Page 210 - It Ends with Us

“Lily, I love you, I’m so sorr y.”

His words are full of pani c. He’s kissing me, hi s lips gent le agains t
my cheek and mouth.
He kno ws wha t he’s done. He’s R yle again, and he kno ws wha t he’s
just done to me. To us. To our future.
I utilize hi s pani c to my advant age. I sha ke my hea d and I whi sper,
“It’s okay, R yle. It’s okay. You were ang ry, it’s okay.”

His lips meet mine in a fren zy and the taste of scotch makes me
want to puke no w. He’s still whi speri ng apologies when the room
beg ins to fade out again.

• • •

My ey es are closed . We’re still on the bed , but he’s no long er fully on
top of me. He’s on hi s side, hi s arm wrapped tight ly over my waist. His
hea d is pres sed agains t my ches t. I rem ain stiff as I asses s ev er ythi ng
around me.
He isn’t moving , but I can feel hi s brea ths , hea vy with sleep . I don’t

kno w if he passed out or if he fel l asleep . The last thi ng I can
remember i s hi s mouth on mine, the taste of my own tea rs.
I lie still for sev era l more minutes . The pain in my hea d beg ins to
worsen with ev er y minu te of cons ciousnes s. I close my ey es and try to
thi nk .

Where’ s my purse?
Where are my key s?
Where is my pho ne?
It takes me a full fiv e minu tes to slide out from und er hi m. I’m too
scared to move too much at onc e, so I do it an inc h at a time unt il I’m
able to roll ont o the floor. When I can no long er feel hi s ha nd s on
me, an unex pec ted sob brea ks from my ches t. I slap my ha nd over my
mouth as I pull mysel f to my feet and run out of the bed room.

I find my purse and my pho ne, but I ha ve no idea where he put my
key s. I frant ically sea rch the living room and kitchen, but I can barel y
see any thi ng . When he hea d-butted me, it must ha ve lef t a gash on my
forehea d, bec ause there’ s too much blood in my ey es and ev er ythi ng
is blurr y.