Paper Hearts || Krii7y

9. Nothing. Everything.

Jaren took a deep breath. He didn't know how much he should tell John about his family, but something in his heart told him to tell him the truth about it all. He looked over at John driving, the wind tousling his hair.

"It's a bit of a sob story, to be honest. I don't think you want to hear it."

"I do."

He cleared his throat. "So, I told you my dad left. That was six months ago and ever since then, my mom and I argue all the time. We never get along like we used to, because she blames me for destroying her marriage."

"Oh, I'm-"

"If you apologise-"

John laughed softly. "Right, no apologies for things that aren't my fault."

Jaren smiled at him and looked back out of the window, watching the world go by. "We're not doing great but we're better off without him."

"He wasn't... abusive, was he?"

He sighed quietly. "He was, but it was my mom who got the brunt of it. My parents always argued when I was younger but it started getting worse about a year ago.

"He started buying more and more alcohol and there'd be so much that we couldn't fit food in the fridge from all the beer. He'd finish it so fast, too," Jaren continued, unable to stop the flow of words now that it had started. "He didn't even try to hide his drinking problem from us.

"He'd come home so drunk that me and my mom would have to help him to the couch and he'd just shout about how much he hated us the whole time.

"My mom tried to convince me that it was just the alcohol talking and that my dad loved me a lot but I know she just said that to make me think everything was okay. I didn't tell her that because I wanted to keep her happy.

"I wish I did say something, though, because he started getting physically abusive when my mom found out he was cheating. I heard everything from my room.

"He was cheating with a girl. She was barely nineteen, not far off how old I was. My mom told him either he left the girl, or she would leave him and then I heard a really loud blow. I just knew he'd put his hands on my mom and that was it, I saw red.

"When I got downstairs, she was on the floor, clutching her cheek and tears running down her face. I just lost it and jumped on him. I don't even know how many times I hit him before he threw me off. He tried to hit me too but my mom begged him not to."

He avoided eye contact, letting the chilly breeze blowing in through the window cool his blazing face. He hadn't spoken of that night since it happened. He barely even let himself think about it. "I asked her if she was okay after he went upstairs," he said into the air.

"Are you okay, mom?" he asked, reaching up for her cheek.

"You shouldn't have hit your father, Jaren. He won't forget that."

He jerked his arm back. "What?"

"You shouldn't have gotten involved."

"Are you kidding me?" He stood up shakily. "He could have killed you, mom, and he wouldn't have given a shit."

"Go to your room, Jaren."

He blinked back hot tears and obeyed, totally incredulous that his mom was defending the very man who had just slapped her.

"She just told me I shouldn't have hit him."

"That's messed up," John said after a while of silence. "Is that when he left?"