All Is Love and War | Maxley |

➳ 10

This chapter is messy, so if you need clarification let me know!

CHAPTER 10

Max

The two of us woke up in awkward silence. We sat on the floor of his bedroom yet again, in silence. I hated silence, but I think I hated the silence with Bradley the most. I enjoyed hearing him ramble, I even casually enjoyed the insults he barked at me. I liked him for various reasons I wasn't too sure about. It had yet to hit me why I found him so desirable.

It was too quiet, we had to talk about what happened. "Are you okay?"

"Shut up, stupid," he hissed.

Damn, I thought we were over the banter. "Brad, I want to have a conversation with you. That means," I jerked his face towards mine. "You look at me while I speak. Okay? Don't be such a disrespectful brat."

"There's nothing to talk about," he spat. He looked down at my hand that held his jaw, drawing his eyes back up slowly. "Plus, I don't want to talk with you."

"'There's nothing to talk about,' my ass. I saw your face back at the bar when I looked a hell like your father. Tell me what the fuck he does to you for you to be so damn afraid."

Bradley jerked his head away. "It's normal to be afraid when someone is almost beaten to death."

"Have you been in many situations where someone is almost beaten to death?"

Bradley's eyes dropped to the floor. "You don't know anything," he whispered in a small voice. "I showed weakness back there, it won't happen again."

"Don't dance around the issue, Brad. Does your father beat you?"

His eyes opened wide. "What—no—he doesn't—he doesn't hurt ... me." That dead mother fucker.

I rose to my feet. "It's my job to protect you. Let me protect you against your father." Bradley jumped to his feet.

He pressed a slim finger to my chest, adding pressure as he spat, "don't you fucking mettle in my business. I understand you want to protect me, but what he does makes me stronger. I have to follow in his steps."

I stared down at his eyes. My eyes darkened. "You want to be an abuser too?"

He stepped back. "He has his tactics. Ask my brothers, they'll tell you they work. Once they were frightened boys, but now they stand tall."

I'm pissed. "Do you not understand how fucking crazy you sound?"

Bradley circled around the room. "My father isn't a good man," he finally said, sitting down on the edge of his bed. "I know he isn't. Hell, we're all afraid of him." He put his hands to his face, laughing softly with sadness stuck in his throat. "I don't want to be like him, but it's what's planned for me. I can't let anything happen to the plan he mapped out for me."

I sat next to him. "You're afraid that if what he's done comes to light, he'll hurt you?"

"No, he'd never hurt me. Fuck, sometimes I wish he would. He'll hurt my mother, my brothers."

I held his fingers. "He already hurts them, Bradley. You need to get that mother fucker arrested."

He started crying into his palms. He wiped away his tears, laughing softly between sobs. "That's the first time you've ever called me Bradley. But you're right, I need to tell someone; the police."

"I'll be there with you at the police station. You won't be alone, I promise."

"You talk so damn much," he muttered, wrapping his arms around me. His touch was warm. My heart fluttered, my face flushed a dusty pink.

I could protect him physically, but I could also protect his heart. If he would give me the chance, I would carefully wrap my fingers around it, keeping it close to me. I would never let it go. I just needed him to realize my feelings, or perhaps, he needed to realize his own. This, however, was a good start.