Chapter 35 #2
“Is God trying to teach us a lesson? I mean, fuck! Grant is a lying, cheating, beating—” He stops himself looking over at me, “And Mom… don’t get me started on that piece of—” I turn to him now as irritation creeps up.
“No, she fucked up, Levi, but she was broken. You cannot blame her for this! I know you're angry, Levi, but…” He shakes his head while slamming the car into the park in our driveway. Turning to face me, he cuts me off before I can defend our mother.
“Letty, she was not a good woman; she does not deserve your sympathy and your love. She left us. She—” His breath shakes, and his hands tremble as he taps the steering wheel. He battles his thoughts and inner demons alone.
“Tell me.”
His somber eyes hit mine like ice, freezing me in place.
“She cheated on my dad while he was at war, fighting for this country, fighting for benefits and a better life for us. She met Grant and became pregnant with you while still with my dad. She wrote him a shit letter saying she fell in love while he was at war, she was leaving him, Scarlett. But guess what? He died in the line of duty before she sent the fucking letter. He died thinking he was leaving his family behind, leaving the love of his life to figure out this harsh world alone. He left ME. He left me with a selfish woman who didn’t deserve a place in his heart, yet she had every nook and cranny there was, because he loved her, and he died thinking she loved him too.
” He lets out a shaky breath as I hold back tears, watching my strong, resilient brother break at the thought of his father loving a woman who didn’t deserve it.
I lean over, placing my hand on top of his. “I didn’t know. I am so sorry.” He stops me by interrupting.
“You are the only good thing that came from their relationship. You are the only silver lining.” His eyes soften, and I believe him. I have never doubted his love for me, his bravery, his ability to take and take without ever needing to be given anything in return.
“Your dad would be so proud of you. I know it.” He nods, rolling his shoulders and pushing his emotions down, as he always does.
“Levi, I know I have you, always, but who do you have? Yes, you have me, but what good am I if you feel like you can’t break down because you have to be so damn strong all the time?
I need you to do something for me. While I am out here putting out my fire and growing in strength, I need you to find someone to be weak with, find someone who will hold YOU while you fall.
You can’t be strong all the time. Give it to me now.
It’s my turn to be strong for both of us. ”
Before I know it, his arms are reaching over and he hugs me, like he never has before, because he needs to break. I have lost myself in this darkness, but he has always been my light. Now, I see his light dimming; he is losing himself, and I'll be damned if I let him get lost in the darkness.
Sitting at the kitchen island, the front door slams abruptly, making me jolt from my seat. Grant stomps in, his shoes hitting the wood so hard that the house damn near shakes. His flaming eyes glow with pure fury. “YOU!” His words are sharp and vicious.
Levi walks out of the bathroom when he sees Grant inches from my face.
He turns towards Levi. “Sit, little fucker.” Levi complies, not understanding what is even happening.
My phone is buzzing in my pocket, and I silently beg that he can't hear it, knowing it would only add to his increasing anger.
Luckily, the vibrations stop, just as his voice booms over us.
“I just got a phone call from a woman saying I was not a good man, that someone told her she could get hurt by ME?!” He yells now, as his chest heaves.
“I wouldn’t have hurt her! She was nice, compliant.
I only hurt those who deserve it, the weak and unlovable people.
I only do this to try to toughen you both up!
You should be grateful that I'm helping you recognize your weaknesses. God knows your mother wasn’t; she was a pitiful excuse for a human, weak as they come.
She was a fucking coward!” He scoffs before turning around and walking around the island.
“When I asked who would say such a thing. She proceeded to tell me it was a young boy with blonde hair, who had a girl with him… Now, given that the people of this town think I walk on FUCKING WATER, that only leaves you two.” He spits as he spews his harsh words.
Before I know it, he reaches out and grabs Levi by the hair, slamming his face into the counter.
Levi’s lip and nose explode immediately, painting the countertops a sickly shade of crimson.
“Fucking disrespectful prick.” He brings up Levi’s head once more and slams it into the counter again.
I flinch in fear as Levi’s body falls off his stool, and Grant pulls his hair and throws him backwards.
“YOU WANT TO GO AROUND TELLING LIES, I’LL MAKE SURE THAT IT WILL BE THE LAST THING YOU FUCKING DO, BOY!
” Grant is now leaning over him, screaming in his face, his foot flying through the air into Levi’s ribs, giving him one harsh kick.
I sat there stunned. He looks down at Levi, dusting his hands together, pleased with his beating. “As for you, you little twat, if you keep following this boy around, I’ll make sure you’ll follow him to his grave.”
Courage overcomes my body, surging with the need to fight, to give what I have, because fuck this guy.
His eyes darted between mine as I gathered spit in my mouth.
I look him dead in the eye, before I spit in his face.
He rears his hand back to slap me, and I block it inches from my cheek, just like Spencer showed me.
I hate him. Astonishment waves across his face until a tidal wave of emotion overcomes him, and he slaps me out of my seat.
“Next time you think you can win in a fight, I will kill you.” He leaves Levi and me on the floor before leaving the way he came.
The door shuts, and I’m left tending to Levi’s wounds in silence. Levi looks up and smiles. “Nice shot. I think the dickhead knocked me out for a minute there.”