Cari was sure love was supposed to come with pain. That was what he'd been taught, after all. He hadn't had a single partner that hadn't used and abused him. He had scars because of it, so it had to mean love, right?

But then why weren't you hitting him yet? Didn't you love him? Was he not good enough? He wanted to be good. He wanted fo be good for you. So when you came back in the bedroom after he asked for water when you two finished having relations, he talked.

"Hit me."