Divine

XIX

Panic is a suffocating feeling.

The unease made Elle paced, her socked feet a soft patter, much like the sound of her heart in her ears.

"Sit down I'm sure he's fine."

Alec was trying to reassure her best friend but there was nothing but panic in the eyes of her friend. She was not going to be reason with. Her slight bump evident in the crop top she wore.

"Eric is never late. Something is wrong, he was supposed to swing by his friends Lucky's house after picking up his son. It's been over two hours!"

Elle groans as a sharp cramp in her side threatens to bring her to her knees.

"We don't need you going into preterm labor. I'll call Lucky and tell him to tell Eric to hurry his ass home I'm sure they just got caught up talking and lost track of time. Chill out big momma we'll figure it out."

Both turn their heads at the sound of the elevator. Alec runs to the doors only for her face to drop as she sees the couple and a small boy no older than two on the mother's hip.

"Who are you? Is Eric home?" Alec swears as she notes his funny colored eyes knowing this must be the Lucky Elle was talking about.

"What do you mean is Eric home? He's supposed to be with you." Lucky's eyes furrow as he looks at his wife who has a worried expression.

"I think we all need to calm down. We don't need to worry Elle until we know that something is really wrong with Eric."

"He hasn't been answering her calls and his location isn't on so he's either dead or cheating and for his sake I hope it's the former!" Alec's threat comes off as a harsh whisper that was hardly a whisper at all.

Elle pulls herself from the bed as the conversation in the living room gets louder. Another cramp seizes her belly this time lower in her abdomen, she can't help the ungodly scream that tears its way through her as she collapses unconscious against the bed.

Alec is the first to walk into the horrifying scene with Lucky hot on her trail. Elle lay in a limp pile on her side, her cottons short covered in blood, the puddle growing steadily beneath her.

"Someone call an ambulance! I think she's having a miscarriage."

***

Eric wakes with a start. His vision is blurry, but he can tell that he is not in his own bed. He tries to shake the grogginess off the and raise up but is immediately pulled back to the mattress. His head turns tentatively to see that he's handcuffed to a wrought iron headboard. He's confused but it quickly turns to anger as he remembers how he ended up here.

"Khadajah! Get your crazy ass in here!" The striking of a match is lit in the corner of the room, and he can't help but sneer at her disheveled form.

"You don't need to yell; you know I near did like to leave your side."

"Yeah, unless it's to bounce on another dick." She waves hi off, slowly beginning to pace the room completely ignoring the distressed calls of their son. Looking out the window Eric can see that the sun has set, he curses knowing that Elle had to be worried out of her mind.

"Why is JJ crying? Have you just been sitting her watching me instead of taking care of your fucking son?!"

"He's fine, I can't really stand to look at him anyway. He reminds me too much of you." Before he can respond, she's grounding the lit end of her cigarette into his exposed thigh. She laughs manically at his scream of pain.

"You pushed me to behave like this. All you had to do was forgive me and let us be a family again but know you had to try to replace me with that bitch!"

Eric gritted his teeth to keep from lashing out. The way her memory seemed to omit the fact that she fucked up their happy home in the first place truly fascinates him.

"If you plan on killing me, just get on with it. Anything would be better than rehashing out bullshit relationship, when the only good thing that could have come from it is in the next room. I don't love you anymore. You betrayed my trust and made a fool out of me when all I wanted to do was love you. I gave you everything and it still wasn't enough for your selfish ass! I'm not going to apologize for finding happiness with a woman who genuinely loves me. You don't love me and never have; you just can't seem to understand that you had a good man and you fucked over him. So, kill me or let me the fuck go because sooner or later I'm going to get free, and when I do, I'm getting our loony ass locked up and you'll never see our son again!"

Silent tars tract down Khadijah's face because she knew she meant every word. She leaves the room to retrieve their son, he coos as she gives him a freshly prepared bottled laced with her antidepressants. rocking him slowly with one hand she uses the other load the .22.

Pressing a kiss to her babies faces she sobs knowing this will be the last time she holds him in her arms. Burping him she slowly makes her way to the bedroom. Laying JJ next to his father she turns the stereo up as loud as it can go, Adele blurring out what ever protest Eric had to say. Turing to face him with a smile and the loaded gun pointing at her temple.

"If I can't have you, you can't have either of us." He looks confused than terrified shaking his son trying desperately to get him to wake up.

"What did you do?" She laughs.

"I'm setting you free."

And she pulled the trigger.