Let Me In

The Events of Me (TRISTAN P.O.V.)

TRISTAN'S P.O.V.

I just stood there, frozen to the ground. Not even fighting back, I just accepted the pain and the blows as he delivered them. The only thing keeping me from fighting was Annalise. Her beautiful face flashed in my mind, and I remembered the promise I'd made her.

I'll never leave you, Annalise.

If I fought back, I'd just end up turning back into the same arrogant jerk and closed off person I used to be, before I met Annalise. There was a hard blow to my left eye and I felt it swell up immediately. I remained silent though, accepting fate.

"Fight back, you idiotic son of a bitch!" My father screamed at me, kicking my shin. There was an ever so painful crack that could only mean a broken or fractured bone.

But I held my ground, and let him beat me to a pulp until he was drained of energy and he gave me one last forceful blow to the stomach before leaving me, crumpled in a bloody mess in the kitchen. I had to get up, I knew this much. Using any remaining power and strength, I made my way down the dark street and to the block over.

Where was I even going?

There were headlights and I recognized Annalise as she climbed out of her truck. I groaned internally, this isn't how I pictured Annalise finding out that my father beats me.

"Tristan? Are you okay!?" She said in that worried, frantic way of hers. I turned my head away from her and tried to hide my limp that she undoubtably noticed.

"Annalise, what are you doing here?" I asked her. My voice came across as gruff, and I regretted saying it immediately.

"Tristan look at me!" She exclaims and forces me to look at her, holding onto my chin. Once she sees my gruesome face, she gasps and asks, "Tristan what happened?"

"Just get away, Annalise," I warn her, growling slightly. She takes a step back, fear and unrecognition evident in her eyes. It was like she didn't know who I was, and honestly, neither did I.

"Tristan, who are you," She whispers, tears starting to pool up. I'm already pouring our pounds of tears and I just shook my head.

"You never knew me, Annalise," I told her. And it was true, she had no clue that I used to have a criminal record, that my dad beats me, my mom left me with him. She doesn't now a thing about me. Suddenly, anger rose up in me as I realized she always pretended as if she knew me, like she know my story, "Just get out of my life, get away from me!" I spat at her.

"What do you mean?" She asks, unsure.

"Are you really that dumb!?" I exclaim, sarcastic laughter now mixed with my crying, "You're not good enough for me, Annalise! If you couldn't figure it out -- you're not good enough. Get out of my life, I can't even stand to look at you," I give her a disproving look.

She swallowed a lump in her throat and I realized how scared she was, but it was too late to take back everything I had already said. She whispered, barely audible, "But Tristan..."

"Get out of my life, now!" I roared.

I knew that if we kept talking, I'd eventually say something stupid. I wanted this conversation, argument, fight, I wanted it all to end now.

"The promise," She croaked out and I just ignored every comforting thing I wanted to do for her.

"Screw that," I could barely say it, "You're a clueless whore. Just go," Why would I say these words? Why would I call her the exact opposite of what she really is? But worst of all, why would I break her heart when all she wanted to do was help me?

Why did I always screw things up so badly?

She started sobbing and ran into her truck and peeled off. I slumped down on the ground, thinking about everything I had just done. I had broken Annalise's heart, and I knew I was going to pay for it. If her brothers didn't kill me, I'd kill myself from all the guilt.

It would be nice to finally get away from my father though...

Maybe death was the only way out from forgetting about hurting Annalise. Not like it's possible for Annalise to forgive me, let alone look at me, after what I've done.

Might as well die.