iveystorm@g*******m

Chapter 6

I was floating on clouds when I walked into the apartment until the light turned on and I saw Antonio standing with a brandy glass full of amber liquid. I just knew this wasn't going to go well especially if he had been drinking a long time.

"Hi hunny, when did you get home?"

He laughed and I made a few steps towards me, my fears were confirmed. His laugh was just evil and his steps where all over the place.

"Don't hunny me, where are you coming from Ivey?"

My blood was running cold this wasn't really happening.

"Toni baby how much did you have to drink?"

He threw the glass and its contents straight at my head, I had to duck but some of the whiskey still spilled on me.

"Shut up you cheating b***h, answer the question where you were and who was the shut you were on the steps in front of my home kissing?"

I froze immediately, how did he see Jase and I? I didn't even see him move and before I knew it he grabbed me by my hair and began pulling me upstairs. He pulled me by my hair all the way to our bedroom, then pushed me on to our bed, climbed on top of me and began punching me repeatedly. It hurt so badly, but every time I cried out he would just hit harder.

I’m not sure of how long it went on for, but I stopped fighting.

“You f****d him like how you were f*****g your boss, you little b***h I hate you!”

His words held so much venom I had no idea what set him off but I couldn’t live like this anymore. He finally climbed off me and I thought it was over but he began stripping me and I knew what was coming next, so I closed my eyes and shut it all out. He violated me for about an hour and called me every derogative name known to man, then he finally passed out.

I waited for ten minutes before I tried to move. When I got off the bed he didn’t even make a sound. I hurried to the walk-in closet, grabbed some clothes stuffed them into my overnight bag and then tiptoed to the bathroom and repeated the same thing with my necessities. On my way out of the room, I looked back at him and I still didn’t know how he became this way.

I hurried down the stairs while pulling a pair of sweats and a tank, I didn’t even look in the hall mirror because honestly, I was afraid of what I would see. I grabbed my phone, keys, and chargers off the kitchen counter and got the hell out of the house before he would realize I was gone.

I sat in my SUV that was returned that morning for about fifteen minutes trying to figure what to do and where to go, and the only thing that kept popping up in my had was going to Jase. So I called him, he picked up on the first ring.

“Hey Sweets, I was just about to text you.”

His voice made me so happy, and I could feel the tears coming.

“Hey can you meet me downstairs in like five minutes.”

“Ivey what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

He was worried now, why am I bringing him into all of this he deserves so much better.

“Please Jase just meet me downstairs in front of your building I’m on my way.”

“Ok, heading down now.”

I knew he was going to be raging mad when he saw me so I had to hold it together, not shed a tear no matter how much I was hurting physically or emotionally.

When I pulled up in front of the building Jason was right there waiting. I could see the worry on his face but the smile he gave me sent happiness cursing through my body. He opened the passenger door and his smile vanished, anger and sadness replaced the worry,

“Get into the passenger seat I‘ll drive.”

His words were harsh and I could see he was fighting the urge to yell and ask what happened. He got into the driver’s seat and drove straight into the underground parking in his building and parked my SUV next to his car.

He still hadn’t said another word to me. The anger in him was getting worst I could see his muscles tensing with every move. He grabbed my overnight bag from the back seat and slammed the door when he got out, then he came over to my side as I was getting out and just took me up into his arms. He closed the door with his foot and set the alarm.

I felt so safe in his arms, he might have been angry but I knew it wasn’t fully directed at me and he would never hurt me, his next words just sealed it for me.

“Its ok Sweets, I’ll take care of you and all of this because you’re mine now.”

I guess I passed out because when I woke up again I felt like s**t but I was in bed plus it looked like Jase cleaned me up I wasn’t sticky with sweat or blood anymore, He’s such a great guy. I laid in bed for a while trying to shake all the events of the night I still couldn’t believe that it happened again, after the first time both Toni and his parents promised he would get help and he seemed fine these past months, what happened, or changed to make him start again? Is all I could keep asking myself.

After a few minutes, I finally found the strength to get up to use the washroom. When I moved every muscle hurt. In the washroom I was still avoiding the mirror because I knew this time it was all on me, everyone was right I was dumb to go back after he put me in the hospital.

When I left the washroom I saw that the clock on the nightstand was saying 2:00 a.m. and I heard voices coming from downstairs, I went to see what was up. I pray to God Jase didn’t call Mark, I wasn’t ready to face society or my family yet.

The voices coming from the living room grew clearer as I descended the stairs. When I got to the living room I saw two uniformed officers, one male and the other female, Jase and a pretty blonde who was in floral pajamas. Jase saw me first and everyone followed his gaze as gestured for me to come over and sit next to him.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m ok.”

 I was lying and from the look on his face, he knew it too. He ignored it though and proceeded to introduce the others in the room and why they were there.

The officers Campbell and Johnson were very sweet, Campbell was obviously the lead and she displayed a lot of sympathy when she looked at me, Jase had called the precinct to report the incident and they came right over. Stacey the pretty blonde was Jase’s next-door neighbour and was an emergency room nurse, she came over to do a rape kit when Jase knocked on her door and explained that his friend was in a tight spot.”

I was so grateful to have his support in my time of need, he was truly an amazing man. As if he felt how overwhelmed I was he reached over and pulled me close to him. His embrace made me feel so safe. The others in the room just sat a stared, I could only imagine what they saw and I tried not to.

“Sweets I need you to tell the officers what happened to you.”

I heard the command in his voice but his hold on me was still tender and sweet. The need to obey him was crazy, I didn’t want Toni to be in trouble but everyone was right I couldn’t live like this. Jase’s presence gave me the strength to tell the officers and Stacey what happened.

With every word I had flashbacks, I could feel the tears coming and the horror in everyone’s face was terrifying. Jase was completely silent but his muscles that were relaxed earlier were tense now and he squeezed me tight when I said every name Toni called me while he was beating and raping me.

When I was done no one spoke, I felt so broken and I didn’t know what I was going to do next. Officer Johnson had recorded my story and then Officer Campbell pulled a digital camera from her bag and asked if I could disrobe so they could take pictures. I hesitated for a while then Stacey came over and took my hand and said.

“You’re not a victim anymore Ivey, you got away now make sure he doesn’t do it to anyone else ever again.”

Her words and Jase’s presence helped to give me the strength to remove the T-Shirt I was wearing. After I did, I couldn’t help the tears anymore. Jase could not even look at me, he immediately left the room and Officer Johnson went after him. Stacey was the one who cleaned me up earlier but the look on her and officers Campbell’s face made it clear that I should not look in the mirror because my fear was correct, my fiancé did a real number on me.

When it was all over I felt so relieved. Jase had calmed down and came back into the room when I was dressed, he was still angry but he smiled at me, it was a pitiful smile but I appreciated it. After all is was said and done Jase showed the officers out and walked Stacey to her door. When he came back he sat on the chair in front of me.

“Sweets, the officers said they would call in the morning to let you know what’s going to happen.”

I didn’t reply because I knew what was going to happen, Toni was going to be arrested again for aggravated assault again and I didn’t want him to suffer. As if he knew what was going through my head Jase got up and said

“Damn it Ivey, if you saw what I am seeing right now you wouldn’t be feeling pity for him, the little f**k beat you and raped you and not even that can make you see that he’s not right for you…. Or anyone at that.”

“I know what he did was wrong Jason but, I set him off.”

What I said just pissed him off more, he came over and bent down in front of me so he could look into my face.

“Nothing you did could have made me do this to you.”

“He came home and I wasn’t there, he probably called when I lost service and when he didn’t get me he started drinking and then he saw us kiss me outside. So I’m pretty sure I set him off.”

“Stop trying to justify his actions Sweets, nothing can justify this.”

He held up a hand mirror I didn’t realize he took up off the table and when I saw my face I couldn’t hold

back the tears anymore. I knew my face hurt, but I had a black eye, my lips were busted up in three different places and I had bruises all over. It was just too much.

Jase took me in his arms and began apologizing, but I already knew he wasn’t trying to hurt me, he was just trying to show me the truth. I couldn’t stop crying though, so he took me into his arms and brought me upstairs. He laid me in the bed I woke up in and crawled in next to me. He covered us and cradled me in his arms. I felt safe but nothing was going to change what happened.

I started drifting off to sleep, Jase’s breathing was light so I thought he was already sleeping. It had been a long eventful day after all. I was almost fully gone when I heard him say

“You’re mine now Sweets and Toni will never come near you again even if I have killed him to make sure he stays away.”

Then I blacked out.