Monsters and Men ~ Rosenwalker & Richpez

Chapter 42

Heads up, angsty chapter. TW for violence and domestic abuse.

"Took you long enough."

"I came as fast as I could, I promise," Joe reassured. He leaned over to peck Zoey's cheek, but she pushed him away harshly.

"Same way you came as fast as you could from football practice?"

"I told you, I just got caught up talking to Tom about his party! That's all."

Zoey rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Sure." She reached into her bag, pulling out a makeup wipe and handing it to Joe. "Clean your face, you look ridiculous. No fucking way I'm getting caught in public with you if you look like that."

Joe obeyed, setting to work on removing his makeup as Zoey started driving. "So are we, are we going to Tom's? I know you were on the fence about it."

"I was on the fence over if I was going to bring you," Zoey corrected. "Because full honesty, I really could use a night off from all of your sulking." She checked her reflection in her mirror, fixing her smeared lipstick. "That being said, I don't trust you. I don't think you've earned that kind of freedom yet."

Joe nodded, his hairs beginning to stand on edge and a knot forming in his stomach. He could feel his anxiety swirling around inside of his chest, and all he could think about was how badly he wanted to escape from this car. It was the same feeling of unease that he'd felt last Friday.

"Stop, stop hitting me!" Joe cried out, grabbing her wrist before Zoey could smack him again. Zoey attempted to writhe her arm away, but this time Joe didn't let her off easy, tightening his grip on her.

"Let, let go of me!" She screamed, dramatically crying out.

"I will when you stop!" Joe yelled back, even though the sight of her yelling and crying made him feel like a hypocrite and a monster. She used her free hand to claw at his face, but Joe grabbed her other wrist, easily overpowering her. He walked them back and pinned Zoey against the wall, the shorter girl screaming and growling at him as she struggled to break free. "Zoey, please!" Joe begged, but she continued to fight against him. "I don't want to hurt you!"

"You are hurting me!" She cried out, tears streaming down her face. "Joe, stop it!"

"I'm not, I'm not letting you hit me!" Joe yelled back, doubt beginning to settle into his chest. He was going too far. He had his hands on her. He needed to stop. "I-I'm not taking this anymore. I'm going to defend myself, a-and I'm not going to let you guilt me into thinking that I can't!"

Zoey continued to cry, looking away from Joe and sobbing into her shoulder. She stopped resisting; Joe could feel her arms relaxing. He took a step back, releasing her. She brought her hands up to her face, muffling her sobs into them.

Joe ran a hand through his hair anxiously. What was wrong with him? Had he really done that? Was that his only option, or had he taken an easy way out? "Zoey, please, I'm so sorry, I—"

Zoey cut Joe off with a muffled noise. Her sobs all of a sudden were coming out a lot shorter. Peaking her eyes up at him, she pulled her hands down so that Joe could see her face. Her look of terror from a minute ago was gone; replaced with a huge grimace. "You're too cute Joe." She whispered condescendingly, before breaking out into laughter.

Joe took a step back from her, his blood running cold. She looked completely insane, laughing at him maniacally as she wiped the fake tears away from her eyes. "What-what's that supposed to mean?"