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I wanted to go to Jude's house and rip his throat out.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKqfe0qfqZ
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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
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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
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Maybe it wasn't worth it.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8eX0XkL3P
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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
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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
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"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.