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I’M LOADING THE LAST dish in the dishwasher—sans Ryan’s coffee —when I hear footfalls behind me My shoulders tense, but I don’t stop as I pop soap into the slot, close the door and start the machine

I’ripsto his cold, dull blue eyes

“What?” I ask, forcing innocence in my tone

“You knohat,” he growls I don’t have tier backwards

I hear the break I feel it But the pain doesn’t register right away I’m too shocked, er

My er bent completely backwards

Then the pain hits

I rip my hand from his and cradle it to my chest as tears flow from eyes My mouth forms around a screae at his me into the wall A cry rips froer hits the wall,my face Dizziness overtakes me from the pain

“I’rits out before he slams my head into the wall

Instincts take over Despite the fact that I’ with both hands, broken finger be da a hand across ripped in his other hand

“Do that again and I’ll fucking kill you, do you understand?” When I don’t respond, he shakes e I nodfrom my eyes without permission “Why don’t you understand that I’m the only one ould actually love you? Yet you continue to disobeyinto my face

Against ement, I shrink away from him If it were possible to curl myself into a little ball and disappear, I would sell my soul to do so

“Do I?!” he yells I shakeI don’t want him to be mad anymore

“Then why do you disobey hter and tighter until it feels likefor you I treat you like a queen I provide for you I let you waste your fucking ti money And this is how you act!”

He ends his state backwards, the bottoh air in the pit of