𝖶𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖧𝖾𝗋

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲

Parker placed the covers over her and his hand on her head and stroked it, not before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Good night Parker."

"Good night Paige."

His mother's hysterical sobs swirled in the air and gripped Parker with a vice.

He could not remember the first time his father laid hands on his mother but he could remember the first time he intervened. He was seven, at least that is what he thought. Trauma had a strange way of altering what people thought they knew.

His father hit him in the face that day. Ever since then it was difficult to stop stepping in.

A familiar dread sunk to the pit of his stomach, when he saw his mother laying on the ground, utterly defeated. His father was standing over her with a Jack Daniels bottle in his hand. He looked ready to smash her over the head with it. No matter how much Parker was bruised and beat, his fear was always for his mother and sister.

He had low self regard, maybe it was because everything he did was deemed below satisfactory, he was a living and walking disappointment to his father. His mother stopped trying to correct his father's degradation especially when he beat Parker and her so bad it was difficult to move.

"Aaron" Parker called, the son stood straight with his hand in his pockets "That's enough." Outside of the house Aaron Maddox was a doting husband and caring dad. Inside the Maddox estate he was the nightmare that never ended.

Aaron Maddox's eyes cut to his son.

"Boy" he drawled, it had the familiar twang that only made its appearance when he had several drinks.

"leave her alone."

He stepped over her and stood in front of his son. His father had scarily blue eyes, it was only frightening because Parker had the same ones. Clear but so empty.

Aaron was a tall well built man in his early fifties. He had blonde hair that fell in waves at his shoulder.

Parker brazenly looked his old man in the eyes, he had no fear and no respect for the man who terrorized his own family.

Amanda Maddox laid on the ground with tears streaming down her face. Her mascara was ruined, wrist partially sprained and blood was dripping from her slender nose.

Despite her injuries, she pulled out a compact mirror and wiped away her mascara and applied the lip balm she always had on her. Appearances were everything.

"Son you have been stepping out your place a lot lately" the blonde man said tilting his head to the side. "I'm not your little friends, that you can talk to any kind of way—"

Parker ignored his father's tangent and went to his mother and helped her off the floor.

"Mom you go lay down, I will bring your ice pack." The Woman bobbed her head with an inorganic smile she somehow produced on her face. Everything about Amanda Maddox was a facade. She smiled when she wanted to frown and laughed when she felt like sobbing. Despite this, she was always able to keep up appearances, constantly being watched and judged took its toll.