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Trystan is yelling, his voice is led, but I still understand hiry marks around his neck and his lip is split A trail of blood runs down his cheek That wound from the other day, the one that Tucker was upset about, opened up

Tucker Tucker knew so My eyes dart to Trystan His dad has been beating the shit out of hiid wave How did I not know?

Trystan's dad has a strange look on his face I get to h my middle feels like it's been smashed to bits Trystan stands between us His shoulders are tense, corded withhappens so quickly, but it feels like forever, like we're h a vat of Vaseline

Trystan's dad takes a swing at his son Angry words co out of his es the hit, and swings his arht up Trystan's fist connects under his dad's jaw The punch is solid The e look on his face and falls backwards His body hits the floor

Trystan stands over his father, breathing hard, his fingers still clenched into a fist Neither of usat his hand like he's some kind of monster When he turns back to uish is plainly painted across his face for me to see

We both stare at each other for a second It feels like time stops, but in a bad way I finally re myself into his arms Trystan's chest is slick, covered in sweat I feel every muscle in his body as he wraps his arms around me He buries his face in hts and voices tear us apart Trystan releases me and looks up confused Their words sound like far away echoes They say to drop to the floor, to let go of me Neither of us moves We both shiver as the men run at us One pulls me from Trystan, while the other knocks him to the floor and pulls his arms behind his back

A police officer speaks to ht? Are you the one who called? Miss" he continues to talk, but I' Trystan I can't understand anything

I blurt out, "He didn't hurt ?" I try to pull away from the cop, but he keeps me back More police are there Another cop car They say that I should calm down They ask my name, my parent's naht But I can't speak, they don't listen when I tell them that Trystan is hurt They pull Trystan away from me and I can't see him It feels like there's a foot on my chest and I can't breathe

CHAPTER 2

~TRYSTAN~

So inside of him snapped this time When Trystan saw Mari fall and his father's foot connect with her stoe ran behind his eyes, blinding him Before Trystan knehat happened, his father was on the floor He remembers the steps toward his dad He remembers the way it felt when his fist collided with the old man's jaw Maybe dad deserved it Maybe, but that isn't the e over his skin Trystan looks at his hand, still clenched tight That fist Oh god He didn't want to fight back Fighting backback makes him like his father Trystan's sto

After a moment, he sees her - Mari She moves toward him Shame covers hih He didn't prevent this He should have When Mari falls against hi his fingers through her hair He saw the kick and kno much she hurts Trystan is careful not tohis eyes, he buries his face in her hair and breathes It seems like hours pass this way

His life is so fked up, so far beyond repair - and Mari walked straight into it She saw him when he opened the door, but she didn't run Mari ca after he blacked out The last thing Trystan reers around his throat and the liquid fire filling his lungs

Then, Trystan opened his eyes and the world was on its side Mari was on the floor It was too much Trystan was too late He didn't save her He walked her into this ht into it

Mari's hands are warhtly She doesn't hold back It isn't until the cops arrive that they part, and it isn't willingly Before Trystan knohat's happening, he's forced to the floor with a knee in his back They say things to hi it hard to focus He can't s His entire throat burns and aches at the same time It's like his neck was in a vice, but it wasn't It was in his father's hands

They pull Trystan up and drag hier is coursing so wildly through his body that he can barely control it The cops ask him questions, but he can't really speak Each word is like a nail through his throat The only things he can e is, "It's not her fault I did this" They shove paper at hi down He shakes his head

"Don't be a dumbass kid Write dohat happened" The cop pushes the paper back at Trystan, but he doesn't take it "You're old irl showed up and tried to help Things got out of hand I kno this goes Tell us so" But Trystan is quiet

The cop glances through the doorway to the cops in the other room He shakes his head once, and turns his attention back to Trystan Another cop co his head, like he can't believe Trystan's so stupid