The back door slammed shut. Blind rage filled me as I tore through the house, breaking nearly everything in my path. If I'd had enough strength, I'd have pulled the fucking fridge down. Instead, I settled for throwing a pan at it. It dented it slightly, but it wasn't enough. What I really wanted to do was illegal.492Please respect copyright.PENANAMA0w4wQAuu
492Please respect copyright.PENANAw4BChBLawH
I wanted to go to Jude's house and rip his throat out.492Please respect copyright.PENANAaKqfe0qfqZ
492Please respect copyright.PENANAqNwJxudBY8
That made me sound crazy, I know, but I was pissed. Slowly, as the anger ebbed away, I realized what I was missing. Or rather who. I slid down to the floor and my hands shook as I looked at them.492Please respect copyright.PENANApuq6xr6Z3y
492Please respect copyright.PENANAVD5rH7LGeh
Christian should have been here to see my rampage. He would have loved it.492Please respect copyright.PENANA84oD5BwmtR
492Please respect copyright.PENANAEAipmOWQxp
I wondered where he was. I thought about going to see him. Maybe if I went, he wouldn't want to see me, and then I would come home in more of a mess than I already was.492Please respect copyright.PENANAdLkP2KWoXq
492Please respect copyright.PENANAwrxtZ1bfWM
Maybe it wasn't worth it.492Please respect copyright.PENANAi8eX0XkL3P
492Please respect copyright.PENANAp0g3nFTA7F
Sighing as the anger left and was replaced with exhaustion, I stood up and went to lock the back door, only to find someone standing on the other side of it. My hand shook as I reached for the doorknob and turned it.492Please respect copyright.PENANA7HRFVGzNry
492Please respect copyright.PENANAnz2fXNovBy
Christian stepped over the threshold, his eyes full of apology and something more, and wasted no time wrapped his arms around me and kissing me hard. My arms automatically went around his neck. His fingers were pressed into my skin, so tightly I thought they'd leave a mark, but I didn't care. Something inside me had repaired itself when I saw him.492Please respect copyright.PENANAq5aVE9rUJF
492Please respect copyright.PENANA67flXuv2dL
He pulled away from my mouth and buried his face in my hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so fucking sorry, Kendall."492Please respect copyright.PENANAbZvm21cUL1
492Please respect copyright.PENANAZTnPOlsEcN
My head was resting against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Regret sat in my gut and I wanted to tell him the truth about Jude. About the kiss. About what I found out. But I knew it wouldn't help anything right now, so I stayed quiet. We ended up on the living room couch, his hands everywhere all at once, his mouth still on mine.492Please respect copyright.PENANAOaSLnLqgff
492Please respect copyright.PENANA4rZ1C1IepM
A slamming sound jarred me awake. I instantly panicked, realizing what was going on, and looked around. Christian was asleep beside me, his breathing soft, his arm draped across my stomach. Something slammed again, then a figure appeared in the space that connected this room to the kitchen.492Please respect copyright.PENANAmxnjBxgMvd
492Please respect copyright.PENANALAinhOqywc
"What are you doing?" My mother asked angrily. "Who is that boy? ANSWER ME!" she screamed.492Please respect copyright.PENANAw0PYADKi9L
492Please respect copyright.PENANAIkYJgWke8X
Christian was startled enough to wake up. He blinked a few times and his eyes widened. He whispered, "Oh, fuck."492Please respect copyright.PENANA4X0unHdqam
492Please respect copyright.PENANABdjbh1KBkY
"He's my boyfriend, mom." I glared at her and the bottle she held. She never would have yelled at me normally. She needed some help. "We weren't doing anything."492Please respect copyright.PENANAnwcLHeLuGA
492Please respect copyright.PENANADOJtw0Fho6
She came close to me, reached down and slapped me across the face. My head snapped to the side and I let out a small cry. My mom, no matter how drunk she was, had never hit me in my entire life. My eyes burned with tears as I turned my head to look at her.492Please respect copyright.PENANAKwveGyrQzo
492Please respect copyright.PENANA5xeQjtEprL
"Don't lie to me, you little bitch," she hissed. "I know what you're doing when I'm not home. Do you enjoying fucking all the boys in the town? You know why they do it, don't you? They feel bad for you. You're not much to look at and you don't have a father, so they feel sorry for you."492Please respect copyright.PENANAFHW7e0yQwg
492Please respect copyright.PENANAMXlUOnQZsf
That was when Christian chose to intervene. He climbed over me, stood in my way, and stared at my mom. I watched her watching him and I thought she was going to smack him to, but she didn't. She just kept staring at him, then her lip curled nastily.492Please respect copyright.PENANAwlbG0JHpSa
492Please respect copyright.PENANAquh4YWzpCi
"I want you out of here," she said, craning her neck to look at me. "I won't have you sleeping with every boy in my house. I want you gone by tonight."492Please respect copyright.PENANAYIPwIPbTy9
492Please respect copyright.PENANA31voGsyf6N
When she left, I closed my eyes, my hands trembling. Christian sat beside me, put his hands against my shoulders, and started to lift me. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's go."492Please respect copyright.PENANAfBeXbVhzui
492Please respect copyright.PENANAWkjTJzbHPj
"She didn't mean it," I said, knowing it wasn't true. When you drank, your deepest desires and truths came out. "She just had a bad day, that's all."492Please respect copyright.PENANA0zQ3hKoHZk
492Please respect copyright.PENANA3MqK2P5PdV
When my knees gave out on me, I didn't want to get up again. One of Christian's arms went around my middle, the other underneath my legs, and he carried me into the kitchen. My mom was standing at the sink, drowning another glass of alcohol. She didn't even turn around.492Please respect copyright.PENANAgNaBV1zxop
492Please respect copyright.PENANAhWufdJ5t6u
"You know," Christian began, "if you were a better mother, and not a monster, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. I've seen what drinking does to people and I don't like it. But I sure as hell wouldn't let you lay another finger on Kendall, so we're leaving. You're never going to see your daughter again, Mrs. Scott. I hope you're happy."492Please respect copyright.PENANA69wHlckeUq
492Please respect copyright.PENANANU55aQSRj8
As he walked out of the house with me in his arms, the glass my mom held could be heard shattering on the floor.
ns216.73.216.39da2 I wanted to go to Jude's house and rip his throat out.492Please respect copyright.PENANAaKqfe0qfqZ
492Please respect copyright.PENANAqNwJxudBY8
That made me sound crazy, I know, but I was pissed. Slowly, as the anger ebbed away, I realized what I was missing. Or rather who. I slid down to the floor and my hands shook as I looked at them.492Please respect copyright.PENANApuq6xr6Z3y
492Please respect copyright.PENANAVD5rH7LGeh
Christian should have been here to see my rampage. He would have loved it.492Please respect copyright.PENANA84oD5BwmtR
492Please respect copyright.PENANAEAipmOWQxp
I wondered where he was. I thought about going to see him. Maybe if I went, he wouldn't want to see me, and then I would come home in more of a mess than I already was.492Please respect copyright.PENANAdLkP2KWoXq
492Please respect copyright.PENANAwrxtZ1bfWM
Maybe it wasn't worth it.492Please respect copyright.PENANAi8eX0XkL3P
492Please respect copyright.PENANAp0g3nFTA7F
Sighing as the anger left and was replaced with exhaustion, I stood up and went to lock the back door, only to find someone standing on the other side of it. My hand shook as I reached for the doorknob and turned it.492Please respect copyright.PENANA7HRFVGzNry
492Please respect copyright.PENANAnz2fXNovBy
Christian stepped over the threshold, his eyes full of apology and something more, and wasted no time wrapped his arms around me and kissing me hard. My arms automatically went around his neck. His fingers were pressed into my skin, so tightly I thought they'd leave a mark, but I didn't care. Something inside me had repaired itself when I saw him.492Please respect copyright.PENANAq5aVE9rUJF
492Please respect copyright.PENANA67flXuv2dL
He pulled away from my mouth and buried his face in my hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so fucking sorry, Kendall."492Please respect copyright.PENANAbZvm21cUL1
492Please respect copyright.PENANAZTnPOlsEcN
My head was resting against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Regret sat in my gut and I wanted to tell him the truth about Jude. About the kiss. About what I found out. But I knew it wouldn't help anything right now, so I stayed quiet. We ended up on the living room couch, his hands everywhere all at once, his mouth still on mine.492Please respect copyright.PENANAOaSLnLqgff
492Please respect copyright.PENANA4rZ1C1IepM
A slamming sound jarred me awake. I instantly panicked, realizing what was going on, and looked around. Christian was asleep beside me, his breathing soft, his arm draped across my stomach. Something slammed again, then a figure appeared in the space that connected this room to the kitchen.492Please respect copyright.PENANAmxnjBxgMvd
492Please respect copyright.PENANALAinhOqywc
"What are you doing?" My mother asked angrily. "Who is that boy? ANSWER ME!" she screamed.492Please respect copyright.PENANAw0PYADKi9L
492Please respect copyright.PENANAIkYJgWke8X
Christian was startled enough to wake up. He blinked a few times and his eyes widened. He whispered, "Oh, fuck."492Please respect copyright.PENANA4X0unHdqam
492Please respect copyright.PENANABdjbh1KBkY
"He's my boyfriend, mom." I glared at her and the bottle she held. She never would have yelled at me normally. She needed some help. "We weren't doing anything."492Please respect copyright.PENANAnwcLHeLuGA
492Please respect copyright.PENANADOJtw0Fho6
She came close to me, reached down and slapped me across the face. My head snapped to the side and I let out a small cry. My mom, no matter how drunk she was, had never hit me in my entire life. My eyes burned with tears as I turned my head to look at her.492Please respect copyright.PENANAKwveGyrQzo
492Please respect copyright.PENANA5xeQjtEprL
"Don't lie to me, you little bitch," she hissed. "I know what you're doing when I'm not home. Do you enjoying fucking all the boys in the town? You know why they do it, don't you? They feel bad for you. You're not much to look at and you don't have a father, so they feel sorry for you."492Please respect copyright.PENANAFHW7e0yQwg
492Please respect copyright.PENANAMXlUOnQZsf
That was when Christian chose to intervene. He climbed over me, stood in my way, and stared at my mom. I watched her watching him and I thought she was going to smack him to, but she didn't. She just kept staring at him, then her lip curled nastily.492Please respect copyright.PENANAwlbG0JHpSa
492Please respect copyright.PENANAquh4YWzpCi
"I want you out of here," she said, craning her neck to look at me. "I won't have you sleeping with every boy in my house. I want you gone by tonight."492Please respect copyright.PENANAYIPwIPbTy9
492Please respect copyright.PENANA31voGsyf6N
When she left, I closed my eyes, my hands trembling. Christian sat beside me, put his hands against my shoulders, and started to lift me. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's go."492Please respect copyright.PENANAfBeXbVhzui
492Please respect copyright.PENANAWkjTJzbHPj
"She didn't mean it," I said, knowing it wasn't true. When you drank, your deepest desires and truths came out. "She just had a bad day, that's all."492Please respect copyright.PENANA0zQ3hKoHZk
492Please respect copyright.PENANA3MqK2P5PdV
When my knees gave out on me, I didn't want to get up again. One of Christian's arms went around my middle, the other underneath my legs, and he carried me into the kitchen. My mom was standing at the sink, drowning another glass of alcohol. She didn't even turn around.492Please respect copyright.PENANAgNaBV1zxop
492Please respect copyright.PENANAhWufdJ5t6u
"You know," Christian began, "if you were a better mother, and not a monster, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. I've seen what drinking does to people and I don't like it. But I sure as hell wouldn't let you lay another finger on Kendall, so we're leaving. You're never going to see your daughter again, Mrs. Scott. I hope you're happy."492Please respect copyright.PENANA69wHlckeUq
492Please respect copyright.PENANANU55aQSRj8
As he walked out of the house with me in his arms, the glass my mom held could be heard shattering on the floor.
492Please respect copyright.PENANAxlSiO6BVCn