Losing Mr. Maxwell

Chapter Five - Sour and Sweet

"Shh..." she cooed, "It's okay, Azura."

"Stop saying it's okay! It's not okay!" I stepped out of her embrace and stared her down, "You lied to me! You always said you'd be there for me!"

"Az-"

"No Ian! No!" I looked between both of them, "You've both lied to me all this time... I-I'm so tired. Where's John, huh?! Why would you even stay with him, mom?! Why would you let him beat on you, he knew, didn't he?! He knew! He fucking knew, so help me God I'm going to beat the living hell out of that man!"

"Honey, he didn't know..." she whispered.

I saw the look on Ian's face as she said that. He caught my gaze and looked away.

"Don't... lie to me anymore, mom!" I sobbed, "Don't defend him. He knew you were sick, yet night after night he would get drunk and beat on us. He would do all of these things to us, to you! Yet here you are defending him. He had no right, I don't care if you cheated on him with Ian! You don't deserve this... none of us do... I-I'm... I'm going to kill him!"

"Azura, calm d-"

She had a coughing fit and wiped her sweat. She pulled a napkin out of her pocket and wiped her pale lips. Mom's shaky hands wiped my tears and she sighed. I heard shuffling on the inside and looked to see him coming to the door. Mom attempted to stop me, but Ian quickly ran up to her and hugged her to his chest. Out of complete anger, I kicked the door open and ran inside, punching him in the face.

"You bitch!" I yelled as he fell to the floor.

He scratched at his burning cheek and I stomped on his leg. John gasped and bent down to rub his throbbing leg. He hissed in pain and yelled out to mom to help him, but I only stomped on the same spot. He let out a bark of anger and rolled over.

"Like how it feels?!" I cried, "It hurts, doesn't it?!"

"A-Az-"

"Want to feel more?!" 

"N-"

I stomped on the same spot twice more and he yelled in pain. His forehead was filled with sweat and I kicked his arm away from me.

"A-Azura!" he cried in pain, "S-stop!"

"Stop? You want me to stop? When I begged you to stop hitting me, did you ever?! Don't even say my name!" I yelled, "You piece of shit, how would you feel if I locked you in a closer for a weekend?! Huh?! How would you feel if I got drunk and beat the shit out of you every night?!"

I crouched down next to him and almost laughed at his eyes widening. His ragged breath was the only thing that echoed through the house. 

"What was your reason for hurting us?" I whispered.

John closed his eyes as if accepting what was going to happen. 

"Azura." he calmly said, "Let me g-"

"All this time you knew Mom had breast cancer, you knew and still hurt us! You fucking asshole, what's your problem?!"

He only stayed quiet, his eyes still closed.

"Look. At. Me!" I screamed.

John opened his pitiful eyes and stared at me. My fingers snaked their way around his neck and I narrowed my eyes.

"Anne cheated on me." he whispered, "I co-"

Straddling him, I threw punch after punch at his face, satisfied with the cries he'd yelp. He tried to block my punches with his hands, but I only twisted them whenever he'd move them. It was... satisfying to see him struggle under me. It made my heart race whenever he'd cry out when I'd punch him. Revenge was sweeter than ever... I loved it. The adrenaline pumped through me, forcing me to keep on going.