(Corey) I Just Want To Be Right By Your Side (Taylor) [22]

(Corey) I Just Want To Be Right By Your Side (Taylor) [11]

1. Ignoring my safety - I should be able to walk 3 blocks home

2. Unable to protect myself - Colin is stronger and has more weight

3. Corey seeing me like that - Colin had attacked me

Satisfied that I had done as Christina asked I started sketching below those simple lines. The strains of music switched from Slipknot to Stonesour. I smiled my eyes flickering from Corey to the page often.

"What?" Corey asked at one point.

"Nothing," I smiled.

"You're sketching something. Can I see?"

I hesitated. "Sure, just remember I'm not an artist," I warned.

"I won't judge."

He took the notebook and smiled at the sketch of himself playing guitar. I saw his eyes stray up to the lines I had wrote.

"What's this?" He asked as the corners of his mouth dropped.

"Um my homework assignment from Christina. She wanted me to think of reasons I could be feeling ashamed and why they weren't valid."

He ran a hand over his face.

"You are ashamed that I saw you being attacked," his voice sounded hallow.

"No," I rushed, "it was more than that. I was filthy and my clothes were ripped and I was bloody and bruised and..."

He put the journal down on the stand beside me closing it with a soft thud. He took my hands in his and squeezed them gently.

"Seeing you like that doesn't change how I feel about you."

"How could it not? He was pawing all over me..." I shuddered in revulsion.

"Because it wasn't your choice. You weren't cheating on me with him. That bastard attacked you. He is the animal and what he did to you is disgusting. You are not," he said running the back of his hand against my cheek brushing the tears away. "Colin's actions are a reflection on him not you. You did nothing wrong."

"Do you remember what I looked like?"

I saw the pain in his eyes.

"I try to forget but I can't, because I can't forget how I failed you. The pain in your eyes that night will always haunt me."

I placed my hands on either side of his face gently.

"Corey no, you didn't fail me. You protected me. You aren't responsible for what Colin did. He is the one responsible for his actions, right?"

"Right," he breathed out shakily as his left hand came up to cover my right hand. He guided my hand to his lips where he kissed my open palm.

"We need to talk in the morning," he whispered.

"Not tonight," I asked anxiously.

"Not tonight. I need to confirm a few things first and it's something important so I want to take our time discussing it. Tonight I think we just need to relax a little and tomorrow I have to pick Angie up in the morning. I'm going to bring her here but then I need to take Griff and Aravis shopping for Scarlett."

"Oh ok then. I'll make lunch for everyone and then maybe we can talk after lunch."