“Cole, listen to me damn it.” I yell and push my lover.
“Babe. Please calm down.” He tries to calm me. I erupt. I swing and black his eyes. ‘Shit’ I step back. Colby begins to cry. “Why?”
‘No no’
-Flashback-
Dark as midnight, twelve pack of coors light. My mother was hit and beaten. I try to stop him.
“You don’t look the same.” I stand in shock and fear.
“It’s past your bedtime, son” My mother tells me and tries to hurry me up the stairs. Before I can reach the stairs, he snatches me and tosses me to the ground. He hit me. Hard. “Kirk. Stop it. He’s done nothing wrong. Stop.” My mother yells and tries to get my father off of me. He hits her. Without thinking. I swing and hit him in his gut.
“You little brat.” My father hit me harder. “I’ll kill you.” He yells at me.
Minutes later blue and red lights come to take you away. I hate to see you like a monster so I ran to my big sister.
Twice a year you crash in.
“Hate to ask, but how does it feel to leave us behind?” Allison asks. Father only rolls his eyes.
“Eyes like yours can’t look away. “ He points at me.
“I won’t be like you.” I cross my arms.
“You’re fighting the truth. You can’t stop dna.”
Johnny Cash and backseat laughing always ends too soon. Hate to say hello, cus i know it means ‘goodbye.’
-End Flashback-
‘No no’. “I’m sorry.” I stand away from Colby. I begin to cry. “I erupt just like him. Are pieces of him in the pieces of me?” Colby says nothing but only looks at me in fear. “You look at me the way I looked at my father.” I sigh and look down. “I told myself I'd never be like him. But you can’t stop dna.”
Colby took my hand and said, "No, you're not like him. You reacted in fear and anger, but you stopped. You're not him and you never will be. I'm here for you and I'll always stand by your side." I only cry harder. He pulled me closer and gave me a hug. I buried my face in his chest and he softly whispered, "It's ok, I'm here for you."
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you.” My voice is low and shaky.
“Baby, it’s okay. I forgive you. I understand.” Colby kisses my head, and rubs my back. Suddenly the bedroom door opens. I pull away and turn to see Corey and Jake standing there. I’m even more ashamed of my actions, of my past.
“Here dude, I brought you some ice. We heard the fight.” Corey hands Colby an ice pack. Jake and Corey’s faces carry a shocked expression. I look down at my feet. Suddenly my face lifted. Mack. ‘forget she was here.’
“Why do you cry, firefly?” She asks. I breakdown again. She hugs me. “Bubba, our past doesn’t define us. We are connected to him in dna, but we can fight that. It’ll be alright, my dragonfly.”
“Did you get enough love, my little dove?” Colby ask.
“Sam? You know he can’t control you anymore.” Jake tells me. I nod.
“Can you please leave us be?” Colby asks everyone. Mack gives me a tighter hug and ruffles my hair before following Corey and Jake. Colby closes the door, still holding the ice pack to his left eye.
“I’m sorry. I really am.” I apologize again. Colby kisses me and pulls me close. We pull away. He sits the ice pack on the bed.
"It's okay," Colby said softly. "You don't have to apologize anymore. I understand why you reacted the way you did, and I'm here for you."
“I love you.” I hug him tighter.
“I love you too.” Colby holds me tighter. “I’m here.” I look up at him, and frown. “What?”
“Your eye. I feel bad.” I reach my hand up to his cheek.
“Babe, it's okay. I’m alright. It’ll be gone in a few weeks.” He leaned into my touch. “Come, let's sit on the couch, you can hold the ice pack for me.” Colby grabs the ice pack and leads us to the couch. He sits down and pulls me onto his lap. I gently kiss his eye. He smiles. I take the ice pack from him and gently place it on his eye. His arms wrap around my waist, holding me tight. He kisses my chin. I smile. We lay down on the couch, my head resting on his chest as we both drift off to sleep, his arms still wrapped tightly around my waist.
A/N: 784 words.
