Page 61 of Mending Me

“And it’sBaileyto you,” I spat back. This man had no right to be cute with me.

“Ohhh, she’s feisty. Just like your mother.” Javier’s eyes bore into me but it was like he wasn’t looking at me at all. It was as if he was lost in a memory from the past. He returned his glare to Hank after a few seconds and composed himself. “Listen here boy, I just need a little bit of money and since you’re my son, you’re going to give it to me.”

“I’m not giving you jack, especially not money. What do you need it for? A hooker? Maybe some booze to get drunk off of?” By the tone of his voice, I could tell Hank was getting angry. His fists were clenched at his sides and he was leaning towards his father threateningly.

“Hank,” Javier started, giving him a menacing look, “it’s embarrassing enough that I had to hunt you down like some animal and come up with some sob story to get the woman on the phone at the base to give me your new address. Now stopbeing difficult and just give me a couple hundred bucks and I’ll be on my way.” Rage grew inside of me every time he spoke. How could he talk to Hank like this?

Hank held me behind him with one arm to shield me as he pushed past Javier in order to unlock his door. We were all standing in the stairway between three other units and if the neighbors were home, they would definitely be able to hear us out here.

“Like I already said, I’m not giving you anything and you need to leave. And you can forget that I live here, you aren’t welcome to come back any time soon.” He had his key in the lock and pushed me towards the threshold when Javier grabbed his arm and turned him around.

“Listen here you good for nothing piece of shit. I raised you when your mother died and gave you a roof over your head. I made sure you got through school and I didn’t tell you no when you came home and told me you were running off to play soldier. As if some worthless soul like you would be able to have any true sense of honor and respect. Instead of being a bastard, just give me some fucking money if you know what’s good for you,” Javier spat, nearly shouting at Hank.

I couldn’t take it anymore, my rage towards this man exploded from inside of me. I took a step around Hank and squared my shoulders with Javier’s.

“Howdareyou speak to him like that? Hank owes you nothing after how you treated him growing up. You think you have the right to come here and ask him foranything? You don’t. You should be ashamed of yourself for expecting anything from your son who has permanent scars that your hands gave him. The only person in this situation who is a good for nothing piece of shit isyou!” The words fell from my mouth with so much fury that it felt like I was breathing fire. Panting, I stared at Javier as his face twisted into a scowl. His eyes burned into me.

“You little…” he muttered as he raised his arm into the air. I braced myself for the impact of his hand across my face but it never came. Instead, Hank flashed from behind me, tackling his father to the ground and hitting him across the chin with a punch.

“How dare you try to hurt her! ¡Eres un hijo de puta!?1” He threw another punch, this time hitting his father in the gut. “I will never let you get near her again!” The two men wrestled on the ground and Javier struck Hank across the face with his fist. Using his age and strength to his advantage, Hank grabbed his father, throwing him to the ground and landing a third punch on him.

“Hank. Hank! Stop! He’s not worth it, stop,” I shouted, reaching for his arm as it lifted over his head for a fourth time. When my hand reached his wrist, his head whipped back to look at me and I could see the hurt in his eyes. “Stop, you’re better than him. This isn’t you.” Tears welled in my eyes seeing so much hurt there.

He looked back to his father who had a bloody lip and a cut across his eye. Grabbing the collar of his shirt, Hank pulled Javier closer to his face and threatened, “If youevercome here or near her again, I won’t hesitate to show you just how much of a mistake that would be.” He shoved his father to the ground again and stood up. When he came to stand next to me I noticed he was bleeding above his eye. “Now get the fuck out of here before I call the cops and report you for assault and harassment.”

Javier stood up and brushed his hands off on his jeans and started to walk down the stairs. Before he descended, he turned back towards us one more time. “At least I know all those years of beatings made you stronger, Son. You have me to thank for that temper of yours. And your willingness to take a punch.” He winked at Hank and snickered before limping down the stairs.We waited until he disappeared down the sidewalk before finally going inside.

Hank slammed the door and locked it behind him before reaching for me and pulling me into an embrace. As he held me, I could feel the thumping of his heart in his chest. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. I can’t believe he?—”

“Shhh,” I soothed and shook my head at him, “It’s okay. It’s over now, he’s gone. Thank you for protecting me. Maybe I shouldn’t have said those things to him but I just couldn’t stand there and let him berate you like that.”

“I’m glad you did. Someone needed to put him in his place. You’re fierce as hell and I love you for it. Thank you for standing up for me.” He pulled me back into his arms, encapsulating me into his strong chest. He was breathing heavily and running his fingers through my hair.

“I love you too,” I confessed into his chest. He pulled away and looked down at me, stunned.

“What did you say?”

“I said, I love you too,” I repeated before pressing up on my toes and pulling him in for a kiss.

“I think I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you,” he murmured. Our faces were hardly an inch apart and the way his lips pulled up into his signature goofy smile made my insides melt. He pulled me into a deep kiss that was more intentional than the one before. Our lips meshed together and our breath became one. When he finally pulled away from me, my eyes caught the now dried blood that had seeped from the cut above his eye.

“Come on, my love, let’s get you cleaned up.” I pulled him towards the bathroom and pushed his shoulders down, forcing him to take a seat on the toilet while I cleaned up the cut. As he sat, his eyes level with my chest, I used the first aid kit from under his sink to clean up and disinfect the wound. He broughthis hands to my waist, held me in place, and closed his eyes while I cleaned him up.

“Bailey,” he muttered as I pressed a bandage to his eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“I’m not like him.” His eyes were low and he didn’t meet my gaze.

I knelt down in front of him and brought my eyes to his, forcing him to look at me. “I know you aren’t.”

“I don’t hurt the people I love when I’m angry,” he nearly whispered it and I could feel the shame in his voice.

“I know you don’t.” I ran my hand through his dark curls as he looked up at me.

“I would never hurt you. I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” When his voice wobbled the slightest bit I felt a piece of my heart break. As I looked at him, I saw him for what he really was; a grown man who was once a young boy afraid of becoming his father. Thinking of little Hank, scared and alone at the hands of an abusive, angry man brought tears to my eyes. I pushed my way into his lap and he held me there as I nuzzled my nose into his neck.

“I’ve never felt anything other than safe and protected when I’m with you. You are not your father. You’re a good man, I know it. I see it every day. You make me feel safe and loved every single time I’m with you.”

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