Page 129 of Bitter Lies

Thump.

Swinging around, I step back cautiously as the door bows on its hinges, and Max curses from the other side. Wide-eyed, I flinch when he slams against it again and again before the wood gives way and he comes barreling through.

“Bitch,” he roars as I gasp and swing around, but I’m too late as he charges me and pushes into my back.

Stumbling, I fall to the floor and hit my head against the bedpost, moaning as stars dance behind my eyes. Max rears back with wide tortured eyes and holds out a trembling hand to me before he glances around at the pictures and drops it.

“It’s always about you,” he screams, grabbing his head and pulling at his hair.

Clutching my own aching head, I pull myself to my knees and inch backward, freezing when he glances up and glares.

“Max—”

But I have no time before he slaps me across the face, and I fall to the floor with a whimper, curling in on myself in anticipation of the next blow, but then inexplicably, he drops to his knees and begins to sob, the sound heart-wrenching in the silence.

Gaining my feet, I clutch my aching head as I stagger, black dots dancing before my eyes. Shit. Forcing myself to focus, I rush the door and race down the hall, my heart jumping in my chest when I hear him swear behind me. Shit.

Veering into my old room, I thank god or whoever else is listening that the lock is still there as I twist the knob and collapse against the door, flinching when Max rages from the other side. “Let me in! Fuck!”

“Max,” I sob, stepping away from the door as he slams against it, once and again but then the sound stops, and an eerie silence follows. Cautiously, I step forward, hoping this means he’s done, but then I hear him walking back down the hall. I press my ear against the wood and try to listen to what he’s doing.

It’s quiet, too quiet, and frowning, I put my hand on the lock, only to spin around when footsteps sound in the gravel beside the house from the backyard.

Fuck. Staring at the window, I clutch my aching head as my pulse pounds painfully and inch forward, moving the blinds aside cautiously.

Shit. Fuck. His ugly grimace comes into view, and I drop the curtains and turn to the door, gasping when his hands slam against the glass as he bellows, “Halsey!”

Fumbling with the lock, I finally get it free despite my trembling fingers, and tumbling from the room, I make a beeline for the front door, stepping back with a gasp when it opens just as I brush the handle.

With horror, I wait for Max to emerge, a sob escaping when I see it’s Griffin, thank fuck, and I rush into his arms, wrapping around him tightly with relief.

Griffin wraps his arms around me but pulls back when I sob. “Halsey? What’s wrong?”

“Halsey!” Max bellows, and I flinch, tipping my head back and glancing into Griffin’s face.

“He’s crazy.”

Griffin’s gaze drops to mine from where he was staring over my shoulder, and his eyes grow wide before he brushes my face with his fingertips.

“Did he do this?” he asks, his eyes narrowing to thin slits as darkness blots out the colors.

“Yes,” I whisper.

He sets me aside gently and stalks into the house, catching Max coming back through the arcadia doors.

Max slides to a stop, his face dropping into a frown as he looks at Griffin with a heartbreaking expression before it turns to disdain as he sneers, “What the fuck do you want!”

“Did you fucking hit your sister?” Griffin roars, tackling him to the ground before he can respond.

They grapple on the tile, trading punches as they roll around, and I watch in shock because once upon a time, we were best friends with dreams and hopes and love, and now this is where we are. Three broken souls with nothing left but hate and hurt in our hearts.

Max gets in a few good blows, but he’s no match for Griffin, who works out every day and soon Griffin has him subdued. Sadly, I step forward and meet Griffin’s flinty stare where he holds Max in a headlock, nodding when he says, “Call your parents.”

∞∞∞

Unfortunately, it’s a long drive for my parents, and Max rages the entire time, spewing such filth I have to turn away, disheartened by the hatred he clearly has in his heart for me. And for what, liking the same boy he did?

“Fucking bitch! Did you enjoy getting fucked by half the football team? You’re a fucking whore, Halsey!”

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