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I wanted to go to Jude's house and rip his throat out.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17sr1NR5h0
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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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2GmEN69Tl
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uA3Cn6jLi
Christian should have been here to see my rampage. He would have loved it.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcCaGxCjsC
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TtjLGUoCx
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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YHUthHmSY
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Maybe it wasn't worth it.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQsXKyRILW
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvdkMbgrxR
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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA0l62otoD
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBh84uUzREW
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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uRbVpMXdJ
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidCIhlnDxf
He pulled away from my mouth and buried his face in my hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so fucking sorry, Kendall."288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROUw9mXN2M
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5wQMX3tIg
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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKzqqf6Qa1
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiNJGfMqfS
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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9wY7wHcXR
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlIExWuSBI
"What are you doing?" My mother asked angrily. "Who is that boy? ANSWER ME!" she screamed.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9b7qPQ9Avq
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Christian was startled enough to wake up. He blinked a few times and his eyes widened. He whispered, "Oh, fuck."288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXifSqtCVJ
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3tREP1LWK
"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."288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKxOnRkdO5
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYDt08Xjqp
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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPISXjZUCBk
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoOfgdjOa8
"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."288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7TBBzl7cY
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeYA6QzduG
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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhNlhlG8hJ
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHK8N4RLfi
"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."288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwklLQchXGS
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoTALEAQJW
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."288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO45XYqPyS
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBacPq97XD
"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."288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcF89jT8OlI
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0rG0Av5tZ
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.288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOw3RiHyUZ
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogSwxZWLKf
"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."288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGom171bWxe
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiB53Swcnin
As he walked out of the house with me in his arms, the glass my mom held could be heard shattering on the floor.