Athena

54. Together

Right as the threat fires from Cruz' mouth, my eyes snap toward Ron. Fury darkens his features. It's like watching a train wreck unfold in real time. His emotions look unhinged. There's a manic gleam in his eyes, and the sheer force of Ron's wrath eclipses Cruz's anger by far.

But I also notice a glimpse of something else. Something I've never seen in Ron during one of his tirades against Cruz or my aunt. 

I think it's... fear?

This may very well be the first time Cruz is standing up to him, and I believe, for the first time, Ron's second-guessing his ability to dominate his son.

I don't blame the fucker. Cruz cuts an imposing figure. I recall Brody and Cruz's fight in our school cafeteria. Those two seemed far more evenly matched. This current stand-off between father and son, however, seems to tilt in Cruz's favor. Ron is fit for his age, but he's no longer in his prime. Cruz is taller than Ron. He's a star athlete who's younger, stronger, and quicker. 

And, most notably, my man has every motivation to smash Ron's face to the ground.  

Eying Cruz with apprehension, Ron scrambles off of the floor and gets back on his feet. Yet, he still taunts Cruz, "You think you're grown, now? Shut the fuck up, and sit the fuck down. You're dreaming. In the real world, you're nothing, son, a nobody, without me. Everything you have is mine. The clothes on your back. The trophies lining your shelf. The goddamn car in our driveway—"

One by one, these incendiary jeers fuel the fire under my ass. Despite the worry I see in Ron's eyes, the man is still very much a bully. He's an unapologetic aggressor through and through. Ron's relentlessness and his nasty attitude make me want to punch him in the face. Suddenly, I have no interest in keeping the peace or kissing ass. I'm sick and tired of watching Ron tear down Cruz time and time again. I want to fight back. I don't want to listen to Ron belittle someone that I care about anymore. Someone that I lo—

Before I can even blink, though, a blur flies through the air in front of me. It's Cruz's fist. His knuckles are hurtling toward Ron's nose. As Cruz punches into his dad's face, the sound of a bone-splitting crunch fills my ears. My nerves clench up with distress.

Ron releases a shrieking howl as his hands move up to cradle his busted nose, "You fucking broke my face!"

His face is, indeed, broken. Blood pours from his nose. The gory sight of it makes my entire body cringe. But Cruz's revenge against Ron is also satisfying as hell to witness.

Cruz continues without an ounce of remorse, "If your face is broken, drive yourself to urgent care."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Get your broken nose outta here before I give you a black eye and a busted lip to match."

Pain contorts his face as Ron gasps, "Are you threatening me?"

Cruz's voice drips with pure sarcasm when he spits, "No, dad, I wanna go camping and make smores together. Are you slow?"

Ron's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets with disbelief as though he can't believe that Cruz would say something so bold. Ron looks so worked up that he can barely speak. He struggles to respond, "H-How dare you!"

The blood starts to really pour down Ron's face. Bright red rivulets stain the crisp white of his shirt.

"You deserve it," Cruz growls in heated tones. "For what you did to mom. To Katrina. To me."

To my surprise, Cruz then walks over to my desk and grabs a handful of tissues. He hands them to Ron. To help his dad stop the bleeding. Even though Cruz was the one who decked him. This whole exchange is so bizarre. It's almost comical.