𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄 ~ | 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘤

VIII

Chapter eight:

~ Current mood: murderous rage ~

⚠ Trigger warning: Violence, panic attack, (and a stupid fuckface)

Visiting my mom was never easy.

Ever since, 'Ethan' moved in, life at my mom's place had been a living hell. He seemed to think that just because he was the man of the house, he could treat me however he wanted. It didn't help that my mom had this stupid, "Ethan is the best thing that's ever happened to me," smile plastered on her face all the time.

I hated it.

I hated him.

Ethan was the type of guy who always had to have the last word, no matter how stupid or wrong he was. He constantly made sexist remarks, and when I called him out on it, he'd just laugh it off and say I was being too sensitive. 

Mom would always take his side, even when he was in the wrong. Just as she would always take Thea's.

Thea didn't hate him as much as I did. In fact, you could say she tolerated him. She'd laugh at his stupid jokes and pretend to agree with his remarks, just so she could get on his good side. I always knew that Thea always wanted a dad.

Of course, we had a father.

But never a dad.

I could see why she'd want one. Why she'd take whatever scraps of attention Ethan deigned to throw her way. She was always so desperate for a father figure, always wanting someone to look up to, someone to protect her. And I understood that. I really did.

I had gone a different way.

I learned how to protect myself.

Even though she may not have noticed it, I have always protected her too. All those times Dad would get wasted and come home angry, I'd be the one to take his anger while Thea hid in her room. I'd be the one to listen to his ramblings about how he wished he'd never had us, about how he wanted to move to another country and leave us behind.

I thought it was all over when he finally did.

And now I had Ethan. 

Of course, he didn't compare to the hell Jos had put us all through, but he was still an unwelcome presence in my life. Ethan was no better than Jos, just in a different form. He might not have been abusive, but he was still controlling and dismissive.

I also found it annoying how well he got along with Matteo.

"Eve!"

Speak of the devil.

I got up from the table and slowly walked over to where Ethan was sitting, the faint hum of the television blending into the background. He didn't even acknowledge my presence as I stood there, staring at him for a moment. 

His shoulders were hunched forward, as if he were trying to get as close to the screen as possible, and his hands were clasped together in his lap. It was starting to annoy me how comfortable he seemed to be at my mom's house, like he actually belonged there.

"What." I asked, my voice hard.

"Don't take that tone with me." Ethan said, not even looking up from the screen. "I'm out." He said, nudging the empty beer bottle across the coffee table with the tip of his finger.