Alex nodded. He wasn't sure if he was going to be accompanying Olivia tomorrow. He wasn't sure if he could stand to be in his father's house. And he also wasn't sure how he was going to feel tomorrow. Or in an hour. Or in five minutes. He didn't even really know how he was feeling now, except that he knew he didn't want to be in that house right this second. He'd end up throwing a whole mess of things, and his mother didn't need to be up all night cleaning his messes. Not any more anyway.
It was hard to deny Olivia anything and still retain some semblance of manhood in the situation. It was a good thing Alex had a good deal of manliness within him. He seemed to pull it off without a hitch. He turned and slowly wrapped her in his arms. The hug was more for him than it was for her, though he figured she wouldn't mind it too much either. Girls felt comforted by hugs. He just needed a way to talk to her without her watching him strain his face.
"I respected that man. I didn't always agree with him, but I respected him. And he never taught us to go out like this. He always told us to keep fighting the good fight. What the hell kind of fighter drops out without even throwing a single punch?"