ACHES [Wattys Winner 2015]

My Hope 13

HOPE's POV

All the way home,

I shiver at his irate stares and stance.

When we enter our sweet home,

With the door locked behind.

He looks at me,

And next thing I know,

Is a gush of pain, escalating rapidly.

Over now hot burning cheek.

Even with the numbing alcohol,

It felt hell.

I try processing,

When Nik looks at me and says,

"How dare you?

Dance like that with random guys."

The whole episode runs through my head.

I try to defend myself.

But he holds my jaws

In his clutch, so sturdy.

Over the blazing ache of the slap trace,

Clasping my hair with his other grip,

Straightening my face with a tip.

When I cede to the pain and stop fighting back,

He says,

"I gave you everything,

You ain't even grateful

And you twirl suggestively

For others?"

Before I can believe what  I just heard,

There came another avalanche 

Of the stinging fire with the burning.

Another slap.

What am I listening?

What is Nik doing?

My Nik, I love so much,

Alleging me as such.

Never have I been loved so,

Like he does.

Maybe, it is my fault,

Maybe, I am the fault,

Maybe, I am wrong.

That is why everybody leaves me,

In the end.