"Are you okay?" was the first words out of my girlfriend's mouth when she picked up my call.

I chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'm fine." I took a deep breath and kept walking. I hadn't quite made it out of the police lot when I decided to check my phone and I saw her message. "Met your dad," I said, voice dropping some. It felt like something I needed to quietly own up to for fear... something. I wasn't quite sure what I was worried would happen.

There was some silence on the other end. "Are you sure you're okay? He's pretty violent."

"Didn't lay a hand on me." It was too humiliating to own up to being scared of him, though. He was bigger than me, and I know for a fact he was going to beat me up had that officer not come to get me when she did. "You don't have to worry so much. I'm fine." I had an overwhelming urge to kiss and hug her, to reassure her, but I couldn't. It was bordering on torture. Instead, I pressed the phone closer to my ear as I made my way home. 

"They said something about your cousin reporting me missing."

I froze in my tracks. "Charlie reported you missing?" That was beyond petty.

"He's your cousin?" She sounded surprised. I thought she knew.

"Yeah. I punched him good the night I left with you, so this is probably him getting back at me."

"Why did you punch him?"

I weighed my options before finally settling on being honest. "He was making crude comments about me and you, and that coupled with some other stuff between me and him, I just couldn't take him anymore. It just kind of . . . happened. Believe me, I wish I hadn't done it. My hand hurt for a while afterwards." I gave an awkward laugh, unsure how she was taking my words.

"Thank you," she quietly. "For standing up for me." I felt my face heat up a little. "If he's anything like he is at work when he's around you, I don't blame you for hitting him. I've wanted to a fair few times myself." She giggled and I closed my eyes for a moment. Why was she so adorable? It wasn't fair.

"He's worse." I picked up the pace. Sweat was already beading on my temples and forehead. It wasn't a humid night, but I didn't walk much like this, especially when it was on the warmer side. "He's always been the favorite of the family, and I've always kind of been looked down on. We're only on speaking terms because I have to be. He's the one the family wants to take over the store chain, you know."

"Oh my gosh, no way. He's horrible!"

I smiled to myself. Hearing her say so felt good. "So you'd prefer me taking over the store?"

"Absolutely. You finally learned how to respect the people under you. Who wouldn't want someone who understands them and listens to them?"

A warmth emanated from my chest and found my face. I didn't really want to remember the way I treated everyone when I started, but it happened. It taught me a lesson - one I carried with me. The whole thing is something I regret. "Thank you for teaching me that." We fell into a silence. My footsteps echoed across the pavement. I was nearing the halfway point to my house. "What are you up to?"

"Just lying on my bed, waiting for dinner. Mom is making lasagna."

"Sounds good. I could go for some right about now. I don't think I've eaten since breakfast."

"Says the guy that was always worried about me eating." 

I chuckled. Couldn't deny that. "How are things there?"

She fell silent, and I wondered if I hit a nerve or something. "It's fine. I met my mom's husband. I'm going to be alone in the house for a couple of hours with him. He's a little standoffish, so he's probably going to leave me alone. I just hope I don't end up watching Kyle. I've never watched a kid before, and I don't think I'd be able to do it by myself."

"I thought all girls could take care of kids?" 

Jenny sighed. "Honestly, I've never really been around kids, so I have no idea what to do. Mom said that motherly instinct kicks in, but I've never been in a position where it has, so I don't know. I'm just scared of what to do."

I smiled. "That's a perfectly natural response to something new or unknown. Try spending time with Kyle. You may get used to him. Hey, you could maybe spend tonight with both him and your mom's husband, get to know both. That way, someone who would know what to do is there if anything happens."

There was that pause again. "You're right. I just don't know about tonight, though. I would rather Mom be here with me."

"Is everything okay?" I was about two-thirds of the way home. I could run the last leg and drive straight through to Denver. I was exhausted, but I would do it. If she was in any danger, I would do it. Worry churned in my stomach as I heard her sigh and then pause before speaking. 

"Brayden," she said softly. "I can tell you're worried, but don't be. I can handle myself if there's anything I should worry about. I've put up with my dad on my own for two years, and I don't think there's much worse that could happen to me."

There was a lot of "worse things" but I stayed silent. I'd nearly forgotten she was a strong young woman, independent, and all I really needed to do was watch from the sidelines and support her. It went against my instincts, which were to nurture and protect her, but I was so proud of her. "Okay," I said finally. "If anything happens, though, you promise you'll call me first?"

"Brayden," she said, tone still soft. "I don't know what you can do."

I stopped walking. "Support you," I blurted out. "I want to support you. I want to be the one you turn to and rely on when it gets too heavy for you. When you don't know what to do, I want to be the one to help you figure it out."

There was a silence on the other end, though it felt different. "Okay," she breathed. She sniffled and then there was some heavy breathing before a sob finally broke through. I closed my eyes and pressed the phone closer to my ear, wishing I was right there with my arms around her. 

Never in a thousand years would I have imagined I would be standing on the side of the road in the middle of Rapid Falls, listening to my girlfriend cry over the phone after pouring out my heart to her. Yet there I was. And I couldn't think of another place I wanted to be more.

---

The front door creaked as I drug my suitcase into the house. Food was cooking in the kitchen, but I couldn't tell what it was. I drug my luggage through to the stairs, noticing that the dining area was empty. Voices came from the living room, but I wasn't ready to face anyone yet. I was beyond tired and wanted to just sleep until morning.

Charlie had other plans, though. He walked out of the bathroom when I got upstairs wearing a towel and brushing his teeth. His eyebrows rose when he saw me. He snatched the brush from his mouth and smirked. "Enjoy your little stint in the slammer?" he asked.

"I just want to go to bed," I said, trying to go around him. He stepped over so I couldn't pass. "Charlie, please."

"No, no, no." He leaned on the wall and pointed his toothbrush at me. "You owe me big. If not for me covering for you, my mom would have had your dad by the neck for daring to lay a finger on me."

"You bring stuff like this on yourself, you know. Like the stockroom fiasco. You weren't organized in the least. Everyone else kept fussing at you. Or did you forget that you don't always know best?" I barely kept myself from sneering at the last bit. 

"Oh ho, big words from little cousin." His smirk grew as he leaned closer. Mint mingled with the all-in-one soap he used, creating a cloying scent. I didn't flinch as he put his face in mine. "You're going to learn quickly that you should fear some people. Mess with the wrong person, and you won't get a second chance. Why do you think I'm not pressing charges? I'm enjoying playing with my toy." He pulled back and glared at me for a moment before sticking the brush back in his mouth and heading back into the bathroom.

"Oh, you're home!" my mom's voice said behind me. 

I turned and smiled at her. "Yep, I'm home. What's for dinner? I smelled something downstairs."

She frowned. "Well, we all ate already and there wasn't anything leftover, but I can make you whatever you want."

I shook my head. "That's okay. I'm not that hungry right now. I'm more tired than anything. It's been a very long day. Think I'm just going to go to bed." I rubbed the back of my neck, hoping that was the end of it. I really did want to go to bed.

Mom crossed her arms. "Charlie's parents are here. They're leaving tonight. The least you can do is apologize to them for punching Charlie. He told them what happened. I doubt he said it was his provocation, but you still need to apologize."

I glanced at my bedroom door and sighed. "Okay. Let me put my things in my room and I'll be right down." 

"I'm holding you to it." She walked backwards a few steps before turning and heading back down to the company.

The last thing I wanted to do was to say anything to anyone outside my immediate family, but it seemed I didn't have a choice.

After putting the suitcase in my room, I went back to the living room. In it were Charlie's parents and my parents. His dad saw me and stood. No one said anything as he walked up to me and punched me square in the jaw. I staggered back, seeing stars. My teeth hurt and I wondered if he broke any of them. My mouth filled with blood, which I tried to discreetly wipe on my shirt. 

I looked at him. He was shaking out his hand, but there was still a fire in his eyes. There was no mistaking that he wanted to do more to me. "That's for hitting my son," he said. 

"You do know I wouldn't hit him for no reason, right?" I said in a low voice.

"Brayden!" Mom hissed at me.

"Excuse me?" the man asked. "Are you talking back to me?"

I shook my head, which hurt. "I'm only trying to make it clear what happened. Have I ever been violent before?"

He snorted. "There's no telling what your parents could be hiding."

"Okay, let me rephrase. Have I ever been violent with Charlie?"

He paused, that anger still glowing in his eyes. "Not that I'm aware of, no."

"If it wasn't that he was calling my girlfriend a whore and telling me that to do her and dump her in a random town, I would never have touched him."

The man laughed bitterly. "There's no way our Charlie would have ever said something like that. He's a good kid."

"Thinking that is getting you nowhere." I took a deep breath. "That kid of yours is the worst human I've met and takes every opportunity to take what's mine, ruin what's mine, and destroy what's mine. At every turn, he's cheered on by his parents, helped by his parents, or they turn a blind eye. Neither of you are dumb. You can see what's going on, but you actively ignore it. He's the definition of a spoiled brat."

Something I never thought I'd ever see on another human is a look of pure rage clouded over by guilt so strong I could feel the echoes of it in my own heart. It was also the last thing I saw before I flew off my feet. 

My head was ringing and my lip was stinging. Uppercut, must have been. I touched my lip and my fingers came back with blood. My uncle, when I could focus, was standing in the middle of the room, staring at me with such hatred that I could feel my blood drop a few degrees. No one was moving to stop him. 

"Putting some sense in him for me?" I heard Charlie say lightheartedly as he walked into the room. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "You got a little something on your face." He pointed at his lip. "Right about here."

I just looked pointedly at my uncle. With difficulty, I pulled myself up to standing. I stayed silent, but kept watching the man. I wasn't about to touch him, not even in self-defense. After a moment, he looked at his son. "Charlie, we're leaving. We'll see you when you come home," he said. "Which is going to be this week. You have responsibilities at home, too. Remember Annie? She's been waiting for you."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "She can keep waiting. She's so in love with me she's not going to touch another man."

"Charlie!" my uncle scolded. We all flinched. "You're coming home next week. That's final. You're going to go to work at the branch near our home."

"What! That's not fair!" Charlie screeched. "You're gonna let me keep working here. I'm not coming home."

"If you don't go home," my dad said slowly and deliberately, "I am going to fire you instead of transfer you, and you are going to be kicked out of the guest house to fend for yourself. You're not going to be allowed back on these premises until your father says so. If you do go back home, I will do an official transfer and tell the other store to not fire you right away, no matter how badly you screw up. You'll get three chances to get yourself together. Sound fair?" He looked at my uncle. 

He nodded. "Sounds fair." He looked at my aunt and nodded his head towards the door. "Let's go, honey."

She stood and grabbed her purse. While she was apologizing profusely to my mother, her husband walked out, not bothering to say anything to me. My aunt, tears in her eyes, went from my mother to me and began to apologize for her husband. I stopped her. "No, no," I said. "He's the one that needs to apologize, not you. You did nothing wrong. It's his place only, not yours. You've been nothing but lovely to me." Which was more or less true. She was nicer, but she was still stuck-up and thought Charlie was better than me. 

"Thank you," she said quietly, straightening a little. She followed her husband quickly out the door. 

Once they were gone, I motioned to the stairs. "Can I go to bed now?"

"Not until you eat something," Mom said, getting up. "You must be hungry."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, but obediently followed her towards the kitchen. Charlie grabbed my arm as I passed, forcing me to stop. "It's not over you know," he said under his breath so no one else could hear. "Not by a long shot."