Punches thrown.

"Ohh, self conceded today are we?" I joked and looked up at Eli.

"Well, if you must know, Yes." he smirked lightly.

I laughed and rolled my eyes a little just as Eli pulled me tighter into his arms so I was pressed up against his body. I nuzzled slowly into his neck and let out a little content sigh. I felt so safe and happy, but I couldn't help but wonder something. Eli has been my best friend since we were in diapers, and yet he treats me better than my boyfriend does. Is that a bad thing? The fact that my own boyfriend is a a*****e to me most all the time.

Eli stroked my hair gently and rocked me slowly in his arms and started humming a song that his mother used to sing to us when we were toddlers to put us to sleep.

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away

The other night, dear,
As I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms.
When I awoke, dear,
I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried.

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.
Please don't take my sunshine away.

I slowly started to drift off into a light sleep in Eli's arms as I had done so many times before. I could feel his lips form into a smile and a light chuckle left his lips as I fell into a deeper sleep.

"Sleep well my little Ruby." he whispered quietly into my hair.

Eli slowly stood up with me in his arms and walked towards the back bedroom and lay me down on the bed and pulled light covers over me and kissed my forehead lightly before he walked out of the room leaving the door slightly cracked.

I woke up a few hours later and stretched across the bed before getting up and walking through to the living room a little groggily. I was about half way there when I heard that Eli was arguing with somebody, not quietly might I add.

"No, you know what you don't deserve her. She deserves somebody that will treat her well, someone that will love her unconditionally and that will treat her how she deserves to be treated and that is not you." Eli yelled.

"Oh, you mean like yourself." The man scoffed.

"I don't know what your talking about i'm just her best friend is all. I have to watch over her and make sure that I protect her from scum like you."

I bit down on my lip and slowly inched closer to where the fight was coming from hoping to get a glimpse of who Eli was fighting so harshly with.

"You know what Eli, If you loved her so much how about you grow a set of f*****g balls and tell her. You're nothing but a coward and you know it."

My eyes widened a little bit as I peered around the corner and saw Mason standing just inches away from Eli's face. I quickly ran through to the living room and put myself in-between the two of them.

I saw Eli's eyes widen in shock, and Mason look at me with disgust.

"What the f**k are you doing coming from the bedroom you little w***e?" Mason demanded.

I felt a few tears well up in my eyes.

"I wasn't doing anything. I fell asleep Mason honest." I tried to explain to him but he wasn't going to have it.

"You like being a little w***e don't you. I bet you fucked him." Mason accused.

"Hey! Don't you dare f*****g talk to her like that." Eli spat out behind me and then his fist collided with Mason's jaw.

I saw Mason's eyes widen in rage as he threw me out of the way to get to Eli. I knew better than to get in-between Mason when he was mad like this, the last time I ended up in the hospital for a week. I just sat there and watched as Eli and Mason threw punches at each other.

Finally Mason got fed up and looked at me with a disgusted face. Eli got between the two of us and placed me behind him.

"Alright, fine. You want to be a w***e Ruby, then you can have him. Go rot in a ditch somewhere."

Mason slammed the door to Eli's apartment leaving myself and Eli alone again. The words that Mason spoke cut me deep I wasn't going to deny that. They really did hurt me. He was supposed to be my love.

Eli turned around to face me and I saw that his lip was busted and dried blood clung to him. I stood and with a shaky hand wiped off the blood from his lip.

He sighed and went to sit down on the couch leaving me where I stood. I looked at him with a dead gaze.

"I don't see why you stay with him if he treat's you like that Ruby."

Neither did I. I knew deep down that I deserved better, but I also knew that Mason has a lot of dirt on me. I was trapped.

"Yes you do Eli. I'm sorry that you had to fight for me."

"Don't be, like I said before what are friends for, but I'm just sorry that YOU had to see that happen." Eli said.

I shrugged and looked up at him with my brown eyes, "It's fine. I'm used to it."

That was the truth, I was used to being abused by Mason, it started about two months ago. The first time that I stayed the night with Eli since we had gotten together. Mason had gotten mad that I didn't call him that night and when I got back to our apartment, he let the punches fly. But Eli would never know that. I was going to make sure of that.

"You shouldn't be." Eli whispered quietly and looked down at his hands.

Reviews

[Kyle]

This is riveting! Nice job. I was a little spellbound.