Beyond Broken(92)

Maddie watched Peter as he looked in on his father. It must be hard to see a parent in that state and it saddened Maddie that he seemed almost unfazed. How often had he seen his father in this state? Maddie couldn't even imagine growing up in a home like this. She'd lived a charmed childhood, with a family who'd loved her and provided for her. It broke her heart that Peter had lived like this most of his life, that Caleb had grown up in an even uglier situation.

And now, looking at Peter's father, Maddie could finally understand what Caleb had been afraid of when he first wanted them to move in together. He didn't know what a healthy family was like. He'd never experienced it, even living with his uncle because of his sick bitch of an aunt. Maddie knew that Caleb wanted his child to never ever go through what he had. That was why he worked so hard, why he didn't want him and Maddie living apart, why he bought a nice house in a good neighborhood, why he took in Peter.

It was hard for Maddie to not fall a little more in love with him because of it.

Swallowing down her tears, she realized that Peter was already making his way down a darkened hallway, so she followed after him, cringing at every sound they made. Peter turned into a bedroom and they rummaged through the closet, looking for the box that contained his birth certificate. As the minutes ticked by, Maddie grew more and more nervous.

"It's not here," Peter whispered. "It's not here. I know it was in a brown box, I've seen it. He must've moved it."

"Do you know where he'd-," Maddie started to ask but then jumped, her heart jolting, when she heard a loud, repetitive banging, followed by a muffled, angry voice.

"Someone's at the front door," Peter said, wide eyes turning on her. He looked around the bedroom, his eyes landing on the window. "We can get out through there and go around the back."

Maddie heard a loud groan from the living room. Heavy footsteps made their way to the front door. The door creaked as it opened and then … Caleb's voice.

Peter and Maddie looked at each other at the same time with the same wide-eyed expression.

Oh crap.

"Where the fuck are they?" Caleb seethed, his voice tight. "I swear, if you laid one fucking hand on them-"

"Who the hell are you?" Peter's father slurred. "Get the fuck outta my house!"

There was a loud banging sound and Maddie and Peter both rushed out of the bedroom and back into the living room. They saw Peter's dad thrown up against the wall, a seriously pissed off Caleb cornering him.

"Caleb, don't!" Maddie exclaimed, rushing towards them. "We're here. We're fine."

"Who the fuck are you?" Peter's dad shouted when his bleary eyes turned on her.

When Caleb whipped around, there was no mistaking the relief on his features when he spotted her. But it quickly morphed into rage as he backed away from Peter's dad and walked towards them.

"Can you tell me," he started, his voice deceptively quiet, "why the fuck I come home to a note saying you both have come here and why the fuck you thought it was okay?"



       
         
       
        

Double crap.

Caleb was perhaps the most pissed off she'd ever seen him. That was saying something, because Maddie liked to think that she'd seen him in all the stages of being pissed off. The man had a short temper, that was for sure.

She cleared her throat, her eyes darting to the large figure of Peter's dad, who seemed disoriented and confused. "We came to get Peter's birth certificate."

Caleb was three seconds away from losing it. And Maddie knew that the shit hit the fan when his eyes focused on Peter, who was lingering in the doorway and looking terrified. Caleb saw the red swelling on his jawline, which would turn into a bruise in the coming days, and he whirled back around to face Peter's father.

"Did you hit him?" Caleb asked quietly.

"What the hell are-"

"Did you hit him?" Caleb asked, his words clipped in ice and rage. The older man's face paled and even Maddie found herself backing away a couple steps.

By the way things were going, if Maddie didn't stop this, she'd be bailing Caleb out of jail tonight. And that was one way she didn't want to spend her evening. Even from behind, Maddie saw the way his shoulders tensed, his fists clenching and unclenching.

"Caleb," she murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just go. Please."

"Go to your car and drive home," he grated. "Both of you."

"Caleb, please. Don't do this. Come home with us."

"I'm not doing anything," he said. "Now, go."