This chapter contains themes that some readers may find upsetting and/or disturbing due to water-related violence/abuse

It feels like the time slows down as I meet Nick's gaze. He doesn't look away and the glimpse in his eyes scares me and in the end, I'm the one who budges.

My eyes trail down his body as I breathe heavily, waiting for his first move.

The veins on his throat and neck are clearly visible and his hands are clenched into fists.

"You shouldn't have punched me, Alex", he says after countless of seconds in silence. I lower my lashes, look down at my feet, and bite my lip.

"I'm sorry...?" I whisper, but it comes out like a question and I glance up at him, starting to twinning my hair between my index- and middle finger.

"Sorry doesn't cut it this time", he tells me in an almost as quiet voice as me but the coldness in his tone scares me and as he takes a step towards me, a shiver runs down my spine and I take a step back.

"Then what can I do?" I try to plead without sounding too desperate, but all I get is a headshake.

"Nothing. That's how much you can do."

I open my mouth to literally beg him not to hurt me, but the words get stuck in my throat and I can't seem to utter them.

That's what he wants.

He wants me to beg him for mercy, he wants to feel like he's in total control and most important of it all; He wants to see with his own eyes that he's broken me.

I can't let that happen.

When Zeke left with Vince and Patricia, they slammed the door shut but they didn't lock it.

If I manage to get through the door I'll get a minimal chance of getting away. I can already tell for sure that the odds won't be in my favor, but it would postpone my punishment. And probably make it worse too, but I got to do this.

I can't just let Nick control me like a puppet.

"What will you do to me?" I ask Nick to buy time.

"You'll see", he sneers, "but firstly, do you got any phobias?"

My eyes widen slightly as I figure out his plan. Using my phobias against me. That's just pure evil and heartless. Only a monster would do that and that's just another proof of Nick's true nature.

I shake my head at his question.

"No, I don't. Except for one, and it's to be stuck with you forever."

He laughs dryly, the sound escaping his throat sounding more wicked and evil than if it would've come from the devil himself.

"Too bad you already have to face that fear and you better start enjoying it."

I pretend to gag at his words, realizing my mistake moments after as I see the anger flashing in his eyes.

"That's it. You've gotten too many chances. I didn't want it to come to this but the other guys are right. I've been too gentle with you but that's gonna change now with starting from your punishment. If you don't have any real phobia, I'll give you one."

With that, he throws himself at me and I move in the last second and sprint towards the door.

My hand reaches the handle and I'm just about to pull it down when I feel Nick taking a hold onto my hips, digging his fingers into the bone and causing me to whimper in pain.

I try to punch him and to kick him, I even try to bite him, but nothing works and I am grasping in the air for something to grab on to.

"Let me go!" I yell, not caring about the pointlessness in the action. Once the panic takes over, you don't control your actions like before.

"I hate you", tears of anger falls down my cheeks, "I hate you so much. You're a monster and I will never love you. Ever."

At the last words, I think I pushed too far because suddenly, I'm thrown against the wall and knock my head and back onto the hard concrete.

I groan in pain but before I manage to get up on my own, Nick takes a firm hold onto my upper arm and practically drags me into the bathroom.

My fear gets mixed with confusion as I see Nick tap up water in the sink and put the plug on. I try to wiggle out of the grip, bit it's in vain. Nick is too strong.

The grip is hurting me and I'm sure that it will leave bruises but that's the least of my worries right now.

The water fills the sink to the top and Nick smirks at me and I'm sure that I'm looking like a frightened deer. With his free hand, he takes a strong hold onto my hair and I scream in pain, but it ends up being muffled by the water I'm pressed into.

I start to panic even more as my lungs fills with water and I'm struggling to get over the surface with my hands - without succeeding.

I scream in the water for Nick to let me go, bubbles filled with air forming by my lips and floating to the surface.

Just as I start to feel light headed, I'm suddenly roughly pulled up and I immediately gasp for air.

"What do you think of your punishment?" Nick smirks, "I figured I didn't want to hurt the pretty face of yours."

He doesn't even give me time to reply before I'm pressed into the water again, but this time I manage to take a deep breath right before I hit the water, which is freezing cold for the record.

I hope that Nick will pull me back up to the surface soon enough before I run out of air, but I'm not that lucky. It seems like he knows exactly when the lack of oxygen is enough for me to pass out because it's not until then he pull me back up again. I gasp for air once again before getting my head pressed down - again. I don't even have time to take a full deep breath, but I am cut off halfway and swallow some of the water instead.

My lungs are screaming for air, my chest hurting, but Nick keeps going on.

And on... and on.

He continues with the procedure; pulling me down until my head is about to explode due to lack of oxygen, then pulling me up long enough for me to inhale quickly before pressing me down again.

Saying that I've got panic is an understatement.

I want to stay strong but as I'm in the water, helpless, it's hard.

I panic because every time I'm under the surface, I'm not pulled back up until right before I'm about to black out.

No matter how much I try not to, I'm fighting with my arms in vain because my brain tells me to.

Even though it's the last thing I want to do, I find myself begging Nick to stop.

He doesn't listen.

I ignore her pleadings and shove her back under the surface. Truth to be told, I'm not regretting what I'm doing.

This way, I won't hurt her that much physically but a lot more mentally. Physically, she'll be recovered in a matter of minutes but mentally on the other hand... it will leave her invisible scars.

If the only way to get her to listen to me is by scaring her, I'll do it.

All I want is for her to stay with me.

What's mine will stay mine.

What belongs to me will stay with me unless I say otherwise, which I don't do in this case.

Alex's mine and I want her to stay, therefore she will. No matter if she wants it or not.

A smirk is tugging at the corner of my lips as I see her futile attempt of getting out of the water and I wait for the right time, right before she'll pass out because of lack of oxygen, and pull her up.

Her eyes show fear as she looks at me with tears in her eyes and trembling lips. My smirk grows as she opens her mouth to beg me once more, and I shove her back in.

I continue with the action for countless of minutes until Alex's pointless attempts of getting free are long gone and she's given up and just sobs the short time she gets over the surface.

Her pitch black hair hangs in stripes around her cute face and I smile at her as she looks at me, completely terrified.

"You've learned your lesson?" I ask her as I'm towering over her.

I flinch back as he asks me the question and moves closer.

My shirt is soaking wet and my whole body is trembling, but not only by the cold.

When I stared into his eyes in the bedroom, right after when the other guys walked out, I thought that I could take the punishment, even though I was scared.

I was wrong.

If I would have gotten the chance to chose between the punishment I got, and being punched and kicked, I would have chosen the other alternative without any doubt.

I thought I was strong, but it seems like I've broke because of some water.

Only glancing at the water makes me shiver.

Never have I been so scared as I've been the last... countless of minutes that passed as I was slowly tortured in the water.

I knew he wouldn't kill me but that didn't stop the panic from rising inside of me.

It's an instinct. If you can't breathe, you'll fight for your life after the air you are in desperate need of.

It doesn't matter if you know that it will be fine moments after because the panic won't leave, and honestly, I don't think I'll ever forget the fear of being trapped under the icing cold water.

When Nick told me that he would give me a phobia since I didn't really have one, I thought he wouldn't succeed.

I wish I was right but sadly, I'm not.

I think I'm in shock because I barely notice and even less care when Nick picks me up and walk out of the bathroom and placing me on the bed.

He takes off his own shirt, which has gotten wet too, and slip under the covers with me, pulling my cold and tense body into his chest.

I can feel him stiffen behind me as he notice my cold shirt and he moves his hand to the hem of my shirt and starts tugging at it.

It's not until then I seem to care or show any emotions at all, but my hand immediately snaps to his and pulls down my shirt.

"C'mon, gorgeous..." he coos, "you're cold and you're in shock. It's not a good combination. You got to get the shirt off of you."

I don't reply and truth to be told, I barely hear him either. It's like I'm a mile away. His voice is just a sound in the background but I can't make out what he's saying and I can't concentrate on anything at all.

I'm just staring right in front of me, my body and mind absent.

It almost feels like a dream, unreal.

I can't take in what is happening, the only thing I can make out is the heat that is radiating off of Nick's hot body to my cold and still, thanks to the shirt, wet one.

Everything else is a blur.