The Summer of Ryland

24. The Worse

Eliza's POV

Picking up the ashtray that he threw at me last night I felt a pain hit my side. Ignoring it I got the cigarettes off the floor. He was sleeping in the room, his slight snores circulating the apartment. I was glad he was sleep. He wouldn't be any harm to me. 

He's been getting worse ever since I went back to school. His beatings are longer and insults are harder. Keeping up this facade is hard. So when Kai confronted me I wanted to scream out for help. I wanted him to get me out of this prison but I remembered. If I left Ryland would hurt Kai. He would hurt Asia. He would kill me.

As I put the ashtray back on the table, I felt someone hit my butt.

"Hey babe," Ryland greeted. He smiled at me and lit a cigarette. He seemed as if he didn't beat me last night. 

"How was your sleep?" I asked.

"It was good. It would have been a lot better if you would've had sex with me." 

"I'm on my period," I lied. He huffed and picked up a water bottle. Chucking it at me the water went all over the place. The water bottle landed on the wall beside me. I panicked.

"You know I have been overlooking you lying to me. But not anymore Eliza!" he screamed. I flinched at the volume of his voice. 

"What do you mean?"

"I know a lot more about you than you think."

"Huh?" I stared at him confused.

"I know you're not on your period. I know that you hang out with Asia when I am working a later shift. And I know when you get off of school, so what you are doing for an extra 45 mins...is it Kai?" My eyes widened at his name.

"Mmm. It looks like I right." He inches closer to me.

"Madam E. You're mine and no one else's." He takes my arm and forces my sleeve up. He lifts up the cigarette to his mouth and then holds it to my skin. I yelp in my mouth, being careful not to make him madder. With the cigarette, he burns a small uppercase R to my forearm. When he is finished he kisses it.

"Who's my little slut?" he asks.

"I am," I whisper. He nods in acceptance and crashes his lips on mine. 

"Good. Now go get food. I'm hungry." He throws money at me and walks back towards his room. I picked up the money with the pain scorching my forearm. I quickly got out of the apartment and made my way to the nearest Safeway. 

When I got there I weaved through the aisles getting what we needed. I looked at the people around me and saw how happy they were. I wondered how many of those people were getting beat by someone that was supposed to love them. How many of them had their friends lives threatened? I didn't want to be alone, but I was. I was all alone. The only short of affection I got was Ryland hitting me. 

And I must be going crazy as well. I must be. Because a small part of me still likes him. Still hopes he would go back to the sweet guy who first called me Madam E. The guy who was nervous to hold my hand the second time we met. The guy who helped me through my breakup. The guy who asked permission to kiss me for the first time. 

"Madam E?" asked Ryland.

"Yes, Ry?" I looked at him and he smiled.

"Whatcha thinking about?" His head was resting on his hands. I saw the tattoo on his wrist.

"Why did you get that tattoo?" 

"Oh. This?" he asked getting noticeably sadder.

"You don't have to tell me Ry."