A Love Like This (Book 1) (27 page)

“
Come here,
”
 
he says sitting up pulling me onto his lap and wrapping me in his arms.
 
 
“
You can work if it makes you happy but you will never have to work again.
”
 

I rest my head on his shoulder,
 
“
I guess most women wait their whole live to hear those words but I
’
ve spent my whole life planning my career.
 
I have to work.
”

“
I knew you
’
d say that,
”
 
he says kissing me.

We sit quietly for a long time.
 
“
So we
’
re really going to do this?
”

“
Really do what?
”

I exhale loudly and shake my head.
 
“
I know getting married was my idea so I
’
m giving you an out.
”

“
It sounds like you
’
re trying to give yourself and out.
”

I lift my head and look into his eyes.
 
 
“
I
’
m twenty-six years old, 6
’
4 and 230 pounds.
 
You
’
re a very strong woman but you didn
’
t make me do anything.
 
I married you because I wanted to.
 
Now stop trying to rationalize this.
 
Your mine now, I
’
m not letting you go.
”

I bite my bottom lip,
 
“
The cave man thing makes me hot,
”
 
I say rubbing his firm chiseled body and kissing his neck trying to get started on orgasm number five. He catches my hand.
 

“
If we make love one more time tonight it
’
s going to fall off.
”

I laugh,
 
“
Ok I
’
ll go order food but later we
’
ll have to go grocery shopping.
”

“
Whatever you say Mrs. Bradley,
”
 
he says.
 
I like the way that sounds.

Chapter 12

 
 
 
 
 
“
Are you sure you don
’
t want to
 
come
 
with us?
”
 
 
Pookie
 
ask as Keisha drives up to the front of
 
Nickie
’
s
 
apartment.
 
 
“
We
’
re just going out for coffee.
 
Keisha needs to know all the details of Baby
’
s drunken wedding.
”
 
 
That
’
s all
 
Pookie
 
and Keisha
 
have
 
talked about since she picked them up from the airport.
 
 
Nickie
 
isn
’
t sure what more there is to say.
 
Besides she is consumed with thoughts of her own ridiculous life.
 
If someone had told her a few years ago that she would be in an abusive relationship she would have laughed in their face.
 
She made all kinds of plans for her life and they were all put on hold because she thought she was in love.
 
Well love is not supposed to hurt, not like this.

“
I still can
’
t believe you two let her get married,
”
 
Keisha says interrupting
 
Nickie
’
s
 
thoughts.

“
Anyway,
”
 
Pookie
 
replies with a dismissive hand wave.
 
 
“
Just come with us
 
Nickie.
”

“
No I
’
m really tired.
 
It
’
s been a long weekend I just want to get some rest,
”
 
Nickie
 
says.
 
She
’
s sitting on the back seat wringing her hands and looking from side to side for signs of Damian.
 
Pookie
 
is watching through the rear view mirror.
 
“
I
’
ll call you guys later.
 
There
’
s something I need to take care of,
”
 
she says as she climbs out of the car.
 

Nickie
 
stands on the sidewalk and watches them drive away.
 
She waits for the car to be out of
 
sight
 
before moving
 
quickly up the stairs leading to her apartment.
 
Once inside she takes out two trash bags and begins to shove clothes, shoes and books inside.
 
She glances at the clock on the microwave.
 
 
Nickie
 
knows the exact
time
 
Damian will be coming by to check on her.
 
She hasn
’
t responded to his calls for more than twenty-four hours but she listened to all six of his messages after boarding the airplane in Oakland.
 
 
 
Each one was more irate than the last.
 
She knows she has to get out now before she loses her nerve.

Nickie
’
s
 
heart feels as if it might leap from her chest as she races around the tiny apartment stuffing the trash bags with all of her earthly possessions.
 
Damian chose this place.
 
She
’
s always hated it because it
’
s plain and boring just like the clothes he makes her wear.
 
She takes a quick scan of the room and her gaze lands on the
 
Roberto
 
Cavalli
 
shoes she
’
s wearing.
 
Damian gave her his credit card to buy clothes.
 
She knew the type of clothes he preferred; neutral colors and shapeless earth tones.
 
She bought one outfit that would meet his approval.
 
She knew what would happen if she didn
’
t follow his instructions to the letter but the
 
Cavalli
’
s
 
were calling her name.
 
He could afford them so she purchased the shoes and hid them in her closet for weeks.
 
She would try them on whenever she was alone.
 
They were just shoes but they made her feel so beautiful.
 
Damian got the credit card statement and was livid.
 
She told him that she would return the shoes but it was too late his wrath was awaken.
 
She takes the shoes off and throws them across the room picks up the bags and turns to run out the door.
 
 

“
Are you going on another trip?
”
 
 
Damian says from the door way.
 
 
Nickie
 
screams and drops the bags.
 
Damian steps into the apartment and slams the door behind him.
 
He drops his coat and keys on the couch and slowly walks towards her.
 
 
Nickie
 
backs away.
 
 
“
I
’
ve missed you,
”
 
he says his voice like ice and his expression callus.
 
She
can
 
hear her heart thumping in her ears as he approaches.
 
His eyes are black and cold.
 
 
Nickie
 
looks around the room for an escape.
 
Beads of sweat are forming on her head and her breathing is labored.
 
If she screams she knows the beating will be worse.
 
She closes her eyes and waits. The first blow is always the worse she thinks to herself as she tries to steady her breathing.
 
 
The sudden shock, the hard impact
--- she was unprepared for the blow to her face.
 
 
Hate often is confused
 
she says to herself as she lies on the floor dazed from the pain on her cheek.
 
She hides her face in her hands and waits for the next blow.
 
Seconds pass and there
’
s nothing but silence.

“
What the fuck
’
s going on in here?
”
 
Keisha calls out from the front door.
 
She slips out of her heels and takes a rubber band out of her pocket.
 
 
She pulls her hair into a ponytail as she walks across the room.
 
 
“
Nickie
 
get your shit,
”
 
she says as she moves toward Damian.
 
He
’
s at least six inches taller than her but watching Keisha walk up to Damian you
’
d swear they were the same size.
 
 
Nickie
 
scoops herself off the floor.

“
Nickie
 
don
’
t you move,
”
 
he demands.
 

“
Have you lost your
 
motha
 
fuckin
 
mind?
”
 
 
Keisha says and punches him in the face before he has a chance to say another word.
 
She steps back and widens her stance as if she might leap on him at any moment.
 
 
“
You like hitting women, than hit me.
”
 
 
She says reaching for her back pocket.
 
Damian stands his ground.
 
He is looking at Keisha with large crazy eyes.
 
 
Nickie
 
sees that his fists are balled and his chest is rising and falling rapidly.
 
His cheek is already starting to swell in the place where Keisha struck him.
 

“
I
’
ll go with you,
”
 
Nickie
 
says picking up the bags and scrambling for the front door.

He steps in front of her.
 
 
“
You can go but everything in those bags belongs to me.
”

“
I only took the clothes I had when I moved here.
”
 
Nickie
 
says avoiding his eyes as she steps around him on wobbly legs and hefts the bags towards the front door.
 
Keisha backs away with the box cutter that was in her back pocket firmly in her grasp.