Bar Red's Redemption ✔

c h a p t e r. 6

"You touch me and suddenly I feel a little less war torn. I'm not sure what peace is supposed to feel like but I think it may feel a lot like you."
-Anatomy Of Rains

chapter 6

Saturday morning, the day he would be going out on a date with Clementine, Bar woke up to the sound of a beer bottle shattering against his bedroom door.

His eyes snap open, his drowsiness dissipated by the familiarity of the situation while his fear and anxiety rise at knowing what comes next.

"Open this door, Bart," Talmai, his father, spat out.

Bar's heart pounded in his chest as he sat up in bed.

In one smooth moment, he moved off of the bed and stood in only his boxers, showing every tattoo, scar, and muscle that he had to offer. He was strong, regularly working out and staying in shape due to how physically taxing his job was. 

Unfortunately, it didn't matter how strong Bar was, he couldn't fight back to his father. He had to take every insult, hit, kick, or nasty comment.

Bar had to, otherwise who knows what could happen to his little sister.

Gwendolyn was only eleven, meaning she was too small to fight for herself. Luckily, she only had to stay at her father's house once a month, the other days she is at her mother's house due to the custody agreement, so Bar only saw his father once a month too.

He hated that Gwen shared their father but he was happy that his sister still had her mother to care for her, whereas his had died giving birth to him.

All he knew growing up was abuse.

Gwen had someone who loved her. A caring mother, a goodish brother, many friends. She was a smart, kind girl.

She didn't deserve to have their deadbeat father breathing fear down her neck.

Bar, on the other hand, thought he did.

But even with such self-hating thoughts, Bar allowed himself to indulge in his own apartment where he could escape the pain that his alcoholic father created.

He only stayed at his father's home at nights like these.

Nights where Gwen was only one room over, nights where his dad got roaringly drunk, and nights where Bar woke up knowing he'd get hurt and then have to protect Gwen until he could drive to her mom's house— somewhere safe.

"I'll beat you until you're nothing but blood, boy," Talmai threatens, slamming his fists into the wall. Bar doesn't even flinch as he calmly brushes his teeth and pulls on some sweats and a long sleeve. "Bart, open the fucking door, you worthless boy."

Bar ignored him, his anger pulsing.

Bart. Why does he always have say Bart?

"Fine." Talmai slurs, slamming another beer bottle against the ground. "I'll just go get your little sis—"

If he even fucking touches Gwendolyn, he's dead.

"Dad," Bar snarled, as if that fucking bastard deserved such a title, and threw the door open. "Don't. I'm right here."

"About time," Talmai smirked at Bar in a drunken stupor and stood slightly wobbly.

Bar's father was a six-foot-tall, heavier set man with a small beer belly and constantly busted knuckles. His hair always had a greasy look, his Latino heritage lost on his unhealthy and pale looking skin, and his eyes were dark and had a constant ignorant anger to them.