The Purpose

HAZEL

For a moment, I’m frozen as his mouth moves against mine, hard and commanding. The kiss isn’t sweet or warm; it’s not meant to connect. It’s meant to make a point. His hand grips the back of my neck, forcing me to meet his command, his control.

I should push him away. I want to. But I’m trapped between his sudden force, my own confusion, and the heat of my fury. Beneath the shock and anger, there’s something else....something I don’t want to think about, something that terrifies me.

I finally shove him, but he doesn’t budge. He presses his forehead to mine. His eyes lock on mine, dark, unreasonable, like he’s searching for something in me, in my face, in my reaction.

I push harder. He steps back. I know it's not because I forced him, but because he wants to. My lips burn. My chest heaves.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yell, voice shaking.

He stares without answering. I raise my hand to slap him again, I’m so angry he did that.... He doesn’t deserve my kiss. He has no right. More than anything, I’m scared of what that kiss did to me.

Before my hand lands, he catches it again and slams me against the wall. He pins me there, towering over me, until there’s nowhere to run, nowhere to look, nowhere to breathe but him.

“Do you like hitting people, Hazel?” he asks, low and deliberate, his face just inches from mine.

I swallow hard. With him standing so close, crowding me like this, all I can see, all I can feel, is him..... his strength, his power, the control beneath his anger. And it hits me all at once: he can do anything he wants to me. There’s no one here to stop him, no one to save me.

Axel leans down, his breath brushing against my ear. At first, he bites lightly, just enough to make my breath hitch. Then, his voice slips into a whisper,

“I’ll give you a warning, Hazel." He says so slowly and deeply. And then he continues, "Don’t ever raise your hand at me again. Do you understand?”

I force myself to look up at him. I don’t know where the strength comes from, but I manage to say,

“Or what, Axel? What are you going to do?”

His eyes darken, something sharp flashing behind them. For a second, I can’t tell if I’ve shocked him, impressed him, or made him furious. But I know one thing: he didn’t expect that to come back.

'Right back at you,' I think to myself

Slowly, Axel's smile forms....cold, hard, not kind in the slightest. It spreads across his face, before I can study this new reaction, before panic can even register, he flattens me on the wall and crushes his mouth to mine again.

This time, harder than before.

This time, he doesn’t give me a chance to breathe, to think, to resist.

As he kisses me with anger and a hunger that threatens to consume me, forcing his tongue, forcing my mouth open, his hands are everywhere. At first, they’re on my neck, then I feel them on my waist, and I don’t know how, but suddenly....my legs are on his waist, and his hands are on my ass, but also on my waist, and… I can barely catch my breath.

I can feel him everywhere, and I am confused as I kiss him back.

I don’t know what’s happening. I’m not in control of my body. I’m not in control of what’s happening here. I can’t tell what’s happening. All I know is that, for whatever reason, it feels so good.... So damn good. I’ve never been kissed like this. I’ve never felt like this.

I can feel myself getting wet. And what’s even worse is when he grinds against me at my center, right where I’m needy, wanting and burning with desire. I find myself gripping onto his shoulders. I don’t know if I want to pull him closer or push him away, but I want to chase that feeling wherever it takes me.

It’s as if I have so many emotions inside me that just want to explode...... to pass through me all at once, and I can’t stop them. I can’t stop him. I can’t stop this. And yet… I don’t want to.

I don’t know how long we kissed. I don’t know how long we were on those stairs, or how long I kept kissing him while fighting myself. My brain and my body were at war, pushing against each other, resisting, craving, and confused.

And then, suddenly, I’m flying. Axel throws me onto the bed. My hair bounces everywhere, and for a split second, I’m disoriented, confused, trying to figure out how we got here. I glance around and notice my bedroom..., familiar, yet somehow strange in this moment.

I don’t know when he carried me here, or how we reached this point, but there’s no time to process it. Because suddenly, he’s on top of me. His mouth is in my ear, on my face, tracing my neck. His hands… they’re on my thighs, pushing my dress up as he goes....

I don’t know if it’s the force of him throwing me on the bed, or if it’s me, somehow, finding myself here willingly. Something inside me screams, telling me I’m not ready for this. How did I get here? This is insane!

I’m about to push him away. I’m about to tell him to stop, to move, to leave.... when he finally sucks that spot behind my ear that makes my entire body melt into jelly. And just like that, I lose it. My thoughts blur. My breath catches. My body betrays me.

Just let him do whatever the hell he wants, I think. Regret it tomorrow. Just let him do whatever he wants......

But as that thought flickers through my head, Angela’s words from yesterday come crashing back. When women have fulfilled their purpose, he just walks away.

Then Nico’s words echo next..... sharp, cruel.

Is this my purpose?

Is this what he wants? Is this what he’s always wanted?

Suddenly, something inside me snaps. I shove at his chest, panic flooding through me.

“Stop! Stop.....stop! Get off me!” I shout, my voice breaking.

"What the fuck?" Axel curses.