AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But…”
“You heard me.” Her tone is as authoritative as I’ve heard from her. She urges him on, giving him his remote control car, and closes his bedroom door.
With her head hanging low and one hand clasping her mouth, she paces around the room until she ends up in the kitchen. She braces herself against the counter. She asks in a low, shaky tone,
“You went to jail? You tried to kill your dad? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Should I have led off with that at the bonfire?” I want to say something about Erik Bratt being at her apartment but whatever it was, it’s not as bad as what I did.
“Don’t be an asshole.” She’s crying and mumbling, “I’m dating someone capable of killing another person. No, no, no. Why am I drawn to guys who…” Her voice trails off.
Her dad appears out of nowhere and envelops Brooke in his arms. “Shh… I’m taking Caleb.” He scratches her back, reassuring her. “Hear Reed out. Call me when you’re ready for me to bring Caleb home.”
Brooke sniffles, wiping the tears from her cheeks, and says, “He’s in the bedroom.”
Coach has Caleb facing the other direction. “Bye, Mommy. Bye, Weed. I’m Superman, and Gwandad is taking me to get ice cream.”
“Bye, sweetie.” She pulls her cardigan tighter.
“Little dude, I bet you’ll be super strong when you get home,” I strain, trying to act like everything is okay, as the door shuts behind them.
Silence. The calm before the storm is eerie when you’re just waiting for your life to implode. The sun can be shining, but then the tornado moves across your life, decimating the foundation you’ve built in a split second. That’s how I feel in this moment. Just waiting.
Brooke walks into the den. “How did Dad know to come?”
“I planned on telling you today, so I asked him to come. I would never want Caleb to overhear anything that may be traumatic. Look at me, please.” Desperately wanting her to turn around so I can look into her eyes, I fold my hand over her shoulder, and she flinches. That hurts. Brooke has always melted into me, wanting my body against hers. “Why was Erik Bratt here?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yeah, it does. We both need to come clean. Is he Caleb’s father?”
She whispers, “Yes.” I notice her rapid breathing before she straightens, pulling on her courage like it’s clothing. “Now, if you want a sliver of hope to stay in my life, tell me why you tried to kill your dad.”
“I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll start with how much I care about you. How much I love?—"
With heartbreak dripping from her voice, she cuts me off, “Don’t you dare.”
My chin drops into my chest, knowing this is always going to be my undoing. When I find someone I click with, who I want to spend every day making happy, she’ll leave when she finds out what I’ve done.
“Brooke, my mom was being abused. Looking back, I saw my stepdad hit her on occasion, but since I was at boarding school, I didn’t understand the extent of it.”
She slowly turns her body towards me, but her stare is centered on the floor.
“I came home from boarding school, happy like most sixteen-year-old boys. It was summer break, time for summer hockey camps, girls in bikinis at the country club, and hanging out with friends from the neighborhood. But that’s not what I got.”
I grab an action figure from the floor and twirl the legs in my hands, stuttering, “I… I parked my car in the driveway, left the luggage in the car, so excited to see my mom that I burst through the front door and almost tripped. My stepdad’s voice boomed through the halls. And I heard a thud against the wall. It was confusing. It was like when you’re watching a movie that’s filmed in virtual darkness. Then I heard a scream.”
My body feels like it’s that dark kitchen. I don’t realize I’m shaking until the toy falls from my hands, landing on the carpet. Brooke’s eyes collide with mine.
“Mom yelled words likeembezzlement, and itwasn’t your money.More noises sounding like items falling onto the floor. When I figure out where they are, I run into the kitchen. He’s hitting my mom in the face. He’s out of control, so I charge him like a bull. Instinct took over.” I pause, my lungs constrict, unable to speak. The memories are squeezing the life out of me as I catch my breath. “Sorry, it feels like it’s that day.”
“Take your time because I need to know everything, Reed. Everything.” Her tone is soft but unequivocal.
Brooke sits beside me on the couch and for the first time, she looks at my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I see water welling up in her eyes. “My stepfather gripped my shirt, bunching around my neck when he screamed, ‘You little fucker. If you come at me again, you’ll regret it.’
“Anger rushed through my veins. I felt a chunk of spit in my throat and spat in his face. I told him not to touch my mom again, or I’d kill him.
“He threw me into the kitchen table, breaking the chair. My feet slipped against the tile as I scrambled to get up. My mom was shouting, but I couldn’t hear her. I realize blood is spilling from my nose and possibly my ear.”
