He stood with his arms crossed and almost stared through her. He must have been thinking of ways to punish us in those moments.
Tick, tock.
“Frank, please don’t overreact.” Her voice shook.
He stood there, making her wait for the inevitable punishment. She reminded me of a woman on trial with the Salem witches. She sat up straight, as if with honor, knowing she did nothing wrong, but ready to accept her sentence anyway. In that moment, her strength and beauty overwhelmed me, made me realize how she stood up for me and how I never stood up for her.
“I snuck out,” I blurted out.
My father cocked his head as if his attention had wavered just a little from my mother.
So, I hurried on. “Mother told me I couldn’t go when I asked, and so I just climbed out of my bedroom window.”
My mother started to shake her head, trying to urge me to stop. My father turned on his heels to fully face me.
His emerald-green anger met my emerald-green hate and fear. I didn’t avert my eyes this time, didn’t try to comfort him by showing my weakness.
I’d had enough and felt just as much rage within me as he showed toward us. “You can’t keep me locked in here forever. You think you own me?” My voice rose and I stood up.
I didn’t wait for the clock to tick again.
“I won’t be here much longer, and I can’t wait to leave. I can’t wait to be everything you don’t want me to be. I’ll party and have fun and eat on the couch and study in bed rather than at a desk. I will ...”
My mother gasped as he lunged for me. I jumped back but not in time. His fist landed right on my mouth, and I immediately tasted metal.
Blood. Crimson. Red. Blood.
My mother moved to soothe me, but I lifted my hand to stop her and looked at my father again. His face was red with fury which only served to fuel mine. I licked away the droplet of blood running down the corner of my mouth.
My father had hit me hard enough that he was bleeding himself.
I egged him on. “You want to make me bleed, Dad? You think that’s going to stop me from leaving when I graduate?”
“Aubrey? Are you in there?”
I wanted to answer the voice on the other side but I couldn’t. I couldn’t breathe, let alone speak.
I could hear the handle of the door rattling just before it flew open and I saw him.
Oh, Jax.