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I wanted to go to Jude's house and rip his throat out.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbWipczmyc
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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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYkPPJPSwe
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SQrM37PIz
Christian should have been here to see my rampage. He would have loved it.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAn2xux6lY
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vqcrBRhs7
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Up6kXs5kc
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Maybe it wasn't worth it.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxrHl5wPnp
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHJsTo2hWk
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbwSSivGDF
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHaAGIP36O
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UpnZggnVP
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnsKTSMg82
He pulled away from my mouth and buried his face in my hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so fucking sorry, Kendall."299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHmzgqBu8m
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWus1N2kVm3
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QfOQVP3Nr
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwKu2Px7md
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiCZYVdy16
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"What are you doing?" My mother asked angrily. "Who is that boy? ANSWER ME!" she screamed.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKQYNDs7ns
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Christian was startled enough to wake up. He blinked a few times and his eyes widened. He whispered, "Oh, fuck."299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB705RH2oEy
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgeyy3kGFt
"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."299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PPLYN9g5H
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbuT93jCVA
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEj1J71xdF1
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumwXuRgOMZ
"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."299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIlTwYy0mU
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZikHrdo66v
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPgQt6pxIu
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDx0GxJRgK4
"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."299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdvxsZg9Yh
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1tiqD0mhL
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."299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwDJzZVrrt
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqz3BxPDmr
"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."299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMP96NOhUQi
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5z5SyepoGy
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.299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RMERdqUsJ
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnfcsIIBxJ
"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."299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbGHFpRXrQ
299Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGkpKzGZtG
As he walked out of the house with me in his arms, the glass my mom held could be heard shattering on the floor.