"Could you pick something up for dinner?" I ask my boyfriend Ryder as I stand in the kitchen, gazing at the empty fridge.

I've been working double shifts the past couple days and haven't had the time to shop for food.

He scowls at me from the couch. "Get me a soda." He demands. I sigh, knowing he won't talk to me until I do what he says. I open the fridge and pop the top open before handing it to him.

Ryder and I have been dating almost a year. He's my first boyfriend and the hottest guy in the senior class. I'm a sophomore now and everyone (including me) was shocked when he agreed to go out with me. We met last year in chemistry class. He was taking a sophomore level class as a junior because he failed it the year before, and I was a freshman in the advanced class because of my good grades. He was assigned to be my partner by our teacher on the first day, as cliche as that sounds. He smiled at me as he took his seat and my heart fluttered. When he asked me out the next week I couldn't have been happier. He was such a nice guy.

I thought.

"Why, isn't there something in the freezer?"

"No," I reply. "We ate the last of the chicken two days ago."

"Why can't you go get it?"

I sigh.

"I'm heading to work soon and need to make something for my dad before he gets back."

He rolls his eyes.

"Ugh. I was meant to go to Alex's tonight and play D&D."

"Well you still can, it's really not too far."

"Then why can't you go if it isn't too far, huh?" I take a deep breath. "You're always asking me for things, Viola and I'm sick of it!" I don't ask him for things ever because I know what his answer is. This is the first thing I've asked him for in a while. If I don't have something waiting for dad before I leave, he's going to get mad at me.

"I-I try not to ask you for much, Ryder, but please, just do this for me? I'll pay you back, I swear I will."

"You better, bitch. You're always working, I'm surprised you aren't actually rich. Where does all your money go?

I've never told him that even though I work almost 20 hours a week, on top of school, I barely have any extra money because my dad makes me pay half the rent and buy my own food. It's part of his 'responsibility rule' or something stupid like that. I just do what he says. In a couple years I'll turn 18 and he can't tell me what to do anymore. I'll go away to college and finally be rid of him.

"Ryder, please?  You're my boyfriend, we're supposed to help each other. Would you please do it, for me?" After the words tumbled from my mouth I knew it was the wrong thing to say. His eyes spark and he sits up. His mouth is pressed into a thin line. I get up from the couch but he grabs my wrist and pulls me back down. I try not to wince.

"I'm your boyfriend so I should just do it?" He growls. That's not what I said, but of course it's what he chose to hear. My wrist hurts but I deal with this enough from my father to know that saying anything will just make it worse for me. "Is that why you started dating me, huh? So I could help you all the time? So I could do everything you're too lazy to do? Huh, Viola?" He screams, getting up in my face. I try to sink back into the couch but he just moves closer until I have nowhere else to go and he's pinning me to the couch with his chest. "Answer me!"

"N-no, Ryder. I love you. I d-didn't mean to upset you. I can go if you don't want to, it's no big deal, forget I even asked." I plead with him, hoping he'll stop getting angry at me.

"No I'm sick of this Viola." He stands up and drags me to my feet. "You can't keep using me. You're a good for nothing freeloader, just like your dad said. He warned me you'd try to abuse our relationship and get me to do things for you." He raises his hand and slaps me. I gasp and fall to my knees. "You think of that next time you want me to help you. You're here to help me, not the other way around" Ryder kicked me until I was flat on the ground, then left my house, leaving me bruised and battered on the floor.

    "Vi, Vi, VIOLA!" someone shook me and I tried to curl up in a smaller ball. It wouldn't leave as many marks that way. "Hey, baby, what's happening?"

    I opened my eyes and saw the dimly lit inside of a hotel room and the concerned face of a man next to me, holding my wrists. A panicked look was on his face, and he was staring at me with wide eyes.

    I breathed deeply, struggling to pull away and he let me go, hesitantly keeping his hands where I could see them.

    "Ashton," I breathed, realizing where I was and who I was with.

    "Baby, what happened?" He cooed, scooting closer to me when I made grabby hands for him. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his fast but steady heartbeat as I thought it over.

    I had a nightmare about my ex. The first one in a while, actually. Usually I can just forget about him and not remember what he'd done to me so many times. I guess being back here triggered some things. We used to walk around downtown after school and hang out at some of the places we passed with his friends.

    "Bad dream." I muttered, reaching my hand up and holding it over his heart. A heart that beat for me. He loves me, Ashton would never do something like that to me. Ashton truly cares about me, he showed that last night. He is different than the rest.

    "Want to talk about it?"

    I shook my head.

    "Vi, you seemed really upset, are you sure you're all right?"

    "I don't r-remember what it was, j-just that it freaked me out. I'm okay now, here with you."

    He tsked and rubbed my back in circles, just slow enough that it was really soothing.    

    "What time is it?" I asked.

    He leaned over and looked at the clock.

    "5:42." He replied sleepily.

    "Okay, let's go back to bed. I'm sorry I woke you, Ashy."

    "Hey, I don't mind. I just want to make sure you're okay." He leaned over so he could look me in the eyes. I nodded.

    "I'm good, Ashy."

    "You call me Ashy a lot when you're all mushy." I just shrugged and laid back down.

    He had his arm under my head and was lying on his side so his chest was pressed to my side. I felt his breath fan over my face. I was unable to close my eyes, because when I did, I just saw Ryder's face in my mind, his enraged eyes haunting me, his fists pounding down....

    "Your heart rate is going up, Vi, what's up."

    "N-nothing."

    "It's okay to admit you're scared, nightmares are no fun." he opened his eyes. "Do you think you'll be able to fall back to sleep?"

    I shook my head. There was no chance.

    "Okay, let's get up then. Put this on." He got up and threw a hotel robe at me.

    "Why?"

    "Just follow me." He put on the matching complementary robe and opened the hotel door for me. He picked up his wallet, phone, and room key from the table next to the door and slid them in his pants pocket while I rolled over and almost fell off the bed trying to get up and walked outside. I just noticed that he was wearing different clothes now than he wore to bed.

    "Where are we going?"

    "Shh," he whispered, grabbing my hand and leading me to the elevator. We made it all the way to the top, to number 14, before he led me to the stairwell. He peeked his head inside before opening the door to allow us to enter. One set of steps ran downstairs, and another went up but I could see was a gate that ran across the up staircase with a sign in big red letters saying Staff only—Do Not Enter.

    "Ash, what are you-"

    "Shh, we gotta be quiet." He whispered, gently shutting the door behind us and walking to the gate. He put his hands on my hips. "Jump," he commanded and confused, I did as he said. He lifted me over the gate and climbed over himself.    

    "Ashton, we can't be doing this, why are-"

    "If we get caught, we'll get kicked out. You have to be quiet."

    Not wanting to be removed from our home for the week, I shut my mouth, but not before I glared at him. We could get into so much trouble.

    We only had two more flights of stairs to climb before he opened a grey door that said [ROOF—RESTRICTED] on it.

    "What are we doing? Ashton? It's 5 in the morning."

    He smirked and tugged the door open.

    "Perfect time to watch the sunrise and drink mimosas." He gestured to our rooftop balcony and I gasped.

    Two chairs were set up, facing where the sun would rise. There was a small table with champagne glasses and an ice bucket in between, as well as fairy lights strung up over the chairs.

    "You..."

    I was in awe as I looked over the city landscape. It was just beginning to get light, that weird pre-dawn grey haze was cast over the city so I could see a little bit. Traffic was still relatively busy for this hour. I could see some lights turned on in neighboring buildings, and heard people down below shouting as they opened up shop for the morning.

    "This is incredible." I managed to gasp out. "Ashton," I turned to face him, seeing him smile at me, he might as well have been the heart eye emoji. I could feel how much he loved me without him having to say anything.

    "Pretty great, huh?" he nodded looking around. 

    "Wait a minute. Ashton Fletcher Irwin, you knew this was okay. You must have gotten permission from someone, otherwise the lights and chairs wouldn't be here." I glared at him and he just winked, grabbing my hands and looking at me.

    "Yes, I'd woken up earlier and had this set this up with the staff since I booked the room. When I came back to wake you, you were having a horrible nightmare. But I love you, Vi. I know we had a rough time last night, but we worked through it and I just wanted you to know how much I love you, and that I'll wait however long you need. I'll wait forever if that's what it takes, I just want you to be comfortable." he brushed a tear away from my eye and I leaned in to kiss him. "Even if that means right now. I...have a condom in my wallet." I pulled away and smacked him in the chest, walking over to the chair as he almost fell over in laughter. "I'm joking, I'm joking,"

    "Laugh all you want, bud, you killed the mood."

    "Oh, bud? That's a knife to the heart, baby," he staggered over towards the chair, pretending to pull a knife out of his chest, before falling in front of me.

    "Punishment fits the crime, pal," I replied flatly, crossing my arms and admiring the view.

    "Pal is even worse," He whimpered, getting on his knees and resting his chin on my lap.

    "Puppy dog eyes don't work with me, buster."

    He pouted, drawing his front lip up and blinking his eyes at me.

    "Sorry, friendo, you can't dig yourself out of this one."

    "Oof, friend-zoned. Yikes." He held his hands up in surrender and got off the floor to sit in his chair.

    "I love you." I turned to him and said.

    He smiled, revealing his dimples and held his hand out to me. I took it and laced my fingers through his.

    "I love you, too."

    We talked about nothing for a while as we watched the sun rise over New York City and drank mimosas. There wasn't any place I'd rather be.