Breaking Point

Chapter twenty five

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different." - C.S. Lewis

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

💫 Maya 💫

Are they mad? Mateo sounds mad, when he heard it was my birthday he said something like "What the hell Maya, why the fuck didn't you tell us?" while raising his voice.

I kind of shrink into myself, I've never liked it when someone raises their voice. It was usually my step-father raising his voice right before I got a punishment. 

I can't get another punishment. I don't think I can come back from another punishment, physically and mentally.

"Mateo, stop yelling, don't you see she doesn't like it when you yell?" Leo says, noticing the way I am further shrinking into myself.  

Mateo walks a few steps closer to Leo "Don't you dare say anything about how to treat my little sister after you lived next to her for 12 years and never noticed her being mentally and physically abused by her own step-father!" I can hear the venom dripping from his words, it's scary to hear him talk like that.

Leo turns my way "What? What is he talking about Maya? Is it true?" I can't look him in the eyes, I can't handle the pain and guilt swimming in them. 

"Why would we lie, Leonardo?" Martín adds in softly. Leo looks so broken, it's not his fault. He couldn't have known. 

"Let's just go home guys. I think Maya would like to go home now." Hugo adds in, noticing I am on the verge of tears now. 

I give a small nod and walk out of the rink, towards the car. I don't care if they follow, I just need to get out of the hallway which seems to be closing in on me. 

Reaching the car, I see it's already unlocked so I climb in and wait for the rest to come. They get in a few seconds later, Hugo saying he texted dad about the fact that it's my birthday.

Great, they probably won't be happy about me lying to them.

The entire ride is spent in silence, the only sounds being the wind outside and the tires on the asphalt.

When we get home I get out the car and walk to the front door. Opening it I see everyone standing in the lobby, oh god they are all waiting for me. That's not good. 

But before I can close the door and run away to go drown myself in the nearest lake, I hear a chorus of "Happy birthday!" so unexpected I flinch a little bit from the volume. 

Everyone is standing there, looking at me with big smiles exept for uncle Santiago. Dad walks towards me and kneels in front of me so I look down on him.

"Mi amore, why didn't you tell us? Your birthday is just as important as Hugo's and the match tomorrow. You are just as important." He says, putting the emphasis on 'you'. I tear up a little and give dad a hug. 

When I pull away after a few seconds I can see everyone staring at us, I don't like being the center of attention so I shrink back into myself. 

Grandma comes towards me with a small box, remembering me of the beautiful snowglobe I got from Leo. He remembered I used to collect them when I was little. 

She hands the little box to me and says "It's not much but I wanted to give it to my only granddaughter anyway so I guess it's now a birthday present." Grandma looks at me with an apologetic smile when she hands over the little box. 

When I open it, it's a silver necklace with a little heart pendant with 'M.S.' Engraved on the back. Maya Sanchéz. 

"Can we get back to our own lives now?" I hear coming from someone in the lobby, before I can even look down dad is standing up and turns so inhumanly fast I wonder if he ever faced this way. 

"What the fuck is your problem Santiago?" Dad says with the same venom dripping from his voice as Mateo had when he was talking to Leo. 

"Because she's a little brat. She doesn't even show respect by answering us. If I had known she would just re-appear after 16 years I would've encouraged Lena to get the abortion she wanted after she ran away."

At this everyone turns towards him and they don't look happy.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Daniel says, his voice dangerously low. 

"You heard me. That little bitch wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for me. The least she could do is show some respect."

Everyone is looking at Santiago like he just dropped a bomb on us. Even his wife and kids look at him disgusted.

My own mom didn't really want me? If it wasn't for uncle Santiago I would've never existed.

"Get the fuck out of my house." Dad says, opening the door for him. 

"What? Álvaro, why do I have to go when that brat is the one wh....." but before he can finish he is interrupted by dad's yelling.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Yelling. Yelling is never good. Nothing good ever came from yelling. I can feel my hands starting to shake and everything around me becoming hazy. 

I can't do this, I can't break down around all these people. I run up the stairs and to my room. Locking the door behind me and falling back against the wall. 

The yelling, it was always the yelling when I didn't do what he liked. 

My step-father never yelled, but Shawn, he yelled at me for breathing too loud.

His hands are all over my body again, putting pressure around my neck and slowly closing my windpipe. I claw at my neck trying to get his hands away from me but the only thing my nails meet is the skin of my neck itself. 

But I still keep clawing.

And clawing

And clawing

I need to get his hands away. 

I can feel the blood dripping down my neck but I can also feel two strong hands grabbing my wrists to keep me from clawing. 

"Maya, calm down, it's me, dad. I'm here okay. Just keep breating." I hear a quiet voice getting through the pounding in my ears.

The next thing I know is two strong arms pulling me up from the floor and taking me in someone's lap and pushing me into his chest.

The familiar scent of dad's cologne gets through the haze in my head and instantly calms me down. 

"It's okay, mi amore. Just keep breathing. That's it. You're doing so good. Just calm down, dad's here with you. I'm here."

I'm safe now.

Dad's here. 

A/N - i want to cry. I just finished chapter twenty seven but it didn't save right so now I lost the last half. Like literally went from 1600 words to 800. FUCK. I don't want to write it again but now i have to.

SHIT

Okay never mind. I just checked it again with the intent to write everything for the second time AND EVERYTHING IS THERE AGAIN. ALL 1600 WORDS ARE THERE. 
Holy shit that's a relief.

Anyways, enjoy another chapter :)

I love you <3

xx - Nina :)