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I nod.
“I want that too, Percy. So much.” She leans down and kisses me this time I let it distract me. I can get lost in this woman for years to come and it still wouldn’t be enough. I take a step pushing her in the direction of the bedroom when my phone vibrates in my pocket causing the both of us to jump apart.
I contemplate not answering it, but it’s almost ten at night. Whoever’s calling me must be having some sort of crisis and if they're not when I get off the phone with them they will be.
I pull the phone out of my pocket and panic starts to bubble up in my gut. It’s my mother. She never calls this late.
“Mom?” I answer and when I hear all the yelling in the background I know something bad is going on at my parents’ house.
“Percival, you have to come home.” She sniffs and I know she’s crying. “Right away please.”
“Coming.” I answer right as she hangs up. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know the two voices in the background.
Ian’s at my father’s house and he’s acting like a fucking fool.
* * *
The drive to my parents house is only about ten minutes. They live out of the city, but still close enough to it that they’d be able to get in whenever they needed to.
Ella’s sitting in the passenger seat quiet, but softly rubbing her hand on mine trying to keep me calm. That small touch doesn’t do all that I need, but it’s a start
When I pull up in the driveway I don’t see anything happening outside, but I can hear the fight going on inside.
My mother is screaming for them to stop and I hear glass breaking. The hold that I had on being calm breaks and I race into the house leaving Ella behind.
Red clouds my vision as I see Ian on top of my father with his fist cocked back ready to punch him in the face. I yell at him to get off, but before he can react I’m already yanking him up and throwing him to the other side. Now I’m the one with the upper hand. I sit on his chest, pinning one of his arms with my leg and I punch him over and over in his face. Using my full strength with each blow.
Ian covers up the best he can and in a slick move he pinches the inside of my thigh. It’s sensitive as fuck and causes me to jerk to the side. He uses that to dislodge me and as he gets to his feet so do I. We throw haymakers, grabbing hold and pushing each other until finally my parents and Ella separate us.
“Percy, stop!” Ella pushes me all the way back and stands her little self in between me and my brother.
“How dare you come into my house? How dare you come here and try to tarnish my name!” My father yells at Ian.
“Your house? Shouldn’t this be my house? I’m family too. Or are we back to you denying I ever existed?” Ian is deadly calm and all signs of hostility seems to be gone.
“Don’t start with all the dramatics Ian. We had a deal. You get your money. Every month, it’s deposited in your account. So, you don’t do things like this. What if someone heard you? What if someone saw you acting a fool? We’d all be ruined!” My father snaps in his face.
“Ruined? Why am I so bad that just the thought of someone finding out who I am is enough to ruin you?” Ian asks.
“You know damn well why!” I answer for my father. Ella jerks back and I take that as my chance to move her around me so I don’t hurt her. “Ian, what are you doing here? Are you high?” I examine his face and posture to see if I can find any signs to prove he is.
“No, I’m not.” He says through gritted teeth.
“Then why aren’t you in rehab?”
“I don’t want to be there? It’s like you send me from one jail to another just to keep me away. I didn’t ask for your father to fuck my mother. I didn’t ask her to give birth to me. I didn’t ask for any of it. I’m tired of being the fucking leper Percy.” He yells at me.
“You need help, we’ve been trying to give it to you. My father’s already committed to helping …”
“Our father. You sit there and try to make me believe that you’re on my side, but you're no different than the rest of them. He’s our father. Not just yours. The same genes that make up half of you make up half of me. I don’t want to be saved. I don’t want your fucking help. I just want my family, not people who just fucking pay me off to not exist.”
I stare at him for a second trying to think of what I want to say. He’s right. I know he is, but just because he’s right doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.
“You’re going to get out of my house. If you ever come back here without a clear invitation I’ll call the authorities and have you arrested.” My father orders him and Ian doesn’t put up a fight. My brother just shakes his head and walks out the door. His entire body screaming to anyone who bothers to look that he’s defeated.
As the front door closes I look to Ella who is standing back by the wall with her arms wrapped around herself.
Before I can take a step toward her my father speaks. “Who is that?”
