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I wanted to go to Jude's house and rip his throat out.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtyVwDXknk
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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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJ6cRxoyg3
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Christian should have been here to see my rampage. He would have loved it.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41L8NowT0y
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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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswiY2jJP1r
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Maybe it wasn't worth it.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjc4NkG32Ed
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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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡychRNzKmDB
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83knX3S1pE
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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmXrFJNV4t
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQElW25xaGi
He pulled away from my mouth and buried his face in my hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so fucking sorry, Kendall."526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKKc00Lgzq
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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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFi3iw9KvI
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLm0ZILwHq
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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTYF3bWL1F
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsuJKMOHfA
"What are you doing?" My mother asked angrily. "Who is that boy? ANSWER ME!" she screamed.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMra5b2V9oi
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Christian was startled enough to wake up. He blinked a few times and his eyes widened. He whispered, "Oh, fuck."526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOd3QoEwBKt
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2b4SQnwFr
"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."526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsLcJmfnc6
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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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyhnUUtTdt
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpfhTeWdL4
"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."526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5dfeADORB
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvmAs1fRMQ
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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1sAE6xY4Z
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrloHvmjHBL
"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."526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGm2TPeLfqk
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AKqn69wJM
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."526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6C4D36lD2
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZFDpOooAL
"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."526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBq6ZYxmIk
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QtB1i4yXo
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.526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxvqDKefNI
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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."526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJnE7FR2jt
526Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxe0tZMGCWM
As he walked out of the house with me in his arms, the glass my mom held could be heard shattering on the floor.