unhinged ↠ 𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

twenty one

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T H R E E
M O N T H S
L A T E R

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Touch starved

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Kitioma Hadlee

          "Hey, darling," Kane catches me in an empty hallway. I flinch on instinct and he frowns. "What have I told you about flinching in public?"

"S-sorry," I stammer quietly, my straightened hair that I did not choose to straighten falling around my face.

"And don't let your hair fall around your pretty face," He takes my chin roughly, and I wince.

"Yes...yes, sorry. I'm sorry," I quickly brush the hair from my face. Kane gives me a smile, a smile I used to love so much, but now sends fear down my body.

"Good. Now, what are you doing in this hallway all alone?" Kane asks suspiciously.

"I was walking to my next class," I say nervously, my voice soft.

"Are you sure you aren't meeting up with someone else?"

The old me would have replied 'No, I'm not sure and I'm probably lying to your face you idiot.'  The new me, however, mumbles, "Yes. I'm not meeting up with anyone."

Kane raises his hand and I flinch, cowering away against the stone wall. "Don't lie to me, Kitioma."

"I'm not! I'm not, I promise!" My voice comes out weak, as it has failed me over the past few months.

Just one more month, Kiki. One more month and you'll stop being flawed and be the perfect girlfriend for him so he'll stop hitting you.

A harsh hit comes into contact with my cheek, and I fall to the ground, not daring to make a noise.

"Get up," I pull myself up, these actions a routine to my tired body. "You know I'm only doing that because I love you, right? I'm making you into a better person," I nod, and he cups my bruising cheek. "Make sure to cover that up. Now go to your class."

Kane presses a kiss on my forehead. I don't react in any other way but gathering my books and walking down the rest of the hallway. My cheek throbs, but I am used to it by now.

Double potions is my next class, and the halls are empty because I am late. I don't know how Kane caught me in the hallway, I don't know how he seems to appear by my side every time I'm talking with a friend, or how he managed to even get Marlene to stop talking to me altogether. It scares me, he scares me, he scares me more than Tom ever did. Hell, Tom seems like a saint compared to Kane's everyday beatings. How was I supposed to know when we started dating the week after the duel incident that he was a heartless monster?

He seemed so kind at the quidditch field...heck, a few days later he got Gabriela expelled for using crucio illegally, even though it took a whole month to actually go through with her expulsion. But I should have listened to Marlene and never talked to that boy. But...but I deserve it, right? I deserve his beatings. It's not abuse, that's illegal. Kane wouldn't do anything illegal, right?