blood runs red ✓

LII

'there's nothing i wouldn't do for you'

- laura mann

august

"What do you want?"

"You don't believe him, right? You don't believe I'd get your dad out of prison because of jealousy or some shit."

"Course not. That's stupid. I just had to agree. You know I had to agree."

Ares nodded. "My ex took the video and I think she worked with Sean to get your dad out of prison. My sister thinks she's jealous of you."

"That's fucked up. How'd you even find out about my dad and everything? I never told you."

"Your old boss, Lana, is my sister." Ares explained. "She knew about you because I told her about you, but then I was telling her about our sort-of breakup and she put two and two together and realised that her August was also my August. She figured out everything else about your parents and told me. Then I found out my ex sent the video around."

"Lana? Lana is your sister?" August focussed on that more than everything else. "No fucking way- I mean you guys are similar looking but.. God, I've not seen her in years, not since she moved away. I thought I could tell her everything because no one in my physical life would find out."

"You can see her, if you want." 

"I will, eventually."

"I want to know how all of this happened. I know I've found out already, but I want to hear it from you. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you."

"Tell me everything."

August nodded. "My dad's been abusive my whole life. Not to me, just to my mom. I didn't know until I was seven. It was my birthday and I was watching TV when my parents came home and started fighting. They didn't know I was there until my mom was hurting on the floor and saw me crying in the living room. I don't think I'll ever forget that."

Ares knew he had to stay quiet and just listen, so he did.

"Andrew, my dad, took away my mom's money and was incredibly controlling. Ever since my seventh birthday, he stopped hiding how abusive he was and started hitting her even if I was there. He only ever hit me if I tried to stop him. It wasn't often that I did, because my mom was always more upset if I got hurt, and I never wanted her to be upset because of me. I just wanted to make things easier for her.

I was the one that got my dad jailed. I was eighteen and in college, but I lived at home in fear of my dad hurting my mom too much. When I got home, one night after my part-time job, my mom was bleeding on the floor. My dad had broke her ribs and punctured one of her lungs, and I had to call the police and ambulance and get her taken care of. When they asked how it happened, I didn't lie. I told the truth.

The trial was messy, and my mom didn't want to say anything. I did most of the speaking, and because of me, she got the courage to give her own statement. There were medical records of her being hurt and not saying how, multiple times, and so many scars to prove everything. It was hard, but we got Andrew jailed and we were free for a bit.

I spent most of my life watching her get hurt and then helping her after. That's why I went into physiotherapy, because I liked helping people. But when she got sick when I was nineteen and started getting treated around twenty, I had to shorten my studies and push to get into working so I could provide for her. That's when I met Sean.

After working for a year, I took his offer of being his personal physiotherapist. He let me live with him for free and took care of my mom's medical finances and took care of me. Everything was perfect until one night, I got really drunk because it was a few years since my dad was jailed, and I ended up telling Sean everything.

He was supportive and caring, but eventually the side of him he'd been hiding finally came to light and he hit me. I didn't do anything, he just got mad after losing a match and he hit me in the face and I didn't know what to do. I went out and saw my mom, who didn't see the bruise, and when I came back, he just apologised and promised not to do it again.

But he did. And when I finally got the courage to leave, he threatened to get my dad out of jail and everything went to shit. Ever since, he's just been hurting me over and over, not enough to leave long-lasting damage, and has always had the upper hand. He knows I can't leave, and he loves it.

And he says he loves me, but if he did, he wouldn't do that to me. It took me a long time to realise that, and a part of me still loves him, still believes he loves me and holds on to the better part of our relationship, the honeymoon phase. But I want him gone. I can't stand him anymore. I can't stand the abuse, because it's not just violence, it's controlling my life, my work, money, food, my body, and I'm sick of it."

August took a deep breath, wiping tears from his eyes that he didn't even realise had fallen. He'd never been so open with anyone; not Lana, not Sean, not even his mom. He felt like a weight had been lifted.

But he was also terrified that Ares would become another Sean.

"I want to help you. I'll help you get your mom safe, get your dad back in prison and get you away from Sean. Will you let me?"

"You can't, Ares." August whispered. "I can't risk anything with my mom. She's the most important person in my life and- and if I fuck up, if I'm selfish and choose myself, she could get hurt. Ares, she has no one else but me. She's sick, and she doesn't have anyone else to protect her."

"How can you protect her when you can't protect yourself?" 

August stayed quiet.

"I'll protect her." Ares decided. "Lana has already found a way to get her away from where she is right now, and she can get your mom to a safe place where Sean can't get her. Where your dad can't get her either." 

"And then what? My dad is still free and I'm still with Sean. He'll hurt me and probably get my dad to come hurt me too. What can you do then?"

"I'll be with you. August, I've got you. I need you to trust me. Can you?"

August sighed.

"I trust you."

"Then wait for me. I'll fix everything for you. I promise."