Page 155 - It Ends with Us

Jes us, he thi nk s thi s is somet hing el se ent irel y. I take a step for ward

and sha ke my hea d. “He’s no t like tha t, Atlas. It wasn’t like tha t. R yle
is a good pers on. ”
He tilts hi s hea d and lea ns it for ward a little bit. “Funny. You sound
just like your mother.”
His words sting . I immed iately try to rea ch around hi m for the
door, but he grabs my wrist. “Le av e hi m, Lily.”

I yank my ha nd away. I turn my back to hi m and inha le a deep
brea th. I rel ea se it slowly as I face hi m again. “If it’s any comparison at
all, I’m more scared of you right no w tha n I’ve ever been of hi m.”
My words make Atlas pause for a moment . His no d starts out slowly,
and the n get s more prominent as he step s away from the door. “I
cert ainl y didn’t mea n to make you feel unc omfortable. ” He motions
toward the door. “Just trying to rep ay the conc ern you’ve always

sho wn me. ”
I stare at hi m for a moment , uns ure ho w to take hi s words. He’s
still raging on the ins ide, I can see it. But on the outside, he’s calm—
collec ted . Allowing me to lea ve. I rea ch for ward and unl ock the door,
then pull it open.
I gasp when my ey es meet R yle’s. I quickly glanc e over my sho ulder

to see Atlas fil ing out of the bathro om with me.
R yle’s eyes fil l with conf usion as he looks from me to Atlas. “Wha t
the fuck, Lily?”
“R yle. ” My voice sha kes . God, thi s looks so much worse than it is.
Atlas steps around me and turns toward the doors to the kitchen,
as if R yle does n’t ev en ex ist to hi m. R yle’s ey es are glued to Atlas’s
back. Keep wal king, Atlas .

Right when Atlas rea ches the kitchen doors, he pauses .
No , no, no. Keep wal king.
In wha t bec omes one of the most drea dful moment s I can imagine,
he spins around and strides toward R yle, grabbing hi m by the collar
of hi s shi rt. Almost as soon as it ha ppens , R yle forces Atlas back and
slams him agains t the opposite wall. Atlas lung es for R yle again, thi s

time shoving hi s forea rm agains t R yle’s thro at, pinni ng him agains t
the wall.
“You touch her again and I’ll cut your fucking ha nd off and sho ve
it down your thro at, you worthl es s piec e of shi t!”