Rhett's Rebel

|| Rhett || - 10

This was the first time I opened up to someone about my fears: which all included my father.

I was always the most afraid of him hurting Ripley.

Yes, I was afraid of him, but not nearly as afraid of the thought of him beating my baby brother. Or even my mother.

My father was oddly strong for being a buisinessman.  He had anger problems, and he always took it out on someone else. That person usually being me.

I didn't care as long as Ripley and my mother were never laid a finger on.

That is, until Ripley decided to live with him.

My fear was eating away at me, it's like my stomach persisted in making me dry heave every five minutes, and my head pounded as if a horrible migraine was occurring.

So when I took her to that same bench I had asked her to homecoming, I knew I needed to tell her. I needed the moon to control my tides again.

"Are you going to just sit and stare at the ground all afternoon or ... ?" I knew she was only teasing, yet I didn't laugh like I normally would have. I actually was blinking tears away before she said that.

I looked up at her, taking in his mouth that was slightly turned downward and her pale blue-gray eyes that were full of concern. Her eyes always held the truth; she was actually worried about me.

"My parents are separated but act together... so, my dad has a completely different place he usually sleeps at." She softens her gaze at me, nodding along. This wasn't the girl that I had asked to tutor me a few weeks ago.

Or maybe this was her all along, I had thought.

"My dad, as you probably guessed, physically and mentally abuses me. Most of the time he does it since he's angry and needs to take it out. I usually take blame for anything so Ripley doesn't get hurt."
I had been shedding tears as I spoke, and she lightly placed her hand on my arm.

"Rhett, you don't have to finish if it's too hard."

I wiped the tears from my eyes. "No, I have to... it's been eating away at me since I can't tell anyone. Not even my therapist." I exhaled before continuing. "Ripley decided to live with my dad at his other place to go to the same school as most of his friends... I already know he's going to hurt him— my dad is going to hurt him because I'm not there to protect him!"

She had pulled me against her, wrapping her arms around me as I let the tears out. For someone that usually despised any forms of affection, she gave the best hugs. It was inviting and warm, and she squeezed slightly, reminding me that she was there.

I pulled back first surprisingly, giving her a hesitant smile. "Thank you. I really needed that."

She shrugged, her eyes smiling for her mouth. "Well no one else was here so I guess I had to step up to the plate."

"Well I'm happy you did..."

After a couple minutes of us staring at each other in comfortable silence, she spoke up, a serious look spreading across her features. "My dad is the reason I have trust issues and have trouble making friends. He ruined everything... so, I get it."

"What did he do?"

Her face went blank and her eyes were glazed over, as if she was remembering everything he did.

"Maybe another time I can tell you. I...can't right now." She shut off. It was as if anytime we made progress and she began to open up to me, she'd shut off completely. She closed the door I was just getting to open up.

I wanted her to open the door... I didn't want to break down her walls; it was something she had to do for herself.

**unedited**