If he tells you you're beautiful without makeup, and his face falls when he sees

your painted lips and eyes, and highlight,

leave him.

If he tells you he doesn't like your friends, and frowns when you come

home after a movie date with them,

leave him.

If he tightens his grip on your waist when the waiter's gaze on you lingers

a little too long, or you smile a little wider than  you should have,

leave him.

If his voice makes you shrink back when he raises it, venom spewing from

his lips as he explodes over the boss he hates, or politics, or religion, 

or even footballl,

leave him.

If you have to hear him say "I love you" to actually believe him, or if you find

yourself doubting his feelings for you,

leave him.

If he demands to see your phone every few days, or interrogates you if you 

change your password,

leave him.

If he gives you the same look he has in his eyes when he talks about his boss or

politics or religion or football when he sees the name "Bryce" on your contact list,

leave him.

If he gets so drunk one night that he forgets who you even are, or can't control

his barin or actions, and starts trying to control you,

leave him.

If he uses "slut" and "bitch" to describe other women, even if it's someone you

know, or someone he knows you know,

leave him.

If he tells you he doesn't want you to leave the house, or demands that you answer

all his texts or calls if he does let you go,

leave him.

If he becomes ugly with you one day, so ugly you want to cry at the poison

spewing from his lips, or the way his fists are balled at his sides, or the way

he backs you into the corner,

leave him.

If he apologizes profusely at how you now have to wear makeup over the right

side of your face, or wear sunglasses out in public for the next week or so,

leave him.

If he gets down on his knees and swears to you, swears to God that he will

never lay another finger on you as long as he lives,

leave him.

If you believe him after the first time, and then the second, or third, or fourth,

or fifth,

leave him.

If he can punch a wall, if he can connect his fist to drywall or brick without 

an ounce of remorse, without apology for the damage he caused, 

what do you think he can do to you? Again?

Tigers don't change their stripes, and neither will he

So please,

Darling,

leave. Leave him now.

Because maybe,

just maybe, 

there won't be a wall around

the next time the tigers come around