Treat You Better

Chapter Seven: The Party.

"You're fussing over him?" Angelo asked in wonder.. "Well that's annoying, come on, Small Fry." he held down his hand for me to take.

"But..."

He raised an eyebrow and I quickly grabbed his hand so he could pull me up.
He didn't let go even as we stepped over Hale's unmoving body to find somewhere else to stay.

"You are fine, right?" Angelo asked as we walked into the practically empty kitchen. I pulled myself up on the counter, hugging Susan's jacket close to me and nodding an affirmative.

"Your hands are shaking bad, what do I do?" Angelo asked, coming to stand in front of me.

"Nothing." I said quickly before shrugging, "thanks for helping me, I just don't like when he's drunk."

"Oh" Angelo blinked at me, if he wasn't still expressionless I would have thought he looked apologetic, "I didn't know that, I would have laid off the beer..."

"You're drunk?"

"A little, the world isn't spinning or anything."

I smiled softly, "That's fine, Hale just gets very different when he's drunk. He won't remember this..."

"He's a jerk, Violet" Angelo stated, his hand coming to rest on mine to stop them from fidgeting, "and your fidgeting is stressing me out."

"Sorry". I whispered.

"Don't apologize, it's just...why are you with him?" He asked, taking a stool and sitting next to where my lap was.

Hale was indeed a jerk but one too many times I'd had to remind myself that I was supposed to be a girlfriend to him or else. I had to defend him like a true one so no one would know something was really wrong, so that they won't try to help and end up tangled in the mess that was the Frances.

"Because I love him." I said making myself smile despite how I wanted to throw up.

Angelo hissed out a curse, pushing up from the stool.

"And he can change" I said. "And he...."

"And he could do irreparable harm before you come to your senses!" Angelo snapped, gesturing outside where Hale was probably still lying on the ground. "You think you're the 'good girl' who can change the 'bad boy'? The bad boy is gonna ruin you, Violet!"

My eyes stung as I blinked up at him, it hurt because it was true and he was right but I couldn't jump out of the way of the express train that was thundering towards me.
"Hale can change" I added weakly, "this won't happen again, I'm sure"

"Really?" Angelo gave me a dry look. "you mean to tell me he hasn't touched you like that several other times before?"

I swallowed but my mouth was dry, all I had to do was nod and Hale would be exposed and I... I won't be free even after that, neither would Angelo.

"Of course not," I said, lifting my shoulders slightly. "He just got a bit handsy because he was drunk, you're the one seeing things and jumping into conclusions"

Angelo's eyebrows raised slightly as he studied me. "Violet."

I looked down, feeling bashful. "I don't want to talk about this, not right now, it's too..." I sighed "you're not even calling me 'kid' anymore, did I suddenly age these past few hours?"

Angelo toyed with the silver ring on his thumb before going back to sit on the stool. "I don't call you kid just because I think you are one, small fry"

I gave him a slightly confused look so he continued.

"It's only a nickname I give to my friend's girlfriends." He said with a casual shrug before looking up at me, slight mischief stirring in his grey eyes. "Hale's more of a cousin though so what does that mean, Violet?"