even notice the car speeding off, disappearing into the night.
All I saw was him.
Broken.
Bleeding.
Dying.