Rider woke up the next morning in a terrible mood. She avoided me, made her coffee in utter silence, and when she did finally sit across from me at the diner table, her eyes were filled with hatred. I ignored it, deciding that she was allowed to be mad. I simply drank my coffee, glancing from time to time to her beautiful silhouette. She'd changed into a nice flowery dress that embraced her body beautifully.

" Stop looking at me."

She finally said, her voice dropped lower than usual. Her eyes dared me to hurt her again, dared me to become the monster I hated being.

" I'm not going to stop admiring you, Ryles."

" I hate you."

" I know you do. You do right now. But you'll learn to love me again. You'll learn to see that this is love, Rylie. We're perfect for each other."

" How could I love you? You're a murderer and on top of that you're a woman beater!"

" I'm no abuser. Don't you dare insinuate that. And you also are a killer, sweetie-pie."

" I tried saving you because I was blinded by my feelings."

" That's what happened to me yesterday. Surely you can understand that."

" My parents taught me to love myself. That means not loving someone that hurts me, JJ."

" I hurt you out of love."

" Breaking people's ribs isn't love."

" We don't know that they are broken."

" Oh, I know all right. Happened to me when I was a kid because of a very bad fall. I know the pain. I'm feeling it right now."

" I'm sorry."

Rylie bit her lower lip, avoiding my gaze now.

" I don't get how... How everything changed so much in such little time, JJ. We used to be such a normal... Cute couple... And then everything was a lie... And then you changed..."

" I'm sorry," I repeated, my hand gently grabbing her hand across the table. She stiffened under my touch.

" Please don't touch me."

" Rylie... Please understand that I love you. I'm sorry. I really am."

 "You look like you think everything you did was normal."

" I was mad. I was mad, but I love you! I'm sorry!"

She chuckled softly.

" Please stop, JJ. Please leave me alone. Please understand that I need you to leave."

" I already told you that that's not possible."

She choked on a sob, her lower lip trembling.

" Please, JJ..."

I can't. I can't.

" I can't, Rylie. Please understand that. Please. Please. I need you to understand that."