"I suppose so," Joey said quietly. "And he wasn't abusive at first. It was really nice. I just- I'd never known love except from JJ. I didn't know how a loving relationship was supposed to work. My parents were disinterested in all of us at best, and actively awful at worst. All I wanted was someone to care about me and when it seemed like he did I just fell head over heels."
Patrick rubbed Joey's arm and he leaned in to plant a kiss on Joey's hair. "I'm so sorry, Joseph."
"Me too. He helped me get a job, which was great at first because it was the first time I had ever worked in my life and I loved it. I loved making my own money. It was at this cute bookshop. Only problem was Brett started to get jealous. And I'm pan so he wasn't just jealous about me hanging out with men, it was everyone. He started telling me if I could go out or not. Telling me how to dress. We started fighting all the time, but I didn't think anything of it because my parents fought all the time. That was normal. Then, when he was angry, he would lock me outside without a jacket or shoes... It was fall so it was freezing-"
"Joey," Patrick whispered. "You never told me any of this."
"Because I honestly thought I might never see him again," Joey explained. "But I did and he- I have to tell you this so you'll understand why I'm- It gets worse. It gets worse and worse."