ng in the air, hea

than asked, his voice shaki

a pained groan. "My ankle..

with a damp cloth. "Don't worr

ou lost your temper," Robert Miller said, h

yelled, losing his compos

stand, then cried out an

Mark' s fist connec

k, stunned. Pain ex

own father grabbed his arms

're making things wo

ained, lunged again, hit

asped f

Stop!" he

"He deserves it! Att

her hands, "Oh, dea

tched, her face pale,

to stop them. She didn

resh stab of pain, deepe

ven now, as Ethan was being

tepped back, br

mped against the wall, his jaw

blood in

ehave, Ethan?" Mark snee

r faces. His brother

till silent.

sense of despair. H

ff the wall, straig

gnoring their glares,

e bathroom, l

lip was split. A bruise was

aned the cut, hi

are of himself.

rd them in th

sing over his "injured" ankle, whi

ing Mark' s brave

were noddi

livia said, her voice soft

hing, talking

newlyweds, excited

guest bed, the sounds from th

is was his life now. A c

and for the first time since t

, not for his

r the utter desolat

breakdown wa

empty, until there w

e realized, wo