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her by the waist and pulled her closer harshly.

Eva’s breath hitched.

It seemed too cruel to be so close to him, logic asking her to resist this.

She pushed, this time he let her go. A flicker of hurt passed his eyes and Eva looked away.

“We can’t…” She paused, calming her racing heart, “We can’t afford this,” she whispered.

Eva was acutely aware he is going to devastate her. Heart, mind, body and soul.

He watched, searching her eyes and she held on to her resolve as tight as she could without giving anything away, even though every fiber rebelled against it.

It was minute or eternity she doesn’t know but eventually the Professor’s arms fell to his side. He looked down, she watched the muscle in his jaw tighten and he stepped back.

“Then go,” he said, cold and neutral. “Maybe you should considered transferring your classes,”

She stepped back, startled, as he put a boundary between them. It stung hard.

“I won’t bother you anymore,” he said.

She opened her mouth and closed it as he stepped to the side and walked away, footsteps echoing in the empty library and the silence left behind rang in her ears. The lights dimmed and knees grew weak. She sniffed silently.

He…He really just walked away, she bit her lips furiously wiping tears as they slipped from her eyes.

She was trying to do this for weeks, this is what she wanted. Now she can go back to things being normal, or as normal as it could be.

—---------------------------

Eva clutched the bag’s straps on her shoulder as she walked on the empty sidewalk towards her dorm building, it was almost midnight and she completed her shift at the local restaurant she worked part time. Still in her navy blue waitress skirt and white shirt.

Though exhausted to the bones, she knew she was bracing for another sleepless night. Or if she managed to sleep, Professor Vale will haunt her dreams. The empty echo of his silence was clawing her heart out.

She walked aimlessly and then froze, hair on the back of her neck raised. Someone was behind. Eyes grew wide and alert, ears twitched—always good at hearing long distance—but no matter how she strained, there was nothing to pinpoint.

She took a deep breath, started walking again slowly, pulled the bag to the front of her chest as she tried to look through the darkest corners of the street.

Hands grew clammy, breath short as she started to count down how far the dorm was, a quiet rustle of clothes and footsteps rang in her ears like a brick hitting the ground, echoing. She quickly took out her phone from her skirts.

Sweaty fingerprints visible on the screen before it lit up and she scrolled through the contact list but there were not many people in it.

Penelope, who sometimes helped cover her shift. The restaurant manager, never called. Her college counsellor—old and kind—but in this situation. She closed her eyes.

“Come on, come on, someone, anyone,” She opened her eyes, quickened her feet and the footsteps came faster.

Her roommate is unreliable, always at one party or another. The last name on her contact gave her pause.

Professor Vale.

“Then go,”

“Maybe you should considered transferring your classes,”

“I won’t bother you anymore,”

He wouldn’t come, she thought and yet her shaking thumb hovered over his name like a last thread of hope, one hand clutching the bag closer as she almost ran. The footsteps behind got quicker. She gathered enough courage to click on the name, seeing no other option— a sharp gasp tore from her throat, a hand hit her wrist sending the phone flying across the alley and another blow to her side knocked the wind out, she cried as a hand pinned her to the wall behind the street light.

She coughed as the hand choked. The bag fell and the phone lit up across the street, a voice coming from it. Eva, however couldn’t hear it.

“You thought you would hide here forever?”

Eva’s blood chilled as she heard the familiar grating voice, through blurred vision she saw the face of her uncle.

Light grey eyes like a hawk with cold fury, heart fisting in fear as she struggled under his hold.

“Un..cle…,” she clawed at his hand and choked, the pressure on her windpipe cutting oxygen.

“I had enough of your tantrum, you are coming home with me!”

The scar on his chin tightened as he sneered. Heart pounded. How did he find her?!

“I..will…n’rrrr,” Eva words slurred as she got dizzy and started kicking. I will not, I will not—! She wanted to scream. He let go of her neck and grabbed her wrist in a death grip.

“Uncle, I won’t!” voice raspy and weak. She dug her heels down as he pulled but she was no match for his strength.

“You are costing me far too much,” He yanked her arms, she cried, louder this time.

“Uncle, please let go of me!” she felt arms would come out her socket. “I won’t come with you, I won’t!” She screamed when she got enough air. “Help! Help!” She knew the street was deserted but she had to try.

She grabbed his wrist, trying to twist free but he only yanked harder and she stumbled, head spinning, eyes blurred. Lips trembled. He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her head up to meet his eyes. She gripped his forearms trying to push and hit.

“Let go of—” She started to seethe but words caught in her throat as pain exploded across her cheek and knees gave away. She fell on the cold smooth granite ground and blood trickled from the corner of her lips.

“Listen you street rat, I took you in, I clothed you and I fed you, now its time pay your keep,” He crouched down to her side.

For a beat time suspended, the ringing in her ears grew louder. She deluded herself that she was safe, but now with one slap all her childhood came rushing back. Fury, helplessness and fear collided like a storm in the pit of her stomach. She looked up with bloodshot eyes, steel in dark brown gaze.

“I will not come back! I owe you nothing!” She yelled and hit him hard on his face, his head snapped slightly. The impact hurt her hand more than him but the moment of shock—she grabbed her chance, went for her bag but a vice like grip pulled her before she could reach it. She was dragged.

“You can’t run away, I will make you pay me or you will be paid for,”

She tried to kick him but the ground disappeared under her as she was thrown across the street! Air knocked out, pain burned through her body as she hit the ground. With shaking arms and legs, she got on her knees. Looked up at the man who raised her. Betrayed long ago but it still hurt.

“You can kill me before that,” She spat.

“Eva! where are you?!”

Hope bloomed beside the pain of probably broken ribs. Professor Vale, he picked up. He picked up. Movements became frantic, crawling towards the phone and Henry’s foot came down on her hand, nearly crushing it.

Eva cried, but she didn’t beg. Not again.

“Don’t try so hard little girl, even crippled you can be used for lot of things,”

“Eva! Answer me!”

“Professor—,”

He kicked her again, sending her flying across the alley by the street lamp and the impact snapped her head hard to the side. Hot, red blood stained skin and vision blurred, bloodied hands outstretched toward the phone as it got crushed under Uncle Henry’s feet.

Eva sobbed, as her last hope was gone.