Max

Chapter 14

Eventually, Luke and I fell asleep on his bed. I had woken up a few hours later. I was lying on his chest and he had his arms around me. He appeared to be in a deep sleep, so I took my chances and slowly slipped out of his arms and off of the bed.

I walked by Maddy's room, who's door was shut and I assumed Eli was sleeping with her in there. Luke's parents' door was shut and I slowly made my way to the guest room I had been staying in.

I grabbed my backpack from the closet and and quietly left the room. I tip-toed downstairs and made my way to the back door. Their house was armed with an alarm and I punched in the code. I was surprised to make it out of the house without anyone noticing.

I walked as fast as I could, trying to hide from people and cars as they drove by.

Finally, I made it to the house. I peeked through the window and was unusually happy to see Jonny home with my mother. 

I got to the front door and held onto the handle. I took in a deep breath and braced myself to open the door. I swung it open and shut it behind me.

Jonny couldn't hide the delight on his face. "Well, well, well. Look who finally found her way home. I heard about your old man friend. Such a shame. I can't tell you how much it pains me." He placed his hands on his chest, feigning hurt. I could sense his sarcasm and the way he spoke those words might as well have been a confession as far as I was concerned. He stood up and started walking toward me.

I was breathing heavy and tears were running down my face, but I didn't hesitate to quickly put my hand in my backpack and pull out Mr. Declan's gun. I aimed it towards him and he stopped in his tracks. "Don't come any closer!" I shouted, my voice shaking. 

"Woah, woah, woah, put down that gun sweetie. You don't know what you're doing with that." I could tell he was scared. My mother was too. Her eyes were as wide as they could go and she was on the edge of her seat.

"I know exactly what I'm doing with this." I said with my teeth clenched.


"Maxine, don't you hurt him!" My mother drunkily scrambled to her feet and stood in front of him.

"Mom. Come on. Move out of the way. Let me do this! We could all be a family again if we could just get rid of this asshole!" I cried. I couldn't believe she could stand there and defend him.

"Maxine, put the fucking gun down. I will not let you hurt him. He's done everything for us. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have a job! You should show some respect! You wouldn't have a roof over your head if not for him!"

"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been raped! If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have met Billy and then he couldn't have hurt me the way he did everyday!. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be a hooker!"

"You will not talk to me or your mother like that you little bitch!" Jonny threatened through clenched teeth.

"Mom, what about me? Don't you love me? Don't you care about me? I'm your daughter! It's him or me. You know what he'll do to me if I don't kill him." I was scared and sobbing.

I always hated my mom, but I also always loved her. And I thought she felt the same way. Blood was thicker than water wasn't it? If she had to choose between us, I felt that she would choose me. I helped put food on the table, I was always cleaning up after her. He abused her. And Elias. And me. On what grounds could she choose him? She knew what he'd do to me if I let my gun down. I'd spend my life being sold for sex. Like her.

"You are nothing but a selfish, spoiled cunt. And if you want to shoot him, you'll have to go through me." She sounded stern. She was standing straight, which was hard for her considering how high she probably was.

I guess my mother was just as naive as I was. She assumed that I would choose his life over my own, at her request, just like I assumed she would choose my life over his. Well I guess we were both wrong.

I looked at her in the eyes with my gun pointed straight at her.

"I'm sorry you feel that way mom" were my last words to her. I pulled the trigger and she fell backwards. I shot her in the chest. I wasn't too far away from her for it to be a hard shot.My heart dropped to my stomach as I watched her body fall to the ground. I had to do it. If killing her meant killing Jonny and saving Elias and Luke, I had to do it. 

Jonny's voice interrupted my gaze at my dead mother. He looked shocked. "Max, look, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you. Look, if you leave now, I won't tell anybody what happened. "

He thought I was stupid. He was taking large steps towards me, slowly. "Stop moving!" I yelled, but he didn't listen. 

"You beat me, you had me raped, you stabbed me, and you killed Mr. Declan." He kept walking towards me and I was backing up towards the wall.

He was moving quick now and he was only a few steps away from me. 

I kept my gun aimed at him and pulled the trigger.