The whole trip passed in complete silence. Connor said nothing. His hands were tense though, and tight around the streering weel. I was confused as to where we were going until I saw the familiar apartment building that Connor had frequently taken me to and my stomach dropped. I hated that building. So many horrible memories originated in that building; and we were headed straight for it.

As we pulled into the parking lot, I tried to stall. "Can't we just talk fast?" I asked. "I have a test on Monday and-"

Connor's eyes darted to me and I could see the anger lurking in them. I closed my mouth and looked down at my lap. Whatever I had wanted to say stuck in my throat and I chose to remain silent as Connor parked the car. He got out and I reluctantly followed. I looked for any way to get out of this and scanned the area. There were only a few people standing outside, but they were in the opposite direction from the apartment. I was subconsciously looking towards the street longingly when Connor grabbed my arm too tight for comfort and pulled me up some stairs. After smiling at a couple walking by, he leaned close to my ear. "Don't even try," he whispered.

I didn't dare. I took a shaky breath and let myself get lead into a small apartment, the door being closed and locked behind me. For several seconds, I stood nervously by the door before Connor pointed towards the couch. "Sit down," he said, tossing his keys on the coffee table as he walked towards the kitchenette.

I looked between his back and the couch. "Connor, I really think-"

"Sit down!" Connor suddenly shouted turning to me, eyes blazing as his anger reached it breaking point and snapped. I took a step back as he stormed up to me, grabbed my shirt and yanking me forward. "I'll say it one more time," he growled. "Sit. Down."

My legs felt weak under me. "O-Okay...!" I said quickly and he let go, allowing me to race to the couch and sit in the farthest corner.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, closing his eyes for composure. Then he walked towards me and sat down next to me. I didn't meet his eyes. "You're going to explain to me just what exactly you said on the phone," he told me.

I felt like a mouse being interrogated by the biggest cat I'd ever seen. I shook with fear and kept my eyes on the ground. "I... I'm s-seeing someone now..." I said.

"Who?" Connor asked.

I hesitated. "No one special..." I lied. He crossed his arms without a word. I tried not to, but my eyes slowly rose to his face and I saw his jaw grinding, the muscles in his arms tightened as he tried to control his fury. I looked away quickly. "His name is Ryan."

"Is it the same boy you ran off with last time?" he asked.

I swallowed, doing my best to sound defiant. "He's not a boy. He-"

"Do not argue with me, Connor growled. I flinched and shrunk into the corner of the couch, praying I could just disappeared. Connor stared at me warningly for a minute before he finally sighed and stood up. "I'm going to make myself some coffee. When I get back you better have thought about this long and hard."

I put my head down as he stood and went into the small kitchen a few feet away. He pulled out some things and started making coffee, a mug clinking on the counter as he opened and closed cabinets.

Though knew it was unlikely, I glanced at the door. At first I wondered if I could sneak out while he was busy, but then my heart sank as I remembered he had locked the door. The keys were sitting on the coffee table only a few feet away, but Connor would hear the keys jingling the moment I picked them up. I wouldn't have enough time to unlock the door.

Suddenly, I stopped. I reached down and felt my phone in my back pocket. I could text Ryan. I quickly pulled it out and glanced at Connor in the kitchen. He was turned away, still making coffee for himself. While I had the chance, I quickly found Ryan's number and started typing as fast as I could.

*******

Ryan hummed to himself as he walked around the neighborhood. He wasn't ready to face his dad yet, and besides, his mind was too full of Jacob to even consider sleep, so he had decided to take a walk. It was so late already he knew he wouldn't be missed, so it wasn't too big a deal. If he parents really needed him, they would call him, or if they could figure it out, text him to return home.

He turned the corner and came to the neighborhood's biggest entrance. He paused to watch the cars race by on the main road. "Hm..." he murmured. He had already walked around the whole place twice so he was a little bored of the scenery. With a shrug, he left the neighborhood. It wouldn't hurt to walk to the convenience store and buy a coke or something. It only took him about ten minutes to get there, and he took his time deciding on some chips and a soda. He'd take it to school with him for lunch on Monday. His mom wouldn't like that he was eating stuff like that, but if he snuck it into his backpack, she'd never know.

Ryan was just stepping out of the store when his phone buzzed in his pocket. he held his bag of goodies in one hand and pulled his phone out with the other. Seeing it was a message from Jacob, Ryan's spirits soared and he quickly opened it.

"Sunlane dr. Apartment building. 203. Connsgdudbs"

Ryan's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the message; it didn't make any sense. Ryan reread the message and then scanned the jumble of letters on the end critically. He knew where the apartment building was that Jacob was talking about, but that last part didn't mean anything to Ryan. He squinted at the word, biting his lip in concentration.

Connsgdud...? Conns...? Connor!

Suddenly, everything snapped together and Ryan eyes widened. It was Connor. Before he knew it, he was racing down the street. What was Jacob doing with Connor? Ryan couldn't think about it and concentrated on his legs moving faster, as fast as he could make them go. He had to get to him before something awful happened.

*******

I was typing the end of my messaged to Ryan when a hand suddenly seized my phone and tossed it across the room. I looked up as Connor's hand gripped my shirt and pulled me from the couch. "Trying to text your boyfriend?" he sneered when I tried to babble an excuse. "Too bad."

"Wait, Connor, please," I begged as he pulled me away from the couch. "I'm sorry!"

I gasped when he dragged me into his bedroom and threw me on the bed. "You think he really loves you?! You think he cares what happens to you at all?!" he shouted at me. I whimpered in fear and tried to crawl backwards on my back away from him. He grabbed my legs and yanked me back to the edge of the bed. "Your mother never loved you, she let her boyfriends beat you to a pulp. Your father doesn't love you, he left you with that horrible woman without a second thought. Do you really think that kid is any different?" he asked.

He looked ready to kill and I trembled as fearful tears streamed down my face. "C-Connor, I'm, sorry," I said.

"I have cared for you since the moment we met! I watched after you, protected you when your mom's boyfriends came to the house, I gave you everything you wanted!" he said, pulling me close enough I could smell the coffee he had been making. "That boy can't give you anything. He's just using you!"

I wanted to stay quiet to keep myself out of more trouble, but I hated to hear him talk about Ryan that way and couldn't stop myself. "What do you call what you're doing then?!" I suddenly burst out. Immediately, I wished I hadn't opened my mouth. Connor went silent as he stared at me, hands clenching and unclenching around my wrists. I knew I had made a mistake I would very soon regret.

Slowly, Connor's shoulders relaxed and he tilted his head, a look of deadly amusement on his face as he gave me a smile that sent chills down my spine. "You want to know what I call it?" he asked. I shook my head and tried to pulled my wrist free from his iron grip. He chuckled. "Come on, now. You asked me. Don't you want an answer?"

"No..." I said.

He leaned close to my ear. "I call it entertainment," he said. "It's entertaining to see you squirm. You don't know how much fun it is watching you try to wiggle free. Should I show you?"

Suddenly, there was a smashing sound from the other room and both of us looked towards the living room. Then the bedroom door banged open and Ryan stood in the doorway, breathing hard and covered in sweat. Relief flooded through me when I saw him.

When Ryan saw Connor leaning over me with both hands gripping my arms, his eyes flared and he grabbed the back of his shirt, throwing him away from me. "Don't you lay a hand on him," he growled. He reached out for me. "Jacob," he said.

Without hesitation, I scrambled towards him, grabbing for his hands. He pulled me into his arms as he glared at Connor coldly. Connor glared right back. "Jacob, if you want to go then go," he said. "But don't come crying to me when he drops you for someone else."

"He won't do that," I said, trying to sound confident as I squeezed Ryan's hand. "He's different."

"Different then me?" Connor asked. He laughed bitterly like it was some sort of joke. "You're going to find that men different than me are hard to come by."

Ryan narrowed his eyes at that and started to pull me towards the door, but I hesitated. I turned back and gave Connor a serious look, squaring my shoulders. "Then I got lucky," I said. Then I let Ryan pull me from the room.

*******

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