Chipped Heart

Chapter 6:

Bacon, eggs, and pancakes flowed through the vents. Small talk was made downstairs as I slowly woke up. Nothing seemed right for a second. It was too peaceful. Last night only appeared to be a nightmare, but one look at the marks on my arm proved that it was real. How could someone so sweet and caring just snap like that? Ethan needed help, and I had to give it to him. Regardless of what happened to me.

I smiled at Declan as he failed miserably at cooking a pancake. "Hey, Jenna, do you know how to cook?  Trevor and I suck at it."

"Oh, so you think I can cook just because I'm a girl?" Declan's eyes widen with fear, and he began to defend himself. An innocent action of a kid being caught saying a bad word. "Don't give yourself a heart attack. Watch out, so I can do it."

The three of us made breakfast together while catching up. Declan told us about traveling Europe, and living in England. All of the beauty for that country made me want to visit it even more. Nothing that beautiful could truly exist, so I had to see it with my own eyes to prove it was real.

We talked about growing up together as snobby rich kids. No troubles in the world. Laughing with them didn't feel the same as when I'm with Ethan. My smile never reaches my eyes, and the pain is closer to attacking. One moment of me not smiling, and I'll be sad. That never happens with Ethan though. It's natural with him. I don't have to force anything.

Gentle hands touch my shoulder as I quickly wash my dish. Nothing is in store today, but a part of me feels obligated to Ethan. "You okay?" His voice is soft, and I almost melt because of it.

"Yes." That was his superpower. Declan could calm anyone down even if they were panicking. Maybe that's why I clung to him so much all this time because he's such an amazing person to be around.

"It would be okay if you weren't." Desperation spreads across my face for him to stop. There's no need to talk about my feelings when Ethan could be getting hurt. "You don't want to talk about it. All I'm going to say is that you've been through a lot, Jenna, and I'll always be here for you."

Warmth spreads through my body as he places a finger to my arm. After so many months of feeling ice cold, there was warmth in me. Declan was helping me feel something that only my sister could give me. Soft, gentle eyes stared down at me. Nothing but love filled in them.

Despite all of the years apart, we were still close. I wrapped my arms around Declan's average body to seek more warmth and comfort. Having his arms around me was the most soothing thing. For a moment, I felt protected from everything that's happened to me. It was safe in his arms. "Thank you, Declan." I said while standing on my tippy toes to kiss his cheek.

Convincing Trevor to give me Ethan's address took a lot of convincing to do. As soon as I stepped out of my home, cold air hit me. There was more wind blowing in my face than usual, but I chose to ignore it.

Not as many people were outside. Most of their tv's were on, candles were lit, and some people played music. Today was the perfect time to chill at home because of this weather. A part of me was confused about what I intended to do. Would I demand Ethan give me answers for the marks on my arm? Will he hurt me again? Or maybe I'll just sit in my car, scared of whatever was to come.

Screams came from a broken down house. The yard was a dark yellow, trash was in the yard, and a half broken door was the most noticeable feature. Dark brown consumed every inch of this house; not allowing any light to impact it. Objects were heard being thrown around the house, and I wondered why nobody called for help. Maybe the dad had everyone scared, or nobody cared.

I got ready to leave when Ethan was seen through the window. Blood dripped from his mouth, and a loud gasp escaped me. His father threw another punch at him while yelling loudly in his face. It carried through the small house, and I ran out of my car.

Seeing such hatred and envy in his father's eyes caused several chills to wash over me. This was way different from dad play fighting with Trevor. Only evil could describe an action like this. I watched in horror as his father threw punch after punch. Every inch of me wanted to yell along with Ethan in pain, but that wouldn't help anything. My feet carried me towards the of the tiny home.

Ethan's dad beat him across the house. They finally reached a room where a final punch was thrown.

Once the room door closed leaving Ethan alone, I silently knocked on his window. Dirt got on my hands from whatever filth was on it. Tears stormed down his face as he suddenly turned towards me. Black eyes, a busted lip, and scratches took over his once smooth face. He slid open the window, and I climbed in to wrap my arms around him. Our hug was short lived because his father stormed back in.

We immediately jumped while clinging to the other. Nothing could hurt as long as we held each other. Something else trigged in his father's eyes, and I was ten times more scared. Alcohol spilled from his cup as he took a step closer to us. Ethan help onto me tighter while taking a step back. "Who's this?" His father looked around his son to meet my gaze. "Hey there." Was the last thing he said before reaching to grab me from Ethan's grasp.

I got pushed further back, and watched as he missed the grab. Anger flickered across his face even more now. "Don't touch her, dad." Ethan sounded completely different now. Something else rested in his voice, and it made me scared to see what his eyes looked like.

Seconds passed. Only silence filled the room now. Climbing out the window would be a fail, but that was the closest place we had to be free of him. Nothing outside but a cool breeze came in. "What did you say to me, boy?" That voice couldn't be human. Only a true monster could sound like that.

"Don't touch her. Bryan." Every part of Ethan stiffened as he spoke the words. I shivered as he took a step closer to seem more intimidating.

I grabbed his arms. "Ethan, don't." Our eyes met for several seconds. Desperation filled me voice, but fear masked it. Each word was a struggle to say.

Bryan took our moment of affection to attack his son. The two of them started punching the other as I screamed for it to stop. New bruises were forming on both of them, and blood dropped onto the floor now. Unlike earlier, Ethan was fighting back.

It was hard to tell who was going to win. Bryan lifted Ethan off of the floor by the neck, and I leaned against the broken dresser in fear. He punched him again and again. "Stop it!" My voice begged.

A nearby baseball bat leaned against the door, and I grabbed it. Violence isn't something I condoned especially after my sisters death, but this was different. Bryan was going to kill him if nothing changed. I swung the bat into Bryan's old back. Something sounded like it cracked as my hits became harder. Ethan fell from his grasp while walking over to me.

Tears stung both of our eyes, but we ran out of the house. Neighbors stood outside trying to see what little they could. Not many windows were on the house, so it was hard to see anything. I exhaled as we made it to the car.

Bruises were all over Ethan's body, yet he asked me about how I was. Nothing was physically wrong with me. Seeing how brutally Ethan was hit would never leave my mind though. All of the fear, sadness, and desperation resting in his eyes. There was no way anyone could be okay after seeing that let alone experiencing it.

As soon as he was sure that I was okay, a stern look came across his face. "Jenna, things could've ended way differently today. You have to promise me that you'll never come back over here."

I looked him into his eyes. Our stare was held for what seemed like seconds. "Promise." A small smile came across my face as I extended my pinky finger. This was an easy promise to keep though because there was no way in hell Ethan was coming over here ever again.