Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Elena quivered and was about to move away, but he didn’t let her. He caught her wrists and pushed them roughly against the door. The coldness he exuded, and his ice magic engulfed her.

“You’re a slut,” he spat. “What would your parents say if they knew about this? Cheating on me with a vampire, pathetic.”

“Leave my parents out of this,” she yelled. He put salt in her wound and knew where it hurt the most. Bringing up her parents in this situation wasn’t fair.

“Is that all you have to say?” he mocked. Faster than she could react, his hands let go of her wrists and grabbed her neck instead, squeezing painfully. Elena grasped his wrists and struggled against him. Her air supply was cut off. Panic rose within her when she couldn’t breathe.

“Stop.” Tears ran down her cheeks. His grip was bruising. He looked her dead in the eyes.

“You’re worse than dirt,” he hissed. “Slut.”

And with that, he finally let her go, throwing her one last disgusted look before he pushed her away. He lunged for the door handle and left. The front door slammed shut, and she winced. Elena gasped for air and slowly sank to the ground. This had gone much worse than she had imagined. She wished she had just stayed with Ryder instead—she already missed him.

Her shaky hand moved to the bite mark on her neck, covering it up. She should have told him about her struggle with Steph, but it was incredibly difficult to open up about it.

---

The silence in the flat that day was disturbing and nerve-wracking. Steph hadn’t returned ever since he had yelled at her, and she constantly dreaded hearing the door open, announcing his arrival. Time ticked by, and when it was ten pm, she decided to go to sleep with an uneasy feeling in her chest.

She left one of the lamps in the bedroom on and curled up on the bed, hiding below her soft blanket. Her eyes burned from crying, and her neck hurt—she felt the ghost of his fingers wrapped around it. Elena wanted to sleep, but her apprehension kept her awake since she didn’t trust Steph.

It was time to break up. There was no reason to stay with him. She should move out as soon as possible and find her own place to live. Spending so much time with Ryder had opened her eyes to something she had overlooked until now—her relationship with Steph wasn’t healthy in the slightest. He threatened her constantly and guilt-tripped her into doing things she didn’t want. Her feelings for him had died long ago, but she had stayed because she had believed she couldn’t make it on her own. His mind games used to work on her, but not anymore.

Now the question was, how would he react if she dropped the bomb and told him she wanted to break up? Undoubtedly, he would be enraged, and maybe he would hurt her again. For hours, she lay awake and pondered over her dilemma, and she always reached the same conclusion; she needed to break up with him no matter the consequences. If she wanted to give things with Ryder a try, it was only fair to end her current relationship. She needed a clean slate for a fresh start.

When Steph returned home hours later, he found her asleep in bed with the light still on. He stared down at her, curling his hands into fists. His anger was raging within him; he could hardly contain it, and he would make sure she paid for her mistake.

---

As Elena’s senses returned on the following morning, she felt ill. A massive headache made it hard to focus, and her neck was sore. She groaned and opened her eyes, stiffening when she found Steph sleeping next to her. Quickly and quietly, she shuffled away from him and left the bed without waking him. She dreaded what she would have to do later, but it had to be done. There was no way around it.

Elena entered the bathroom and took a hasty shower, washing her black hair and drying it. When she gazed into the foggy mirror afterward, she was greeted by her own ghostly appearance. The bite marks were now surrounded by dark shadows that Steph’s hands had left on her neck. She would have to hide them with a scarf later.

“I hate him,” she whispered. “I hate him, I hate him.”

She met her own gaze in the mirror, reading both apprehension and anger within it. What had happened yesterday had been the last straw—she was done with this man. She was done enduring his mood swings and violent demeanor.

Elena got dressed and put on elegant pants with a matching blouse. A light scarf hid the evidence of last night from curious onlookers, and her hair was pulled up in a strict ponytail. As she left the bathroom, she already heard Steph rummaging in the kitchen. Fresh terror reared up within her upon entering the room. He didn’t turn around even though he heard her arrive.

“I need to talk to you,” she said, remaining in the doorway.

“Are you going to apologize for your mistake?”

“No.”

Now he turned around and pierced her with a glare so sinister she had to suppress a shudder. “What did you just say?”

She balled her hands into fists to stop them from shaking. “I’m breaking up with you.”

Now it was out. She finally found the courage to say it, and she was proud of herself for standing up to him for once. However, her elation didn’t last long. Steph’s fury erupted like a simmering volcano. He gritted his teeth, blazing eyes fixing on her.

“How dare you?” he said lowly, warningly. “How dare you say that to me? I was the one who helped you when you had nothing, and this is your thanks?”

“I can’t do this anymore. I’m done.”

“Fine,” he spat.

“Fine?”

He laughed at her spooked expression. “Leave at once and never come back. I will change the door code so you can’t get in anymore. What are you waiting for?”

“Right now?” she asked. He didn’t even give her time to pack her belongings and find a new apartment for herself. If he kicked her out like this, she wouldn’t have a place to spend the next night.

“I don’t have any tolerance for sluts like you,” he said and nodded towards the door. “Keep in mind that you will regret this. I will find you, and I will make your life hell.”