Break, page 25
“Momma, why is Dad so angry with us? Why won’t he love us like everyone else’s dads?” I sob into my mom’s chest with arms wrapped around my aching stomach.
“Shh, my little man. He loves us, he just doesn’t always know how to show it.” Momma’s arms are warm around me, but they’re shaking. They always shake when Dad gets angry because it’s so scary.
Rubbing a fist into my eyes, I get angry at her because I know that she’s lying to me this time. “He doesn’t! He even told us tonight that he hated me, and he hated you, and the house, and his job!” Shoving her away, I get up from the bed, still holding my stomach and turn to her, glaring and wishing I could scream. “Stop lying! You don’t love me either because you don’t lie to people you love!”
Standing up, I walk over to Mina, keeping my rage under control for just a few minutes longer until I can get away from the house and let it out. I squat down and place my hand on her knee, giving her a light squeeze.
“No one ever fucking deserves to be treated like that, especially by their own parents. I’m sorry you ever had to experience even an ounce of abuse. You deserved better.” She looks surprised at what I’ve said, but I can’t stay in here any longer. So, I stand back up and lean over, pressing my lips against her temple, then the top of her head. “You deserve the world, Mina.”
Turning, I ignore the concerned looks from Ethan and Vincent, and head for the front door. Before I step outside, I give a sharp whistle to Walter and shut the door behind me as quietly as possible once he’s outside.
Making my way to my shop, I slam the door shut, bracing my hands on the other side of it with my head hung low. I can’t stop the quickening breaths as memory after memory of my dad’s fists come flying at me until I’ve finally had enough.
Spinning around, I grab the first thing I see on my worktable and hurl it at the wall, then let out a bellow of absolute rage over the injustice of it all.
Chapter 34
The Light
Max
“Are you okay, Max?”
Mina’s voice carries through my workshop like an exploding bomb, even though she practically whispers the question. I didn’t even hear her enter my space and I’m immediately embarrassed that she may have seen me losing my shit.
She seems wary of me right now and it makes me feel fucking terrible for breaking down like this. I’ve had years to deal with the fact that my father was an abusive asshole. Knowing that she experienced a similar upbringing makes me nauseous and desperate to fucking annihilate someone.
Looking around me, I see the destruction I’ve wrought in just the few minutes I’ve been alone in here and wince at the mess. “I’m sorry for this.” I’m not sure what else to say, so I ask, “What are you doing out here?”
She inspects the broken wood and tools scattered across the floor but doesn’t back out. In fact, she takes a few steps in and shuts the door behind her. She’s twisting her fingers together nervously, and I want to grab hold of them to help her relax. Sucking in a shaky breath, she finally brings her eyes up to lock on mine.
“I know we don’t know each other well, but it’s obvious that what I shared with you has affected you… and I don’t like that.” She pauses, and then considers her words and looks at me thoughtfully. “Not that I don’t like you having feelings about it. I mean that I don’t like that it’s affecting you in a way that may have more behind it… maybe?” She looks down at the floor. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say, but I feel like something is wrong, and I caused it. The other two said that you just needed a minute, and that I didn’t need to feel like I had to come out here, but I felt compelled, so here I am. Are you okay, Max?”
I think this is the most that she’s said directly to me over the course of her time in my home. It does something to me that she’s worried, and just hearing her soothing tone eases some of this pent-up anger I’ve got building inside of me.
“Mina, honey.” When her eyes find mine again, I give her a smile, so she knows it’s fine that she came out to ask me. “First, I wouldn’t agree that we don’t know each other well; we just don’t know everything yet.”
Her shoulders drop, relaxing even more at my teasing, so I do my best to explain where my heads at.
“I’m really fucking pissed. So irate over the audacity of your parents and Danny to believe that they had the right to treat you like less than human.”
My confession doesn’t seem to have cleared up anything for her. Her head is tilted sideways as she considers what I said, but there’s a deepening frown spreading, and I know I should explain more. I just don’t want to make her think about my thing. Her next question, though, is what helps me make the decision to share.
“Why does it bother you so much? I’m not saying that you shouldn’t feel empathy for people in tough situations, but this is more than that,” she says, holding both hands out to indicate my workshop I’ve destroyed.
“You want to sit?” I ask her, then realize there isn’t anywhere for her to sit. Looking around quickly, I find a spot that isn’t completely covered and clear it off. “Come over here,” I tell her, waving her over.
This time, she doesn’t hesitate as she moves closer, slipping between my body and the counter. Mina reaches up to pull herself onto it, but I take advantage of having her close and wrap my hands around her waist, lifting her myself. I release her once she’s settled, but don’t move away. I choose to stay in front of her and rest my hands flat against the surface on either side of her thigh. Our faces are only about a foot apart, and I want to stay here, in her space.
“Am I okay right here?” I ask her, wanting to make sure I don’t overstep her boundaries.
Nodding quickly, she smiles awkwardly.
Blowing out a breath in relief, I close my eyes for a moment to collect my thoughts.
“I understand your inability to leave and your situation.” I know she’s going to ask because our Mina is getting more curious about us the more time she spends here.
She rests each of her hands on mine, drawing my gaze up to her face, and asks, “Tell me what you mean… Please?”
“Did Danny ever share anything about me or my family over the past few years when you were together?” I only ask because I want to know how much she knows.
Shaking her head, she says, “Nothing really. He would talk about hanging out with all of you, but nothing beyond that. I know your mom passed away a couple of years ago. I sent those flowers and Danny went to her funeral.” She chews on her lip, like she wants to ask a question but doesn’t know how to.
Nodding slowly, I pull my hand out from under hers and tug on her braid playfully. “He wouldn’t let you go, would he?”
“No,” she whispers. “He told me you wouldn’t want someone who you don’t get along with there. He said that it would be selfish if I went when the day was about you and we needed to give you what you needed.”
Growling, I shove my hand back under hers, flipping it palm up to squeeze her hand. “I’m sure you know now that he was full of shit. I would have loved for you to be there. Not many people came, and it was hard to see how isolated she had been in life.”
“Will you tell me what happened to her? Danny only mentioned that she died, but when I asked, he said it didn’t matter.” Of fucking course he did. How she died was the most traumatic part of my life, and the fact that he belittled it infuriates me. Mina must be able to tell that I’m upset hearing that, so she does her best to soothe me. “Max… you know now what kind of person he is. Don’t let his words to me affect you.”
I bite my cheek to hold back my anger at him. “I’ll try not to, but it still pisses me off.”
Her smile, again, soothes me, and I relax. “Please tell me, Max.”
Moving in a few inches closer, I try to ignore that her knees spread slightly to allow me closer. “My father murdered my mom.”
Mina’s mouth opens, but I squeeze her hand to stop her.
“I know you have questions, so let me explain.” Nodding at me, she silently asks me to continue. “My father abused me and my mom throughout my entire childhood. I don’t need to go into details, but he was a drunk. Violent and angry all the time. When I was old enough, I couldn’t leave fast enough. I had to get out of there as soon as possible. That’s why I followed Vincent to college and moved in with him the moment we graduated.”
Mina’s eyes are full of empathy and understanding, so I feel confident to continue sharing. “I have a lot of regrets in my life,” I tell her, nodding toward her so she knows that she’s included. “And one of those is leaving my mom behind, alone with my father. I didn’t check in with her as often as I should have, so I wasn’t aware of how bad he had gotten. Like you, she found it difficult to leave and wasn’t sure how she would survive on her own without him. But she did leave, and my father did not react well.”
Her lower lip is trembling, and it takes everything in me not to lay my lips on hers to make it stop. “What h-happened, Max?”
“She ran. He followed. My mom didn’t make it very far without help, and she didn’t know how to hide her tracks. It was only a day before he found her. When he did, he was so enraged that he went absolutely mad. He beat her so severely that he left her for dead. Eventually, someone found her and was able to call for help. But she didn’t survive the injuries he inflicted. She died soon after arriving at the hospital.”
I release her hand again when a tear falls down her cheek to wipe it away. “Your poor mother. Max… I’m so, so sorry that this was her story. I didn’t know her outside of a few get-togethers here and there, but what I do remember was that she was a kind and lovely woman.”
This time, I don’t restrain myself as I move closer to her, moving my hands around to her back to pull her into me. Mina is quick to wrap her arms around my neck and my God, she gives me the tightest fucking hug I’ve ever received. I sink into it and enjoy the feel of her body pressed against mine; enjoy the feeling of injustice for my mother seep out of my body the longer she holds on to me.
“Thank you for saying that,” I say into her neck. I don’t press a kiss there, but I do let my lips graze her skin when I add, “I think when you shared your past, it sunk in that in an alternate universe, this could have been your story.” Pulling back from her, I meet her eyes. “That scared the shit out of me.”
“You don’t need to be scared for me. Not anymore. What happened to your father?”
Sighing, I divulge the rest of my shitty history. “They arrested him shortly after. He didn’t even run. My father assumed he was above the law and could beat the charges. So, when they brought him in, he never denied what he did, only tried to justify it. He’s in prison now and it’ll be years before he even has the option of parole. I plan on being there the moment he asks for it to shut it down.”
Mina’s eyes flick back and forth across mine, taking in what I’ve revealed. Then, it’s like a light bulb flashes on behind her eyes. “This is why you do what you do, isn’t it?”
Nodding my head slowly, I slowly run my eyes over her face, taking in her smooth skin and throw up a thanks that it’s no longer mottled with bruising.
“My mom is the only reason I do this. If she would have had help, someone to support her and assist her through her decision to leave, maybe she would have made it. She didn’t know all of her options and never reported anything to the police. She just ran, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for him to follow.” Running my hands up her arms to her face, I cup the sides of her neck, my thumbs resting against the delicate line of her jaw. “I refuse to let it happen again when I can do something about it.”
We’re both silent as I hold her. Both of us subconsciously bonding over similar traumas in our life and developing a deeper understanding that our stories aren’t singular to ourselves.
“You’re a good man, Maxwell Bennett.” I feel her smile under my fingers, and I can’t stop from gripping her more firmly at her compliment.
“I want to be better.” And it’s the God’s honest truth. I want to be the best for not only Mina, but for every person who comes to Breaking Barriers for help.
“Your mom would be so proud of you.” Her words slice into me, and I have to blink away the agony of wanting to hear those words come from my mom’s lips.
Moving forward without letting her go, I plead with her. “Mina, can I kiss you? Please?” I’m fucking desperate for her to say yes, my breaths coming short as I wait for her. It’s probably not the best timing since we’re both on an emotional high right now after revealing our pasts to each other, but I couldn’t stop the question if I tried.
I feel her nod of permission before she finishes the word fully from her lips. “Ye-”
My lips are on hers before I register that I’ve moved. She only tenses up for a moment before relaxing into me, allowing me access to her without restraint.
Swiping my tongue over the crease of her lips, she gasps at the contact and I take advantage, sliding my tongue inside her heated mouth. I pour every emotion I’m feeling into her. My tongue lashes at hers with every thought of thanks and worship over her gentle thoughts and understanding.
“Mina,” I whisper against her mouth. The tremor that runs through her body lets me know she’s feeling this moment as much as I am. I slide my fingers through her hair to the back of her head, and press my body forward, tilting her lips up to mine, angling her so I can kiss her more deeply.
I shudder when I feel her hands trail down the sides of my arms, then her fingers digging into my biceps to hold on to me. Kissing her is fucking bliss, but I know that I need to slow it down and stop before she becomes overwhelmed. I lessen my movements until we’re both panting with parted lips, foreheads pressed together.
I release the grip I had on her hair and run my fingers back over her face, then touch her lips with my fingertips. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
She shakes her head to argue, but I stop it by gripping her chin and making her look back up at me. Her eyes were closed, but they fly open at the contact.
“You are. Thank you for letting me share with you and for coming out here.” And it’s true. There’s a lightness surrounding me right now that we know each other a little better.
Her lips are trembling again, and she bites the bottom one to hold herself back from feeling the truth I’m giving her. “That… That’s the nicest thing anyone h-has ever said to me…” Her voice is brittle, but I hear the honesty behind them. Considering the way her parents treated her and then Danny, I don’t find it hard to believe that she’s never heard a kind word about her as a person.
Running my hand over the back of her head, I pull her against my chest and take a deep breath when she presses her face into my chest. After kissing the top of her head, I lay my cheek against the crown of her head and smile. “Well, be prepared because I’m going to drive you crazy with more ‘you’re awesomes’ and ‘you’re perfects’ in the near future.”
Her chuckle is watery, but happy. Giving her a gentle squeeze, I grip her shoulders and run my hands down to her waist. Picking her up, I settle her on her feet and enjoy this moment of having her close to me. “Let’s go back inside. I’m sure the guys are getting worried about you being in here with me for so long.”
“Oh, I’m sure they aren’t-”
I cut her off with a quick kiss to her lips, then grab her hand, threading my fingers with hers. “I assure you, they absolutely are. You’re under their skin just as much as you are mine.”
A chuckle escapes me when her mouth forms an ‘oh,’ clearly surprised by my statement. She doesn’t even know what she’s gotten herself into yet, and I’m so here for enlightening her.
Chapter 35
Keep Your Secrets
Vincent
“You want to go now?” Max’s voice rings out from the kitchen just as I walk into the house. I needed to run back to my place to pick up some more clothes since I only grabbed the bare minimum when I initially packed.
“Where are we going?” I call out, setting my bulging duffle bag on the floor next to our pile of shoes in the entryway.
“Tattoo,” Ethan answers me from the living room, causing me to spin toward his voice. I didn’t see him sitting there as I was distracted by Max.
I instantly smile widely. “She wants to check another thing off the list?” I ask excitedly. “Holy shit. Wait, whose idea was it?” It’s not that I don’t want her to do everything. I just don’t want her to feel pressured into getting a permanent reminder of a decision she wasn’t fully comfortable with.
Ethan’s lip quirks up at the side. “She was staring at my arm sleeve again. So, I just asked her if she had thought about it. She told me she had an idea and wanted to at least go and talk to Gray.”
“Gray is the artist you always use, right?”
He nods his head, leaning back and crosses his arms, running his eyes over his ink. “She’s the best I’ve found.”
I can hear the murmuring voices of Mina and Max, still in the kitchen, but I can’t quite make out what they’re saying. Max filled us in on what happened the other day in his workshop when they kissed. Initially, I was pissed. Not because I was jealous, which surprisingly I wasn’t, but because of how high their emotions were and I was afraid it would scare her away. Turns out, I was wrong. Max explained how it happened, and after some small amount of teasing him over the dreamy face he wore while recalling their moment, I understood it was absolutely a mutual decision.
If anything, her small blush whenever she looks at Max is enough to let us know she was just as pleased with it as well. That girl hasn’t probably ever been decently kissed and I won’t lie and say I don’t want to try to rock her world as well.
Fuck. I want to kiss the shit out of her. The brief moment our lips locked on the boat doesn’t feel like it was enough. I adjust my dick as I picture what it would be like.
