Love The Way You Lie

A remediation of ‘Love The Way You Lie’ by Eminem featuring Rihanna into a short story format.

Please note, this content may be upsetting for some readers.

You’re a liar.

I hate you.

You’re a cheater.

I love you.

You’re a f*****g liar.

It’s playing on and on in a broken loop in my head. Driving me crazy, as I sit on our ripped-up couch staring at the blank screen of the television. Staring, but not really seeing. My focus is on the scenario that’s about to play out in our living room. I guess in about eleven minutes. The amount of time it will take you to get home from the bar.

It’s a weird mix of emotions. I’m nervous, but I’m ready for a fight. My adrenaline is pumping. I’m seeing red.

You just hung up on me. Yelled at me, then hung up on me. My phone is still clutched in my hand and I stare down at it, assessing my next move. My mind is twitchy from the adrenaline rush.

I know how this game plays out. It’s not our first rodeo. It’s the not the first time you’ve accused me of being too friendly with Paul or Randy or the guy at the supermarket.

Funny thing is, I phoned you to ask why some hoe named Cindy was leaving messages on your Facebook, but you turned the conversation around and started attacking me. And now I’m wondering why you did that. I’m sick of your bullshit. You’re a f*****g liar. You’re cheating on me.

Six minutes now. I need a plan.

I can’t trust you. You’re a liar.


*******

I’ve just hung up on you. God you’re a f*****g b***h sometimes. Accusing me of f*****g around when you’ve got those dickheads on the hook. Eye-f*****g this guy or that when you think I’m not looking.

Cindy is just some b***h I met at the other night. I’ve not done nothing with her. You just want to go crazy about any stupid thing. Just looking for a fight. She was at the bar tonight and I know if I wanted to I could take her out the back. F**k her. But I didn’t. You won’t believe me though. You just want to start a fight.

I’m on my way home. We’re gonna sort this out. I’ll tell you how it is.

I wind down the windows of the car and let the night air fly around me. The rush of the air calms me. Baby, I love you too much to walk away now. We’ll work this out.

I know we said and did things that we didn’t mean, but we can make it work if we don’t fall back into the same routines. Your temper’s as bad as mine is. You’re the same as me. Maybe worse. You always seem to know how to set me off.


*******

I’ve made up my mind. This time, I’m done. I love you, but we can’t keep doing this. You can go off and f**k whatever hoes you want and I can move the f**k on.

It’s not even our biggest fight. This is nothing compared to what we’ve said to each other before. I don’t know what makes me feel this way, but I’m just done. I’m tired of fighting.

I make my move from the couch and walk into the bedroom. I hear your car pull into the driveway. My emotions are all over the place. I try to ready myself as you unlock the front door and enter our house.


*******

I get home and walk into the house expecting to find you in the living room. You’re not here. I hear noise coming from our bedroom. I’m feeling better now. We’re not gonna fight. We’re gonna make up, be happy. I love you, baby.

When I get to the bedroom, I lose my chill. You’re packing a suitcase, pulling clothes from the dresser. Tears falling down your face.

“Where you going?”
 
“I'm leaving you,” you say, as you shove the last of your clothes into the suitcase and zip it shut. You pull it off the bed and drag it towards the door.

You think you’re leaving me? Well you ain’t. I’ll make you stay.
 
“No, you ain't. Come back!” I kick the suitcase out the way and grab you by your shoulder, pulling you back to face me.

Why can’t you see that I just want to love you? Why do you make everything so much harder for us? You ain’t leaving me.

Tears are staining your face with your mascara.

Stop crying. Stop fighting me. Just love me.

I try to hug you, but you’re fighting me. You’re making me angry. You won’t let me hug you and it’s making me mad. I just want to hug you, kiss you. Want to make everything better. Want to fix us.

Why won’t you f*****g let me hug you?

*******

You’re pulling on me. Trying to hug me, trying to kiss me. I told you, I know how our games play out. I’ll probably bruise where you grabbed me, but you don’t know that. Don’t know your own strength.

I don’t want to give in. Not this time. I don’t want to make up. I want out.

I’m begging you to let me go, but you’re not listening to me. You’re mumbling for me to just kiss you, you’ll make it all better. But you’re wrong. And I’m done.

I push you away and you pull me back. We tumble onto our bed. I’m trying to move out of your grasp, get up off the bed, and you’re pulling me back more forcefully. You’re grabbing at me, pinning me under you.

I can feel your mood changing. You’re getting more and more upset that I won’t give in. But I also sense your excitement. I start to feel it too. It’s the adrenaline kicking through our veins.

I rear back and spit in your face. I don’t know what makes me do it, but the need to aggravate you, to antagonise you, kicks in.

It’s a mistake though. You go crazy. I’ve seen this side of you before. The level of mad that almost makes you froth at the mouth.

*******

I wipe your spit from my face. Cannot f*****g believe you spat in my face. I shove you down onto the bed. Slap you in the face.

You try to push me off, but I’m stronger than you. I’m shaking with the anger that has overtaken me. You’re a f*****g w***e of a girlfriend. You’re meant to love me, not treat me like s**t. Not walk out on me.

You’re mine. You’re f*****g mine and I’m gonna show you.

I rip at your clothes. You’re crying, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m blind to your feelings now.

You’re still trying to push me off. Your arms and legs flailing trying to gain the upper hand. Why can’t you just calm down? Why you gotta make me so mad.

You make me this way. You make me need to show you how a good girlfriend should be. I wouldn’t be doing this if you hadn’t made me.

I know I’m right. I’m hitting you, trying to get you to calm down. It’s working. You’re not fighting back now.

I push your pants aside and enter you. This is how it should be, baby. I don’t want to hit you. I just want to love you. I want you to love me.

“I promise I won’t do this again, baby. I love you. You know I love you.”

You say nothing, but I know you love me.


*******

I lay there and take it. I don’t want to fight anymore. My head is blurry. I can just feel you clinging to me. You’re sobbing. Telling me you’ll never hit me again. Telling me you love me. I’m giving in.

You’re a liar.

But I do love you.

I love the way you lie.

Author's Note

As an assignment I have been tasked with the remediation of a type of mass media into another format. I have chosen to remediate the video clip of ‘Love The Way You Lie’ by Eminem featuring Rihanna.

Please note, this content may be upsetting for some readers.