*Violent trigger warning, please read at your discretion*

It was late evening when I came home after sending Tamsin home. I parked my bike in the driveway and noticed my dad's car was already parked in the driveway. As usual, I glanced at the living room window and saw that the lights were off, but the TV was still on.

I walked up to the front door and unlocked it with my key. When I entered the house, it was quiet. The television sound was in low volume. Without looking up, I headed to my bedroom. I didn't bother looking in the living room to see if my dad was dead asleep.

I took out my phone and unlocked it to scroll through my social media feed. Before I could even enter the hallway, a hand grabbed me by the back of my neck and shoved me up against the wall.

"Where the hell have you been?" My dad's angry, drunk face appeared in front of me.

Instantly, my guard was up. I knew what was coming. His fist landed on my stomach. I grunted at the pain but let no sound out. He shoved me onto the floor. I fell with little effort. If it was anybody else, I would have.

He was wearing his steel toe boots again. My gaze narrowed in on his footsteps. He walked over to me and kicked me in the stomach. I felt like vomiting in pain. My vision blurred, and I curled into a fetal position.

"Who do you think you are? Now that you are older, you think you can do whatever you want? You think I don't know what the hell you are doing?"

He bent down and grabbed me by my hair and yanked my hair back.

"I know you've been hanging around with that little bitch. I saw you today with her at a restaurant. You think you can live a normal life? You think she'll want someone like you? A deadbeat kid with no fucking future?"

My hands curled into fist. He threw a punch, and it hit me across the jaw. My vision blurred, and I was seeing stars. Pain shot through my entire face.

"You're nobody. Nothing without me. Do you hear me?" he backhanded me and I felt my lips cut open.

"Nobody in this town gives a shit about you. You're just like your mother. You think you can get out of here and become something that you aren't."

Back then, I would've allowed him to hit me. A part of me wished he would kill me. End my pathetic, insignificant life, and that was it. I didn't have to deal with him or waking up every day to the same thing.

But things are different now...

For the first time, I felt something I never felt before. Memories of my friendships with my friends. Our good times and bad times, our laughter and joy, and something else blossomed inside of me. An image of Tamsin laughing at the beach and the feeling of her lips against mine gave me strength.

Every time my dad would beat me up, I would keep my gaze downcast because he didn't like it when I looked at him. However, this time, I looked up and leveled my gaze at him.

He grabbed my shirt and threw another punch at my face. I felt the pain, but more importantly, I heard my mom's cries and pleas. I could see the bruises on her body. The way she hid them when she was out in public. I remember the moment my mom took her life. The blood that dripped from her wrist. Unshed tears welled up in my eyes.

"You're the one that is worthless," I whispered in pain.

My dad backhanded me and I could taste blood inside my mouth. I released a short laugh before looking back up at him.

"Does hitting me make you feel like a big guy? Does it make you feel better?" My voice was hoarse. Unshed tears blurred my vision, but I could still see him. I closed my eyes tightly and inhaled deeply. I could feel pain in my abdomen.

"You don't want to live, do you?" My dad stood up and I knew what he was going to do next. He was going to kick me into submission.

I rolled over to dodge his stomp. I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees, but I wasn't fast enough. He kicked me next, and I rolled onto my side again. I spit out the blood in my mouth. People like him needed to be on top while their victims were lying at their feet. It made them feel powerful. I often wondered what he was thinking when he stood over me. Did he care enough to stop?

I could lie here until he was done with me, but that could mean I won't live to breathe the next day. I could live my life on the edge and wait for him to decide when to end it. Was this how my mom felt when my dad beat her up? Did she also wonder if she should wait for her death?

My dad crouched low and grabbed me by my shirt. He lifted me up from the floor until our faces were mere inches from each other. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He has been drinking. His eyes are bloodshot. Many people said I look like him and I hated hearing it.

"Your mother was a worthless being. She was weak and pathetic. That's why she killed herself and you are just like her. Pathetic and useless. A piece of shit, do you hear me? That little bitch that you've been with, she doesn't give a shit about you. When she knows how pathetic you are, she'll leave you. Just like how your mother left you."

Rage entered my veins and pumped deep in my heart. It gave me the energy I needed to shove my dad away from me. I jumped on top of his body and fisted his shirt in my hand before I threw punch after punch at his face. He tried to push me off, but all those years of fighting in the ring taught me something. He couldn't throw me off even if he wanted.

"Don't. Talk. About. Her." I punched with each word.

When he stopped fighting me, I shoved him back onto the floor before getting off him. I grabbed my stomach in pain. I wanted to do more. I wanted to beat him every time he beat me. I wanted to kill him like how he did to my mom, but something stopped me. A small part of me still couldn't do it.

My eyes connected with my dad's and he got a few cuts on his face. Blood was dripping from those wounds. We were both huffing and puffing.

When I looked at him, I saw someone who was past saving. I saw someone who wasn't and never was my dad. He was nobody to me. I felt nothing. No remorse or pain.

"I'm done. Do you hear me? You no longer have the right to hit me. I've done enough for you and we both know this is true. Even when you are dead, don't call or look for me," I whispered hoarsely before standing up.

I wobbled on my feet and moved to prop one hand on the wall. When I could breathe without feeling too much pain, I walked away from him and into my bedroom.

Grabbing my black duffle bag, I shoved my clothes, a picture frame of my mom and me, and all other necessities into the bag. Throwing it over my shoulder, I walked out of my bedroom. When I appeared in the entryway, I saw my dad had sat up and was touching his lip with the back of his hand. He looked up when he saw me.

I didn't stop. I headed straight for the front door. Just before I walked out, though, my dad spoke up.

"You walk out of that door. Don't you fucking think about coming back. Do you hear me?" he growled.

I clenched my jaw and walked right out. I heard him shouting and swearing at me. It didn't stop me. I got onto my bike and drove off. I don't know where to go. All I knew was that I needed to get out.

After hours of driving, I finally checked into a hotel with the cash I earned from fighting. I gave them ID to book. The hotel staff didn't question how I looked, but it didn't stop them from staring at me.

When I made it to my hotel room, I dropped my duffle bag onto the ground and fell to the carpeted floor. I leaned against the wall and buried my head between my arms. There were no words that could explain how I felt at that moment. I left because of him and now my future was in my hands. My body shook from freedom and pain. I don't know where it began or ended. I stopped the scream from my mouth by screaming into my hands. It stopped the sound.

I sat in that spot for hours. When daylight began peeking through the hotel curtains, I finally looked up. Standing up, I walked to the curtains and pulled them back. The sunrise was beautiful.

Putting my hand in my pocket, I pulled out my phone. My fingers hovered over Tamsin's name. I hesitated because I don't know what to say. I was homeless and had nothing on my back. Was I worthy enough to be with her?

As if she knew I was thinking about her, she texted me good morning. I started texting back, but stopped and shoved my phone back in my pocket. I don't know what to say to her.

My phone rang a second later, and I pulled it back out to see it was Tamsin calling.

"Hey," I answered.

"Why did you stop texting?" She was pouting. One corner of my lips lifted, and I sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm at a hotel right now."

"Why are you at a hotel?"

"I'll text you the address and room number. Come see me, Dollface."

I hung up the phone and waited for her to come. An hour later, I heard knocking on the door. I went to open it. When Tamsin saw me, her eyes widened in shock. Walking into the room, she touched my face gently.

"What the hell happened?"

I glanced in the floor-length mirror in the hallway.

"It's not that bad." I got terrible bruises and swelling. There were cuts on my lips and around my eyes.

"This isn't bad? You look like someone ran you over. What happened, Kai?"

I walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. My heart is weighing heavily in my chest. I knew Tamsin knew something was happening at home. She just didn't know how bad it was. I told her what happened last night and her eyes welled up with tears. She leaned forward and kissed every wound on my face.

It has been a long time since I've been taken care of like this. To be loved and touched gently. It did something to me. My heart ached to where my eyes stung with tears. I closed my eyes tightly and clenched my teeth to stop the onslaught of emotions that I've been trying to push down.

"I didn't know," she said.

"No one did. My dad hid it well."

I opened my eyes to find her looking at me. I could see it in her eyes. The pain and sadness she felt for me hurt me more than I could understand. Maybe I wasn't used to this kind of feeling. Maybe because the look in her eyes made me feel sadder for myself. It was beyond my understanding.

"You hid it well, Kai. I never understood you as much as I understand you now." Tamsin didn't explain further, but I knew what she meant.

Beneath all these layers of lies, I've hidden secrets about myself no one knew about. On the outside, I looked like I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks. Now Tamsin has seen what was beneath all those layers. I was raw and in pain.

"I'm glad you ran away. I'm glad you left him behind. He won't come after you, will he?" She pressed her forehead up against mine.

I shook my head and moved to cup her cheeks.

"I'm not good enough for you, Dollface. My life is as fucked up as it can be for anyone. I don't have a family. I'm nobody."

"You are Kai McGrath. You are a person."

"That's not what I mean. I am homeless."

"What does that have to do with anything? You are still Kai to me. Nothing changes. If you are asking for me to leave you, the answer is no. It takes a lot more than you showing yourself to me for me to leave you." Her words were a healing balm to my insecure heart.

"Do you understand what you are saying?" I wanted to make sure she understood what she was saying. I threaded my fingers through her hair and pulled her close. Her lips were so close, I could feel them brushing up against mine.

"Haven't I given you enough hints these past several days? I want you to be your girlfriend, Kai."

Damn. Hearing it from her lips made me happier than I have ever been.

I slammed my lips onto hers and kissed her with everything I got.