Just before the force has me smashing my head into the glass, I swipe my forearm up, bashing into that instead of the mirror.
“You would’ve let him fuck your little cunt, wouldn’t you?”
Another buck of his hips has me moaning out, every shred of restraint evaporating. “Yes! Yes, I would have.Fuck.”
I’m throbbing uncontrollably, on the verge of tears, my thighs rubbing together for any bit of friction, massaging the outline of his cock against my pussy, chasing something I fear I will never get.
“That’s because you’re a dirty little whore.” He releases me and steps away, taking every drop of heat with him.
My body shudders at the temperature drop, and I struggle to catch my breath. “What the fuck?” I turn around and slump against the mirror, heavy and wobbly.
Caden gathers up the clothes. “You’re that desperate for it, Elodie, you’ll take it from anyone. Come on.” He unlocks the door and throws it open.
I’m knocked for six by this sudden change of attitude. It feels like I’ve been flung against the wall. I storm out after him. “You know, if you treated me the way Alfie does, then maybe I’d be the same with you!”
He flings around, making me halt. “I’m not Alfie, am I? I’m the man you’re going to marry and spend the rest of your life with. And the more you give that pussy up to anyone else other than me, the more miserable I will make your life. Now, let’s go.” He grabs my hand and shoves his fingers in between mine, and drags me out.
Caden asks the girl, Millie, to take the heap of clothes to the counter, then storms out, yanking me with him.
He stops in the shoe section, grabs a basket, and gathers up a pair of white trainers, some sandals and heels that go with most of my outfits, then over to the loungewear, picking up several sets of pyjamas, not offering me a single word or even a glance. I’m helpless but to tag along as he never lets go of my hand. I’m still trying to process everything that’s just happened and is still happening by the time we reach the counter, where he finally releases my hand.
He makes small talk with the guy at the till while I’m still trying to gather the rest of my senses that were obliterated in the fitting room.
Caden carries the bags and leads us back to the car. I get in the front while he puts the bags in the boot.
Once he’s behind the wheel, I turn to him. “Why do you get a kick out of humiliating me?”
He doesn’t spare me a look, looking at his phone as he says, “You literally answered your own question.”
“Just the humiliation? Why, what did I ever do to you? We didn’t even know each other when I came here, and you decided before we even met that you weren’t going to like me.”
Caden shrugs. “You’re not my type. And your family isn’t my cup of tea.”
“That’s what it’s about? Some politics bullshit that has nothing to do with me?” I laugh. “What a joke.”
“I’ll tell you whatisa joke, Elodie,” he says, voice hardening. He tucks his phone into his pocket. “It’s you thinking you’re some fucking perfect little girl who’s just a victim in all this. We all live the same lives here. We’re all miserable, we all do things we don’t want to do. You just play on it too much. You play this damsel in distress and dumb idiots like Alfie play into it, but I don’t. You get pissy with me because I see straight through your little façade.”
I fold my arms. “There’s no façade. Me and Alfie get along because he actually started off by being nice to me.”
“And I didn’t?” Caden slaps a hand to his chest. “I haven’t given you chance after chance?”
Is he kidding? “You locked me in a basement, put a dog’s shock collar on me, cuffed me to the fucking bed, assaulted me on multiple occasions. Need I go on?”
He laughs menacingly. “That’s me being nice to you, Elodie. Fucking hell, if you knew how much patience I’ve had to have with you. You’d be dead and buried within the first twenty-four hours if I got my way.”
“How fucking charming. I’ll be so lucky to have you as my husband.”
He licks his teeth. “Watch your mouth.”
“Or what? You’ll shove your cock in it to shut me up?”
There’s no patronising laughter at that. His whole demeanour darkens and hardens into something threatening and deadly. “Again, I’m going to give you one more chance. Because I swear to fucking Christ, I cannot take your attitude anymore.”
“So do it then! Fucking kill me then, Caden. BecauseI swear to Christ,as long as you keep me alive, as long as you’re so horridto me, I will make your life as miserable as you make mine. All I want is for you to be kind to me. Do you not think I deserve that?”
He studies me for a second. “You think I owe you that? You think you’re owed kindness? Why, because you lost your brother? Newsflash, people die and the world and everyone in it sucks. People lose things they care about every day. But most people don’t walk around waiting for someone else to make their lives better. They suck it up and carry on. What makes you think you’re so special that you deserve to have other people make you happy?”
I laugh, almost manically. He has no clue how wrong he is. “I don’t want a goddamn thing from you except a little bit of autonomy. Kindness is free, but apparently, to people like you, it costs too much. I get delivered to you like an insentient prize that you can do as you please with. You’re the one making me miserable. I was fine before you came along.”
