Tainted Love

“Ryder, get your little butt over here!” So, I hadn’t exactly gotten a guard dog, I had found a little Corgi mix that I just couldn’t pass up. He was also only a couple months old, but oh well, he’d do. He made me feel safer, and that’s what mattered.
I had stayed in my apartment the last few days, just working on school work, not wanting to do much else. I knew I should have gone and gotten the morning after pill, but I didn’t want to the stares, I didn’t want the questions that would circle around my little town. I just had to cross my fingers that nothing would happen, nothing could happen. Besides, most people don’t get pregnant their first time, right? I sighed walking around my apartment, picking up the puppy toys, and the random things Shane left lying around. I had made him stay with me every night since the attack, but after getting Ryder it was easier. He no longer slept in my room, he was out on the couch though, if I needed him.
He could tell something was up, there was no doubt in my mind about that, but I was never going to actually admit it to him. I know that sounded bad, but there was just no way I could tell him. I couldn’t admit that I had lied to him, and I couldn’t let him blame himself for what had happened. He already blamed himself for the fight. He knew I hadn’t wanted to leave the house since that night, but he thought it was just because I wanted the bruise to heal up before I went out in public.
I would get my period soon if I was lucky; I just had to wait about a week and a half. I just wanted to rest, and find something that’d take my mind off of all of this; Ryder was pretty good at that. Shane thought he was adorable, and I had to agree. He looked like a corgi, with floppy ears, and I adored it.

“Hey!” Shane walked into my apartment, making Ryder bark excitedly, and ran towards him, I grinned as I watched her nip at his ankles, pulling at the jeans he was wearing.

“Little rat dog!” I rolled my eyes, not really caring what Shane said, because I knew that later, I’d find him curled up on the couch with her. He grinned, before flopping down next to me, and pulling his Converse off, throwing them towards the welcome mat, where they belonged. I raised an eyebrow, knowing they didn’t land where they were supposed to. I’d have to pick them up later, or Ryder would chew at his shoe laces, those seemed to be a favorite of hers lately.

“I got a surprise for you! I figured you know how people say when you fall off a horse, get right back on it?” I just nodded at him, not sure where he was going with this. “Well, Avenged Sevenfold has another concert coming up in about a month, that’s only five hours from here, so I figure we get someone to watch the little rat, and we’ll go again! You can’t let one fight mess up all your concert experiences, time to get back on the horse!”

I nodded, but inside, I could feel everything stop. He was just doing something nice for me, but it scared me. I’d stay with Shane the whole time, I wouldn’t go off by myself, and I wouldn’t do anything by myself. I couldn’t take the chance that something bad would happen at this one, I couldn’t go through it all again. There was a slim to none chance that it would happen, but still, there was that nagging thought in my mind, that now that one bad thing had happened, anything could.
I got up off the couch, after giving Shane a quick hug and thanking him, walking into the kitchen, I hopped up on the counter, and took a deep breath. I couldn’t panic in front of him; I wouldn’t panic in front of him. He was just doing something nice, I wouldn’t let him know how much it had affected me. I could get through this, I could enjoy myself. They were still my favorite band, that hadn’t changed because of the attack, and it never would. One bad thing happened at the concert, it wasn’t their fault.