Getting home was a real ride. Rylie stayed in the front seat, so close to the door I thought she'd try jumping out the car. She didn't say a word. I didn't say a word. My patience was thinning, but not because of her, because of myself. I'd gone to far. I'd done the thing I thought I would never do to her.

Was this love? Was this atrocious violence love? Was this feeling of overprotection, this anger, this oppression of the chest love? Was this how it would be forever?

I hope not. I truly hope not.

I parked the car in front of her house, my heart stopping. I opened my car door, got up, grabbed her luggage and came to her side and opened the door. She got up, out and followed me to her front door, pulling out her keys. Her eyes were fixed on the lock. She didn't want to see me. She didn't want to see my face. I'm a monster.

The door swung open.

Inside, it was as before, except that her stuff covered the floor as if she had left in a hurry. Had she been in such a state of mind when she'd left for the south? Rylie pushed past me, leaving the door open for me to bring her luggage in.

I did that, closing the door behind me. Her luggage felt heavy on my arm, but maybe that was the apprehension. I walked inside, gasping for air.

"Thanks. You can leave now."

Her voice seems loud. It tears through the silence like roaring fire.

" Can we talk?"

She looks at the ground. Still doesn't give me a glance.

" I- I think it would be really better if you left."

My heart stopped.

" I think we need to talk."

"I think you should leave."

" Not until we talk."

" You did enough talking for today, JJ."

" Apparently not."

I took a step closer to her.

" I need you to understand that all I did was out of love! Why don't you understand that!"

" Out of love? Abuse isn't love!"

I took one more step. I was now towering over her, almost growling, my heart thumping inside my chest.

" I never abused you." My voice was insanely calm. Chills ran down my spine. I was scaring myself, and probably her too.

" Get out of my house." she replied, in the exact same tone I had employed

" I don't think so."

I grabbed her wrists. She winced, but I ignored it. I was mad. Really mad. She thought I was some violent person? Well she was gonna see what violent was. I gripped both her wrists and forced her against me, my skin boiling and my eyes throwing darts.

" You're scaring me!"

" You should've thought of that before you pissed me off, Rider."

She was trembling, but I didn't care. I was a totally different man all of a sudden. I pushed her away from me, unto the floor. She collapsed like a rag doll. I threw myself on top of her, one hand on each side of her head. She was gasping for breath, her chest rising up and down under me.

" Leave me alone, JJ. Please, just leave me alone."

I grabbed her wrists and forced them to the floor. Anger was taking over my body, blinding me. I couldn't see her scared eyes or hear her screams. I could feel my hands tightening their grip on her wrists, then letting them go and pushing my elbow back before throwing a punch into her ribs. I didn't hear her yelp out in pain, I didn't feel her trying to push me off, I simply punched and punched again,  with such force that I could hear her ribs breaking against my fists.

" I love you, Rylie, I love you and you want to hurt me with some other boy... You wanted a break, and then you wanted another man? I don't understand, Rylie..."

My voice broke and I started sobbing, but my fists pursued their quest and kept punching into her chest. I didn't see it, but she was crying, she was sobbing her heart out, screaming after every blow.

" I'm no monster, baby, I just want you to see my love for you. Please!"

" Please... Please stop JJ... Please go home... Please... We can still forget about this... You're hurting me so bad..."

That's when I snapped out of it. I noticed my bloody fist, her chest covered in bruises, that was visible because of the terrible state of her shirt. I saw her red eyes, her mascara that went down her cheeks, and I hear her sobs. My gosh... I'm a monster. I am a monster.

I rolled over, to stop behind on top of her. I was sobbing too. Monster. I am a monster. I am a monster. I am a monster. I am a monster. I am a monster.

" I'm so sorry. I am so sorry, Ry. I don't know what took over me. I-"

" Please just... Just go home, JJ."

" But I am ho-"

"Please. Please."

" Let me at least help you. You're hurt."

" I think you've done enough for tonight."

"I'm not going anywhere."

I helped her up, took her into my arms, ignoring her yelp of pain when I brushed against her ribs, and I walked to her bedroom. I gently put her on the bed, took off her shirt and jeans and slipped her into her PJs, tucked her in.

" I don't get why you can't just leave. All I asked was this... After all you've done."

" I want to help you because of what I did. I'm- I can't apologize enough for what I did"

I sighed.

" I don't know what took over me. I-"

" Please, JJ. Please just go at your place for the night. We'll talk tomorrow."

" I'm staying over, Rylie. I have too."

" You don't have too."

" Despite you saying we can move on from this, I can't risk you calling the cops on me. From now on, I have to stay with you at all times."

" Wh-What?"

" You heard me. Now go to bed, sweetie. You're gonna need it."