Union

30.

Maria
I'm sore and Roel's cum leaks down my thighs without any panties as a barrier. A knowing smirk is on his face as I clench when we enter the shopping centre. Pulling me closer, he whispers so no one passing can hear. "Next time, don't try to leave me and you'll have a change of clothes."
Neither of us have any clothes but I feel excited at buying everything new for the week. "Can I pick yours? You always wear the same dark colours." Roel pauses at my question and I rush to take it back when he seals his lips over mine and counters. "Only if I can pick everything out for you." I nod eagerly it's not a hardship, neither is spending his money.
Something gets Roel's attention and his smile turns darks as he guides us towards a shop. I'm too busy staring at it to realise it's lingerie until we're inside. He turns serious scanning the items and holding them up to my body and I play the happy mannequin.
Everything he picks is the finest lace and silk and his hands fill up. Roel is like a child in a sweet shop moving us around until he's satisfied and there is a rainbow of lace, silk and barely anything in his hands. Ringing up the total, I try to take the bag from the assistant but Roel threads his fingers through mine and holds it away from me in his other hand.
Kissing the back of my hand as we walk out he speaks against my skin. "You don't lift a finger or spend a dime, that's my job." Trying to hide the smile in my voice it doesn't work. "And what's mine?" Kissing the back of my hand again, he squeezes as he softly answers my question. "The most important one, being at my side."
What started as a small part of me softening towards him has invaded my whole body without warning. Every day and little gesture has pulled me over to team Roel and he doesn't even know it.

The fun filled morning of shopping turns to stone as we pull up to my childhood home later in the afternoon. There's a lump in my throat and a pit in my stomach. Blowing out a breath I pray that by some miracle the people inside aren't who I know them as, if they've been taken over by aliens it would be an improvement.
Roel doesn't comment on my nerves and makes small circles with his thumb on my back as he walks us toward the door. Each step has my heart beating faster until the door opens and I see my parents are in a good mood. The smiles on their faces is cordial and Roel introduces himself shaking my fathers hand and kissing my mothers cheek like a good son in law. Antonio's head pops up behind them and I can see the need to hurt in his eyes that are the same colour as mine.
Roel instinctively moves closer to me and I relax until my brother pushes through my parents and gives me a one armed hug. His fingers dig into my shoulders too hard and I mask my face making sure not to wince. His voice is low disguising the threat laced in his words. "Not the husband you should have brought home." Pulling back he says louder. "Welcome home little sister." The fake smile on my face slips but I catch it putting it back on my face as we're guided inside.
My back is stiff from sitting up so straight and being alert, Roel is relaxed not sensing any danger as he gets quizzed by father. The fake paternal concern is bullshit making me want to fucking scream but I stay still. I've never opened my mouth before. That's the issue with biting my tongue for years, it caused it be cut off from my lack of use. The organ deprived until it withered away under my own weakness.
Mother comes in and gestures for me to help. Smoothing my dress down my thighs I look for any imperfections, it's stupid she'll find them no matter how microscopic. Once we're out of earshot, she pulls me further into the kitchen and her nails dig into my skin. They don't hurt but the venom in her voice has me trying to make myself smaller. "You chose incorrectly. A pretty face won't stay with you for long especially if you refuse to look after yourself." Like clockwork her demeanour changes going to the faux care after giving her insult. "I don't want you to spend your life listening to your husbands affairs, you should have picked a man who wasn't too good for you."
Pushing the emotion aside, I nod agreeing with her like she wants and Antonio walks in. The rotten apple of my mothers toxic eye is showered with praise before she leaves knowing he's about to get rid of his anger. Grabbing my wrist the same way he did when I was younger, my brother looks me up and down with disgust. "You've never cared about this family, you had one job and you chose a pathetic pretty boy over us." Anger burns through me at him calling Roel pathetic and I speak back for the first time. "Don't speak about him like that. He's my husband." The title doesn't taste bitter on my tongue and any joy I feel is replaced with pain when Antonio bends my wrist back.
His hand whips out as he drags me closer and my cheek burns, the corner of his finger catching my eyes and everything is blurry. It doesn't stop me from seeing the way his lips curls up or his hand coming forward and grabbing my face. "I protected you all these years, you left this family and refused to save us but you want to defend that cazzo?" Pushing against his chest he doesn't move and my earlier anger stays.
Hearing him say he fucking protected like a doting older brother while hurting me has a bitter laugh escaping. Shaking my head his hand moves still holding my face and my voice doesn't sound like my own. "When did you protect me?" There's too much strength in it and I don't wait for an answer now I've got momentum. "That's right, you didn't protect me, you protected yourself and used me as a shield. All of you did, when the fists rained down I was the one pushed forward. That's not love, it's not self preservation, it's fucking cowardice."
His fingers dig into my skin harder and I expect another slap, instead I'm pushed back and Antonio curls his hands into fists. "You're too young to remember anything so I'll forgive your mistake." The self righteous fuck is deluded. Whatever has made me change my behaviour has me stepping forward refusing to back down. Maybe it's a case of sweeping everything under the rug for so many fucking years I've finally tripped over it too many times and refuse to anymore.
Steeling my spine, I speak freely. "I'm too young when it suits you. Too young to remember anything but not too young to be your punching bag. Too young to speak and have thoughts but not too young to be told it's my job to protect mama." Antonio takes a step back and I follow not allowing him to run away. "Remember fratello, you told me I'm papa's favourite. If I stand in front of mama he won't hurt me." Emotion clogs my throat remembering being tasked with a job no child should have never mind a five year old. "What about when he did, when his fist connected with my ribs. Remember what you said?" Antonio opens his mouth to say something but fuck him. Popping the false reality he's created in my silence I don't let him. "You told me, six year old me, that it was my fault for not moving fast enough. So fuck you and the lies that you tell yourself."
The curse has him snapping back into anger and I close my eyes as his fist comes up. Air brushes my cheek but nothing connects. When I open my eyes jade filled with nothing but murderous rage are locked on to my sore cheek and stinging eye. Roel nods to himself confirming whatever decision he's made and that's all the warning we get before he twists Antonio's wrist and a snap rings out.
My brother screams falling to the floor cradling his hand. Roel doesn't look away from him as he asks. "Was it that hand?" I don't know what he's talking about and Antonio tries to get up screaming at Roel. "You psychotic bastard, you broke my wrist." The dark laugh leaving him is exactly as my brother said and Roel picks him up by his throat so his feet aren't touching the floor. "You put your hands on my wife. Be very fucking grateful I haven't taken it as a reminder for you to never do it again." The hatred in his voice deepens with each syllable and Roel looks unhappy with the amount of pain he's caused. Pressing into the broken joint his words are cut off as my parents rush into the kitchen.
When my father storms towards Roel I pull him trying to break them apart. His eyes soften when they come to me and he lets go in time for me to stand in front of someone out of choice. Spitting as he speaks father tries to stop himself reacting seeing this is a fight he won't win. "We invited you into our home and you assault my son." I can see the moment the thought enters him and push back and interlink my fingers with Roel's knowing the venom he's about to spit. "This is not a man who is worthy of my daughter. Do you abuse her too?"
He takes a different route than I expected but it hurts more and I speak over whatever Roel is saying. "You are a hypocrite, have you got so used to seeing the bruises on your wife's skin that you don't see them anymore? Or is it offensive that a husband would raise a hand to protect his wife instead of hurt her?" Shock covers everyone's features and Roel squeezes my hands infusing me with strength.
Looking at my parents trying to fake love I realise love is kind, warm and nurturing. This is cold, harsh and barren. It's not an environment to be anything but the worst of who you are. Seeing the worst face of the one you love should be outshined by who they are everyday, not the ugly truth of that's all you'll ever receive.
My father recovers before anyone else and has a disgusted expression on his face, the threat leaving him easily. "I should slap some sense into you girl, you don't know what you're talking about." Roel moves forward trying to unthread our fingers but I hold tighter cutting off my own blood circulation as my mother walks around her raging bull of a husband.
Her voice is filled with reprimand and I could save her the time already knowing what she's going to say. "As a married woman yourself, you should know not to interfere with another's marriage." My laugh is bitter filled with the same disappointment and disgust I've felt every day of my childhood. There's no hiding the emotion in my voice and I look between the eyes of the parents who were supposed to protect me. "If you didn't want me to interfere in your marriage, it shouldn't have bled all over my childhood. You involved me, I never asked to be born or play defence in the violence you that you call a marriage."
Three faces fall while the body behind me fills with pride and I loosen my fingers so he can feel his hands. "Get out, you are no longer my daughter." My mother thinks that's going to hurt me, I wish it came sooner. Pulling Roel behind me, he stops shoulder to shoulder with my father but doesn't turn as he speaks in a deadly tone. "With all due disrespect to you and your family, if any of you speak to my wife again or your breath so much as touches a hair on her head I'll make a broken wrist be equivalent to a fly landing on you in terms of pain." He starts walking again and as soon as we're out of the doors I feel like I'm going to collapse.