All Chapters of The Man I Was Meant to Hate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Ava's Point Of ViewAs she speaks, the paper shakes in my mother’s hand. Not from the wind. Not the cold night cuddling in about us. It trembles as her fingers tremble, as even she is aware of the fact that she is holding in her hand poison disguised as ink, and signatures.I look at it as though it were going to burn me with gazing.The woods are noisy at the moment, which includes the sound of boots moving, men breathing, and the low laugh of Cassian, slicing through the darkness like a knife. Liam stands, half-twisted, with a sore shoulder to lean on, and his body aches with tension, since he would spring out and smash the world wide open in case someone gets anywhere near him.My mom takes one step forward.Ava, she says in her soft voice, like she had always said when I was a little girl and scared of storms. “You need to listen to me.”My chest tightens. My lungs are unwilling to fill adequately.“Why?” My voice cracks on the word. I don’t try to stop it. “After everything… why?

Ava's Point Of ViewLiam does not wait to be told. He grabs my hand and runs. As soon as we come out of the clearing, the forest devours us. The downpour comes even more ruthlessly, and the earth becomes a wet mess which struggles with every step. My boots slide. Mud splashes up my legs. Branches fly back and lacerate my arms, sharp and burning, but I do not cease. I can’t stop. In the background the shots of the guns are banging in the night. Not warning shots. Hunting shots. Slow down, he can be heard shouting over the rain, and dragging me along. His hand is so iron, fixed, as though the world will never come to its end as long as he has me in his hands. My lungs burn. Each breath feels too small. Panic blows run up my throat, and I push it down and increase my speed. They’re coming. I hear shouts behind us. Torches cut through the branches. Selene’s men move fast. Too fast. As this forest is to them. I can not-- My foot is in the mud-- It nearly takes away my

Ava's Point Of ViewThe first bullet made its way through the wall beside my head. Wood exploded. Splinters stung my cheek. I shouted and collapsed with my hands across my head, and my heart was so great that I could think it would break the ribs inside. “Down!” Liam yelled. Then another shot. Then another. The cabin was creaking as though it were a living creature and it was pleading with us to flee. Liam was quick. He seized the old table and turned it on its side and pushed it against the door. Blood was streaming down his shoulder again, black and wet, yet in that he did not even tremble. Rain fell by fine strands like soaps through a roof and dripped upon the floor like a time-piece. Keep back behind me, sharp, sharp, he said. “Don’t move.” I crawled toward him anyway. “I can’t just hide!” He turned, eyes wild. You may, provided that you keep you breathing. Gunfire rattled the walls. The wind blew on broken boards. Shadows were sliding by the windows-- guys going round, wai

POV: AvaWe crashed down into the woods.My boots plunged directly into mud. I felt as though my chest were on fire. My face was wet and I could even taste blood, metal, and dirt mixed together by the rain. I did not release Liam despite the fact that my hands started hurting. He bowed his head on his knee, and puffed, and was wet to the shoulders with the rain.The forest, it appeared, was taking its breath with us for a long second. Then there was a figure between the trees. “Move. Now.” Marielle came out of the shadows as of her own accord. Hood up. Hair pulled back. Eyes, Razor-shrewd, Surveillance. She raised two fingers and pointed further into the woods, with no thought of whether we would go.My chest tightened. Her. The one who used to stand beside the Harts was the woman. The woman who knew Ethan. The woman that switched off the lantern and sent me to hide. Liam sat up beside me; and pain flashed over his face, and he swallowed it. His hand slipped on to my back, and was ste

POV: AvaThe bullets are tearing at night like swearing bugs. The SUV swings left and right and the metal screams as something is being punched through the back panel. It’s super loud, too close. My teeth hit together. My hands instinctively rise to brace against the seat and the entire car is shaking. Get down! Liam yells. The windshield becomes mad, a spider web of cracks. Little bits of glass are flying all around the dash, shining a moment or two before being swept off with rain and mud. The engine is noisy, the tires will rot but the ground is wet. Another shot rings out. The side mirror shatters. I cower, with the heart racing so fiercely that I am almost impregnable. There is the smell of gunpowder and wet earth and oil. My ears ring. All this is loud and fast as the night closes down on us. Stay down, Ava! Liam yells again. I don't. I lift my head only to peep through the smashed windshield. There are headlights, glaring behind us, too close, kicking all about ove