When they rushed out of the study, they realized the commotion was coming from the living room. They heard the yelling and knew instantly who’s voice it was. They slowed down as they approach the scene of the fight, Hazel fell back a few steps and let Marlon led the way.
She stood behind Marlon as they watched his parents screamed at each other and when Josh grabbed Belinda, Hazel held her breath.
“Let go of me you asshole!” Belinda jerked away when she realized they had spectators. “I’m calling my lawyer, you can’t make me go to rehab without my consent!”
“Your lawyer is my lawyer sweetheart … Denton had taken care of all the legal procedures and you are signed up at Dr. Seymour’s clinic starting next week, make this easy for everyone will you?” Josh’s voice remained calm.
“Fucking liar!” Belinda shouted and landed a slap on her husband’s face. “You can’t do this to me!” she continued hitting his chest and his face with her tiny fist.
Josh staggered back and shield himself with his arms, “Don’t do this Belinda, not in front of the kids.”
“I can do whatever the hell I want! You’re locking me up at a nut house, how dare you? I just lost my son! My son!! I’m not fucking crazy!” she kept shoving him and hitting him simultaneously.
Hazel’s heartbeat was pumping, she had never seen a quarrel that violent before in her life. She leaned closer to Marlon who seemed numb and used to the scene that was unravelling in front of them. When Marlon realized she was brushing against him, he took her hand and held it tight.
“Don’t you dare make Eli’s death as an excuse!” Josh raised his voice, “He’s my son too!!” his eyes widened and his face tensed.
“Yeah? You worked so hard to get awards, what have you done to get ‘father of the year’ award?” she mocked him.
She always knew how to push his buttons and she did that on purpose to hurt him, to fish out the monster that’s hiding inside him. Her arms still flailing about trying to land as many punches as she could to the man who was going to put her in rehab, and Josh just couldn’t take it anymore.
He grabbed her by the wrists and twisted her around, he wrapped his arms around her from the back, “That’s enough! Enough!! I’ve had enough of your bullshit Belinda, God knows I tried!”
Hazel pressed her hand to her lips trying not to make a sound, she was shivering. Marlon turned to look at her and saw her face had turned white.
Josh was forcing Belinda to calm down while Belinda was struggling to free herself from his tight grip. They were bickering at each other, calling names, they were so angry at each other that they seemed to forget that the kids were still there.
“This is fucked up,” Marlon said under his breath. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said to Hazel with her hand still in his. He pulled her away and led her out of the house. “Try not to kill each other while I’m gone,” he said calmly to his parents without looking back at them.
“Marlon … are they going to be alright?” Hazel still shaken up when walking down the steps of his front yard.
He didn’t answer, he pressed the car keys instead and opened the passenger door for Hazel.
“Do we need to call the police? Aren’t you scared?” Hazel asked.
Marlon closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, he pressed his forehead against the steering wheel, “I hate them … I hate them …” he said almost in a whisper.
Hazel was so preoccupied with how she felt about the whole thing, she had forgotten that Marlon must’ve felt worse. They were his parents. This was the reality of their life as a family. The tragedy they went through and still going through is real and her heart sank when she realized it.
“Are you alright?” she touched his shoulder. She didn’t know when her tears started to fall and wet her face, she wiped her cheek with her other hand.
Marlon shook his head, “I’m sorry you had to see that.” When he turned to look at her, he was surprised to see she was crying, “Oh, I’m so sorry Hazel,” he brushed his thumb under her eye. “I’ll take you home,” he said and turned on the engine.
She tried to dry her own tears but they kept coming. Her hands were trembling. The warmth of the car seemed to chase away her fear. She could still see Josh’s mad expression towards Belinda when he said, “He’s my son too!!” He was a totally different person than the one who drove her home just a few days before.
Marlon’s hand reached for hers, “Are you going to be alright? I’m really sorry, Hazel, it’s just … they’re …”
She shook her head, “You don’t have to explain, … I’m okay, I was just … scared … are you sure they’re going to be alright?”
“They do that all the time … some fights are worse than the other, this one was …” he wiggled his palm and winced, “Right in between bad and worst.”
She was silent for a moment, she couldn’t believe how calm he was. This must’ve happen regularly. “My parents don’t fight … I mean …”
Marlon laughed sharply.
“I mean they argue sometimes … but not like that,” she continued.
He rested his eyes on her for a brief moment and smiled, “I’m sure they don’t.”
She was quiet for the most part of the drive. The fight was traumatic for her and she relived it in her mind in a loop on their way to her house. “Do you want to come in?”
Marlon thought about it for a moment, “I can’t … I have to go somewhere …”
She looked at him with worry eyes, “Where are you going?” She was hoping he would stay and sooth her, she was still pretty much shaken up.
“Some place …” he was reluctant to answer, “I don’t think I’ll be a good company after that,” he chuckled, “Not with your family anyways …” he looked away to hide from her gaze.
“Are you going home later?”
He fidgeted, “Yeah … later … my dad’s probably gone by then …”
“Will you call me when you get home?” she asked.
He looked at her, he saw it in her eyes and it warmed his heart, he smiled, “Yeah … I’ll let you know when I’m home … will you be okay though?”
She nodded, “Lee is picking me up later … I have to get ready …”
He pursed his lips, “Hazel …”
She waited for what he was going to say. But she could see he was struggling. “I won’t tell,” she said as if she could read his mind.
“Thank you,” he simply said.