All Too Well - Erik Menendez

Last Chance

Beverly Hills. CA. 1988.

Eriks POV:

My next few moments go through in paranormal-like flashes.

He's getting himself dressed after his reckless assault, however his verbal abuse on me continues.

His words go right through my ears, passing through one another as I achingly get myself dress. His treatment of my body, is more than evident. The blood trail lightly trickling down my thigh forces me to change into a pair of black jeans that were laying on the floor. I can just throw these away when I shower in the guest house. I'm not showering here.

It's been a long time since he was this bad with me. And him forcing me to say the most heinous things to him; has drained me of any hope that Lyle influenced upon me in the time we spent. I now feel back in the depths of hell.

My father mutters another comment about Craig before leaving and I'm left in solitude; sitting on the edge of the bed with tears silently escaping my face. I feel destroyed, I feel nauseous.

I find strength, somewhere, somehow. To grab the tennis bag I earlier filled with overnight-appropriate belongings and leave my room, peaking my head around the corner of the door and taking extra care in silently stepping down each of the stairs.

Wiping my eyes dry as best as I can with my sleeve, I make my way outside and to the guest house. Successfully avoiding those parasites.

I make my way inside, locking the door behind me before heading into the living room and placing my tennis bag on the couch. Where is he?

As if he could hear my thoughts, when I turn around I see Lyle leaning against the door frame, causing me to flinch.

"Your mother didn't teach you to knock? I could've been naked." Lyle jokes, but his humorous voice turns flat at the end when he notices the tear marks stained on my face.

"Are you okay?" He asks stepping closer to me.

"Why did you have to tell him?" My words stop him in his tracks.

He looks shocked for a moment, as if he can't process my words, as if my words damage his ego in some way.

"We already discussed this earlier."

"No, you need to come up with a better reason." My eyes start watering again. "If you were angry at Craig then that's fine, but I'm the one who's going to pay for it now all because you couldn't keep your mouth shut."
I barely finish the sentence before I cant hold back the sobs anymore.

My body hurts, it's fucking agonising. I hear the words he was saying echoing in my head, I hear the words I was saying, echoing in my head.
I can't do this.

"Erik." He begins walking closer to me again.
I take a step back immediately.
His eyes, they look surprised, almost betrayed.

"Erik, don't do this."

"You can never say sorry can you? You just don't know how to say it?" I wipe my eyes again and within a second of my hand covering my eyes. I feel him embracing me.

"Please, don't do this." His words sound desperate. His grasp on me is so tight and he pushes me into his hold.

His body is warm. So warm. So loving. It's enough to make my anger seconds before, melt away. I know it shouldn't. I should be angry about what he did, right? He betrayed me.
But he's the only one I have.

I give into the temptation and hold him back, my arms folding and locking tightly around his neck.
He's softly stroking my back and it's the first bit of peace I've felt since earlier events.