Easton sent one good punch to Benji’s nose, and when he picked his face up he revealed the blood streaming out of it. Emerson was screaming incoherently, only adding to the tension in the room. Macy’s amusement was slowly turning into a mix of disgust and disdain as she watched the best friends throw hands.
“Stop!” their aunt screamed at the top of her lungs. “You’re getting blood all over my floors!”
Thatwas what she was worried about?
Benji sent one last right hook into Easton’s face before moving back. His hands covered his bruised nose while Easton stood crookedly.
“Benjamin, get the hell out of my house before I call the police,” Macy seethed.
Benji wasted no time making his exit as he did not want the complicated issues from the police. When the door slammed shut behind him, we were left in a room with tension so thick you could slice it with a knife.
Macy grabbed a towel off the counter and tossed it to Easton. He didn’t need to ask why she threw it, he already knew what she wanted. His eyes shot her a mean glare before he knelt down and began wiping up the blood on the floor.
Emerson and I stood frozen in place. Neither of us dared move out of fear of getting berated. Macy sighed heavily as she turned on her heels to go back to the cave she crawled out of. She would have walked away if it wasn’t for Eli.
Brows furrowed, breathing labored, pure rage was what I saw on Eli. “That’s it?”
Macy side-eyed him. “What?”
“You watched the entire situation happen. You heard every filthy thing that came out of Benji’s mouth and watched him and Easton fight like they were in an area, yet you couldn’t be bothered to stop it until blood got on your floors?”
“Don’t speak to me like that, Elias.”
Eli stood his ground. “I wouldn’t have to if you would act like an adult for once. You don’t give a damn about the three of us and I don’t understand why you took us in after Mom and Dad died.”
Macy stalked toward him powerfully and I watched Eli’s eyes flash with concern. She hovered over him, her presence dark and intimidating.
“Because no one else wanted you, not even your worthless father,” she spat.
Eli’s eyes darkened. “Mom would hate you for the way you treat her children.”
That must have been the lowest thing Eli could have uttered because Macy was flabbergasted. She gasped as her hand pressed against her chest. Speaking about Macy’s sister—the sibling’s mom clearly cut deep in her self-esteem.
The woman's gaze met mine intimidatingly. I felt small under her narrowed eyes despite being taller than her. Her starewasn't on me for very long, it shifted right back to her nephew in a blink.
“Get out.”
"I’m already leaving," Eli said sassily.
"No. Permanently." Her words were like a slap in the face that gave us all whiplash. "Pack your crap and don't come back."
I watched as his lips parted in shock. His words were caught in his throat as all the boldness from before was drained out of him.
"What?” his voice was barely above a whisper.
“I have dealt with your bullshit for far too long. I am fed up!” she shouted in his face. “You’re eighteen now, find another place to come crawling back to.”
Emerson was shaking her head in disbelief as Easton watched in silence. A wave of uneasiness washed over me. Never had I ever been in such a harsh situation, so I had no idea how to react. I wanted to be by Eli’s side, but I was afraid of making things worse.
“You can’t just kick him out,” Emerson stated, her voice wavering as she did.
Macy was still glaring at Elias as she responded to Emerson. "What does it matter? He always wants to be anywhere but here anyway."
"He’s family," Easton's voice came distant and shaky, but it was still there.
"Y’know what? Maybe I should kick all three of you out since you all of a sudden want to defend him." Her eyes found the twins and bore into them with fire.
They went quiet after that.
