Always.

I was woke up the next morning by my dad lightly shaking me, "Em. I'm leaving. I'll see you in about two weeks please try to stay out of trouble." He said and I sat up to hug him.

"I'll try." I whispered.

"Love you. Call me if you need anything." He said hugging me back.

"Bye."

He left and I laid back down trying to keep in the sadness I really felt. I didn't like when he left. I got up and shook this feeling off. I was going to go down and get something to eat but was cut short by my mother coming out of her room at the same time. Great.

"So you got out of dinner last night." She said crossing my arms.

"Not my fault."

"Of course not. I ask you one simple thing and you can't even do that."

"im not 12 years old anymore mother so I don't need to do everything you want me to do."

"This is your problem. You have no discipline! Going to school to be something that isn't even really a career." She snapped. I rolled my eyes and she slapped me. Like full on slapped me. The ring on her hand cut a spot below my eye and I felt it bleeding.

"Go to your room." She spat. I turned back around and closed the door. I sat on my bed and my phone rang.

I suck up the tears I felt and answered, "Hello?" I asked calmly as possible.

"Hey. You coming to Natalie's party tonight right?"

"Oh, yeah." I said breathing in and closing my eyes .

"Are you ok?" brendon asked.

"Yeah." I said shaking a bit but he couldn't see that.

"Ok. I'll see you later than." He said and I knew he didn't believe me. I hung up and the phone rung again I really felt like crying then. I just wanted to be alone.

"Hey Nat. What's up?" I said calmly.

"Hey. Want me to come get you now? I need help. You can get ready at my house."

"Um, I don't know if I'm coming."

"What! why?"

I was silent and she sighed, "What did she do?"

"Nothing. I mean, she hit me and I can only imagine what it will look like later."

"Get your things. I'm coming to get you." She said sharply.

"Fine. See you in a minute."

We hung up and I grabbed a bag and put my things in it. I looked in the mirror and my eye was already not pretty. Great! I slid out my window like I have so many times and I ran across the lawn to the street corner where Natalie would meet me. I slid my sunglasses on in hopes of covering my eye. She eventually showed up and I got in the car in silence.

"Let me see." She snapped. I rolled my eyes and took off my sunglasses. She squinted as she saw it.

"What the hell! She's freaking crazy!" she said angrily.

I shrugged, "Can we just go?"

She sighed and drove back to her house.

"I think the boys are coming over early to help us."

I nodded as we entered her house. I laid on her couch with my sunglasses still on.

"Take a nap. I've got some errands to run." She said and I didn't object.

"Who sleeps with there sunglasses on?" I heard which caused me to wake up. Brendon of course.

"I do." I mumbled as I slid them off and on to my head.

"Emma! What happened?" he said and everything came back to me. Shit, shit, shit!

"Oh nothing. I'm clumsy." I said hoping he believed that. Then again he never believed anything I said. Natalie was staring at me.

"Nat. Can I borrow a room?" brendon asked calmly.

"Sure?"

"Great." He said grabbing my hand and pulling me up from the couch.

"Jeez dad. I'm coming." I said as he pulled me up the stairs.

He walked into a spare bedroom and slammed the door.

"What happened?" he asked seriously as he stood in front of the door with his arms crossed.

"I fell." I said lying so well because this wasn't the first time.

"Ok. First lie. I'll ask you again. What happened?" I crossed my arms and he spoke again, "did someone hit you?" I just stood there not speaking a bit angry at his interrogation.

"Who was it Emma? A friend? Was it a boy? If it was a boy Emma you better tell me." He said seriously with anger in his eyes like he had been my friend for years.

"Please leave me alone." I said boringly as I tried to move pass him.

"Not till you tell me." He said and I felt tears filling my eyes.

"Brendon! Let me go!" I said and he grabbed both of my arms.

"Who was it?" he asked seriously.

"Please, let me go." I said feeling my self shaking.

"Emmy...Tell me. I want to help you." He added.

"You can't help me Brendon! You don't know anything!" I said feeling my chest tighten and I pulled away from him. He didn't give up though, "I'm trying to Em. So tell me."

"I mean, if it's a boy. I will kill him." He added.

I managed to let out a soft laugh, "it's not Brendon."

"Then who? Who is hurting you?" he asked seriously as he placed his hand on my cheek.

"Ugh!" I said as a tear fell and I looked at the wall.

He brushed his finger over my cheek wiping the tear off.

"Mom."

"You want your mom?" he asked I could tell he was willing to do anything for me.

"No, I don't want her. It's her." I said angrily as tears fell.

"Wait. Your mom did this?" he asked a bit stunned.

"I think I just said that." I said crossing my arms.

"Emma..." he said sympathy filling his eyes.

"Don't. I don't need your pity." I said fighting tears again.
He placed his hand on the bruising part of my face and softly ran his fingers over it.

"When? This morning?" he asked and I nodded because if I talked the tears would flow.

"And I didn't want my dad to leave because she doesn't do this when he's here and I need him to come home." I said sobbing now.

He wrapped his arms around me and slid down the door where we sat. His arms around me tightly and my face in his chest.

"Shhh." He said rubbing my back.

"It's okay. I'm here Emma." He whispered and I don't think I've cried this hard in years. He sat there patiently letting me cry all over his shirt. He told me sweet things every once in a while and rubbed my back. I wiped my eyes after a few minutes and I had to say I felt way better.

"I'm sorry." I said sitting up.

"What? No. Don't apologize for being hurt." He said sincerely.

"Does Natalie know?"he asked and I nodded.

He got a serious look on his face but he didn't say anything.

"What?"

"Are you staying the night?"

"No. I can't I mean I snuck out today already."

"Em. You aren't going home." He said seriously.

I laughed, "I have to."

"No you don't. Stay with me. Hell, live with me." He said and I forced a smile.

"It's not that simple."

"Is this the whole college thing? Because I can pay for college. Em, I will not let you go back. You shouldn't fear your mother and she shouldn't lay a hand on you. No one should. How could they?" he asked angrily.

"Brendon." I said softly as I hugged him from the side.

he sighed, "I can't let you leave you know that right?"

"Stop it."

"No. If you leave and go back and she does something to you. Em. I will feel so guilty."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have even told you." I said softly as I got up from the floor.

"Don't say that." he said jumping up.

"Fine. But just know I'm here for you. No matter what." He said softly as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I know." I said laying my head on his shoulder.

He stroked my hair and we stood there for a few moments.

"You're crying is safe with me too." He said and I chuckled, "thanks Bren."

"No problem." He said kissing my cheek.

"Gah now I really need makeup." I said sniffling.

He smiled, "no you don't. You're pretty either way." He said grabbing my hand to take me out of the room and I know my cheeks were a bright red.

"Nat. I'm taking a shower." I said loudly because she was in the kitchen as I grabbed my bag. Brendon sat down on the couch and I felt his eyes on me until I was out of view. In a way, I felt better for crying and I was glad he knew the truth. I liked him. He was an amazing person. But in a way I hated that I told him because now he looked at me with complete worry. I showered and got ready in the bathroom. Covering the slash under my eye with make up to the point if you didn't know it was there you wouldn't notice it. Once I was done I went down stairs and they were all in the kitchen.

"So, whose all coming?" I asked and they turned to look at me. Brendon smiled, "nice make up work."

I smiled, "I'm pretty awesome."

He laughed, "Well me and Ryan invited some people as well. So guess you'll just have to see."

"Ok." I said laughing.

"You look cute Ems." Ryan said hoping off the counter.

"Thanks." I said smiling.

"Now that you've used all the hot water I'm going to shower." Natalie said and I laughed, "I didn't."

"We will see." She said leaving us in the kitchen.

"Guys."

"Girl." Brendon said with a smile.

"Are you going to stay here?" I asked smiling.

"I mean, we could go home and change but we already look good so..."

I laughed, "oh gah."

"He's right." Ryan said smiling.

"Maybe about you." I said winking.

"Whoa!" brendon said and I tried not to laugh, "what?"

"Lets not get crazy." Brendon said throwing his hands up. I laughed and we spent most of the time chatting and laughing until people started arriving.