Abuse

"So what do you want to do this summer?" he asked me.

"I'm not sure," I sighed, "it's been years since I've been to the beach."

"Hmm," he mumbled.

"If Greyson finds out," I whisper, "we are so dead!"

"You're such a simp," he laughed.

"Am not!" I yelled, pushing him slightly. He slowed the car to a stop.

He started laughing and then lunged at me. I jumped away, fear tightly plastered on my face.

"Why'd you jump so hard?" He said slowly.

I stayed silent, it was the only way to keep the truth in. A tear was holding on.

"Does he hit you?" He asked.

The teardrop let go, along with the others. His large, warm hands wrapped around my body.

"Shh," I stutter, catching my tear, "don't tell anyone."

"Your secret is safe with me," he said, "but promise you won't go see him."

"He will harass me," I cried.

It got quiet for a moment. He slowly started the car up again and got on the highway.

"Why did you start dating him anyway?" He asked me.

"Honestly, I was desperate," I said truthfully, "I have never dated anyone."

"That's it?" He asked, "why would you stay?"

"No," I answered, "he was helping me pay for college. But for a price, I was like his slave. He would beg for me to stay till the point where he beat me. And by then I couldn't leave or it would get worse."

"I'm fucking sick of this," he pulls the car over again, "a man who hits a woman is no man! God so help me not turn this car around and beat the living shit out of him!"

I held onto his shirt, "no, not yet. We will get revenge. I will. But not yet!"

I had to do something to stop him. He was slowly settling down. I turned on the radio and switched the gear to drive.

"Fine," Luke muttered.

"My favorite song!" I screeched.

"Brown guilty eyes and little white lies," I sang, taking large breaths between lines, "And ain't it funny, how you ran to her the second that we called it quits?"

"I've heard this song before!" Luke yelled.

"You betrayed me," we sang in harmony, "And I know that you'll never feel sorry for the way I hurt, yeah. You'd talk to her when we were together. Loved you at your worst, but that didn't matter. It took you two weeks to go off and date her. Guess you didn't cheat, but you're still a traitor."

I turn down the music slightly. I looked out past the dashboard, there was no one for miles. I pressed cruise control. Luke looked up innocently.

"Don't give me that look," I laughed, but he wouldn't stop, "stop!"

I slapped his face gently.

"Sorry," he said

"Oh my god," I yelled, "I'm so sorry."

I kissed him. On the lips. I slowly pulled back, realizing what I did.

"I-," I stuttered, "I didn't mean it. I- I can't do this right now."

He pushes my soft blonde hair behind my ear, "it's ok." He gently kissed me on the forehead.

He put his hands back on the steering wheel.

"Look, I know you are defensive of your relationship," he says in a fierce tone, "but you have to let this one go, it's toxic."

It was really hard to stop my soft side from coming out. "What do I do?" I yelled whilst crying.

He leaned over to me, "please let me handle this."

"Ok," I sighed.

"Take a nap or something," he said, "rest. You're shaking with all of the stress."

He was right. My arms were shaking like crazy. I closed my eyes.