@deadmans-flush || snagged from here ( because we can't stop writing fuckin novels )
Fear. My God, the fear. The heart stopping, blood freezing, breath taking fear. It shrunk her down and curled her up, scared prey facing off against the apex predator. She knew what she did was wrong, and felt the burn of hatred and shame. He had every right to yell at her, to be angry with her, to hate her. And she was about to take it. Her hands went up, defensively, in front of her face and neck -- the fear of him enacting the same abuse on her as her father once did controlled her rigid body like puppetry.
Yet, from behind those shaking hands, a hiss of a voice scratched out of her sternum and up her throat, escaping like ice through her lips before she could stop it.
"You had it comin'."
It was horrifying, hearing herself say those words, but the stubborn fighter in her felt she stood in the right; he had hurt her first. An eye for an eye. He almost killed her with a push -- she would kill him in the same manner. It was like the slightest part of her mind that still held contempt and uncontrollable fire was taking the wheel; the piece of her that hated him, wanted him dead, was going to tell him as much.
"Consider it karma for nearly killin' me when we were crossin' the ravine. You're lucky we were a few feet off from a real drop, 'cause I woulda dragged your sorry ass with me. And if the fall didn't kill you, my bare hands would've."
Venom soaked words, accompanied by her twitching fingers curling into a steady fist as her arms slowly uncovered her face, expression burning with a fire she hadn't shown Nick since the day she had nearly put a bullet between his eyes.
Maybe it was all starting to come out because she didn't feel the need to impress him anymore -- he was undeserving of her attention and time, in her opinion. He had done nothing to show her he wanted to make amends, and felt she had no obligation to repair the shattered pieces of their former bond. She had made her peace when she left it all and became who she was -- and he was gonna know that, one way or another.
"I shoulda left you to drown."
