"This—"

One suitcase hit the bed.

"Is—"

A backpack followed.

"—Bullshit!"

As Brian locked the door to room 112, our motel space for the night, Jun watched as I chucked bags on the single, queen size bed. I grunted as the backpack fell with a plop. A part of me wanted to rush over and pick it up, in case something inside of it broke.

Then I remembered there was just clothes in there. No electronics.

Brian's keys landed on the nightstand before he made his way over to me. In one motion, his arm went around my shoulders, his lip pressed to the top of my head. I felt the kiss against my curls. For a second, I leaned into his touch. But when he drew back and I looked at him, I noticed the cut on his lip reddened, darkened, and bruised.

I frowned and cupped his face. "Who punched you? Mario or my dad?"

Brian's brows lifted as I stroked the cut with my thumb. "What?"

Jun chuckled near the door before walking over towards the single chair near the bed. He dropped down on it, crossed one leg over the other before he leaned back, arms settling on the armrests. He looked at the two of us as we looked at him. "Dad's punched people," he said with a sniff. "Especially if he doesn't agree with the situation."

"Situation?" Brian straightened, brows pressed close together.

"Yeah, situations," I muttered as I passed my thumb over his lip once more before I walked around toward the bag that had fallen. Reaching down, I lifted it by its strap and tossed it on the bed. As I unzipped the main pocket open, I glanced up at my brother. His head was dipped back, eyes to the ceiling.

When he sighed, I sighed. "Our dad has control issues," I said, pulling a small towel from inside the backpack. With a quick look at it, I turned for the bathroom in the corner of the room. I flipped on the cold water tap and pressed the towel beneath the stream. "He's punched a few people because of it."

"So, he would've punched me?"

When I turned back into the room, Brian stared at me, wide-eyed. I pressed the damp towel to his lip. "Based on your reactions," I exhaled sharply through my nose, "it wasn't my dad. It was Mario."

"Look," closing his eyes, Brian shook his head, "the last thing I wanted was to get into a fight in front of your dad."

"Oh, fuck our dad." With a huff, Jun shifted forward in his seat. His elbows landed on his knees as he looked at us again. "He picks and chooses his situations. Then forces it on us kids."

"Yup." I pursed my lips as I wiped the rest of the dried blood off Brian's face. "Then only thing is, Jun and I aren't kids anymore, so—"

"So, forcing situations on us doesn't fly anymore." Jun pushed against his knees as he stood up from the chair. "If it wasn't for our mother, we wouldn't be here."

"Right," I had to agree. My mother had requested us to come, not our father. If he had, we wouldn't have come. I probably wouldn't have answered the phone.

"But Mario doesn't have a right to be around that house." Jun chewed on his lip as he turned towards the window. With the sun blocking curtains, not much light came into the room. But when Jun turned his head, just enough hit his face, and I could see the anger in his hazel eyes. "I don't understand it. I don't. But..."

"Yeah," I half chuckled as I sighed, "but is right."

The more I thought about it, my initial outburst of this is bullshit wasn't good enough way to describe any of it. Mario and I had been broken up for more than a year before I worked up the courage to leave home. And even then, that courage took another six months. The fact that he still lingered around my parents like he had a chance made me sick. He'd done his crimes and made his immoral decisions. Being around my parents wouldn't get me back.

I never want him back.

"This is a lot," I said, sitting on the corner of the bed. With my fingers on my temple, I closed my eyes. "This was supposed to be an easy weekend. Well, easy for mom's standards."

I expected drama. I anticipated some arguments. But Mario? A fight with Brian?

"Listen, both of you." Brian's voice made me open my eyes. When I glanced up, I noticed Jun looked at him, too.

As soon as he had both of our attention, he sighed and shot us a weak smile. "We all thought this weekend would be hard. Knew it. Hell," he looked at me and extended his hand for me to hold, "I even gave Kay the chance to turn around, to go back home. She didn't take it."

My fingers linked with Brian's as he pulled me to stand with him.

He looked down at me, into my eyes. "I told Kay this was needed. For both of you." He glanced back at Jun. "I see it's a harder fight, but hey, I'm not scared yet."

"This wasn't for you to be scared." Jun lifted his brow as he rubbed his chin. "This was just supposed to be a quick weekend, just like Kay said." His gaze slid over to me as his lips pulled down into a frown. "Bubbles, I'm sorry I made you call mom. If I'd known that asshole was here, that dad was suddenly his best friend, I wouldn't have made you come. Shit, I wouldn't even be here."

"It's okay." I leaned my head against Brian's shoulder as I looked at my brother. "Neither of us would've known, we're never here anymore."

Jun laughed. "Well, looks like for good reason."

"Well, good reason to get this over with, right?" Leaning back, Brian shrugged as he looked at me and then at Jun. "What if we stayed long enough for this dinner, then we left? Would that be enough time to figure out what your mom wanted?"

I blinked. Well, this was so unlike Brian. Cutting corners, taking the easy way out. "Well, what happened to my Brian and what did you do with him?"

He laughed. "Nothing." That laugh turned into a smile. Even with the cut on his lip, it was cute. Like battle scars from a war he fought for me. In a way, it was, he took the blow from Mario and didn't have to. Granted, Mario shouldn't have been hitting people, anyway.

"Look, I think if we took a few hours, calmed down, then regrouped, it would be better," Brian said.

Jun stretched, sighing. He glanced out the window before looking at us. "And if it doesn't, it'll make us hungry, that's for sure," he laughed. "And you, Bubbles," he nodded towards me, "need to eat and relax. For you and the baby."

I lowered my head. He was right. Stressing about a situation currently out of my control wouldn't be good for this pregnancy. Food, definitely, would be better. Placing my hand on my belly, I bit my lip and sighed.

"I'm going to take Brian's advice and try to unwind." Jun walked over to the door and turned the lock on the knob. He gave us both a weak smile. "You two relax. Put some ice on that lip," he added with a slight chuckle.

Brian shrugged, nodding as Jun stepped outside our motel room. "I will," he said.

"Good." Jun looked at me. "Text me when you're good to go, Bubbles. All right?"

"Yup," I said. And as he waved his hand and turned towards his room, two doors down from hours, I walked over to the door and closed it. Slowly, I turned the lock before looking back at Brian.

His expression was soft. Both of his arms opened for me to walk into. I didn't hesitate. With quick feet, I turned and hurried into his hug. The moment I was wrapped in his warmth, I felt better and calmer. When his fingers played with the curl beside my ear, I closed my eyes and sighed.

"You okay, Kay?" he whispered against the top of my head.

"No." What good was it to lie to him? "But as you said," I glanced up at him, "I need to get this over with."

"Okay," he said, smiling weakly. "And as I said, I won't leave you behind. Every step of the way, I'm right here."

"With water?" I batted my lashes. I hadn't forgotten what he had said before. It was a cute way to visualize motivation; this was a marathon and I was racing to the end. Mentally, I planned for this to be my only 5k. Or 1k. Whatever-k.

"With all the water, babe." 

***

[Thank you for reading!]