Through The Storm (Eminem Fan Fiction)

Yesterday Is Over, It's A Different Day

This chapter needs another WARNING...There is a domestic violence flashback.

Val POV

I didn't talk to Marshall much that week. I thanked him profusely for all his kind gestures, we would send cute texts throughout the day, and sometimes at night we would talk for a few minutes before bed. But we had no long clarifying conversations about what happened after our date that night.

I invited him over to our apartment for dinner that Friday so I could show him what I bought with the generous monetary gift he gave me. I had been spending a lot of my time working on myself at night. I read self-help books and continued to shed the layers of my abuse through the pages of my journal. My plan was to have some burgers with the kids, and then get some alone time with Marshall to explain how I had been...if he even cared. I suddenly felt stupid that I invited him over when my daughters would still be up.

What if he didn't like my kids?

What if they didn't like him?

I always worried that Marshall had found someone else already because I didn't have a lot of free time in my life for a relationship. I realize that there are millions of women who want him and are far more beautiful than I. Confidant women with big boobs and perfect stomachs. Those kinds of women probably know every kind of sexual favor to please him, and I couldn't even handle being naked in front of him. What was he thinking?

The knock sounded on the door. My daughters sat there nervously quiet as I explained that Mommy was having her friend Marshall over to eat dinner with us.

"Hey baby." Marshall kissed my cheek then turned to wave at my daughters, "Hi girls, remember me?"

Bella could barely talk yet, so she just sat there amidst her toys smiling.

Cassaundra looked up at him and said, "Yes. You're the boy who picked us up from Miss Kim's house. Mommy watches you on her phone all the time."

"Oh, I'm the boy that Mommy watches on her phone all the time, huh?"

Cassaundra giggled uncontrollably, Marshall chuckled at her, Bella clapped her hands and laughed because they were both laughing, and I just stood there, crimson in embarrassment.

"Who wants burgers?" I walked over to the balcony to change the subject.

Spring was coming. It wasn't quite as cold out and we could comfortably go out on the balcony.

"You got a grill!" Marshall followed me to check it out.

"It's just a cheapie, but I bought it with some of the money you gave me."

"That's great baby. That's what it was for." He put his arms around me from the back and kissed my head.

We sat on the balcony to eat our burgers and when we had finished, Marshall asked my daughters to show him their toys. He played kitchen and dollies on the floor with my little girls while I cleaned up dinner. I couldn't help beaming to myself as I dried the dishes, listening to all their silly little antics.

As it was getting later, I scooped up the baby to give her a bath and as I disappeared into the hallway, I heard Cassaundra say to Marshall, "My Mommy is so happy when she's around you."

I nuzzled Bella in my arms until she giggled, as we stood looking at ourselves in front of the bathroom mirror. Sometimes children can be so wise.

Marshall POV

"So, how you doin?" I asked as Val cuddled up next to me on the couch once the kids were in bed. I rubbed her back as I kissed her mouth gently. I hadn't seen Valentina in a few days, and I missed her terribly.

Valentina gave me one more kiss, "I'm sorry I couldn't see you this week. I've been busy."

She seemed nervous. I was anxious about what she was about to say. Maybe she had met someone else. Val was going to tell me that she didn't want to see me anymore because I couldn't be the man she needed me to be. Valentina could have any guy she wanted; she didn't need some weird rapper guy around her kids.

"Marshall, do you still see other women?" She seemed afraid of what I was about to answer.

"Fuck no!" I scoffed. "I'm with you baby. At nighttime and at the studio all I think about is you. I don't want none of them other bitches. I want you."

It was true. I hadn't even looked at another girl in the past two weeks. All I think about is how to get with Valentina.

"I'm glad because I only want to be with you too." Val smiled halfheartedly, "I've been thinking about a lot of stuff this week. I wanted to make sure we have this conversation while we still have our clothes on." She seemed uneasy.

"Ok?" I still wasn't quite sure where this was going.

"Marshall, what happened the other night..." She paused as she tried to find the words. "When we're kissing or when you're touching me, I love it. It feels really good and intense, and I think about, ya know, doing other things with you."

I tried to not to get hard as she told me this intimate detail of her thoughts and feelings towards me. That part made me ecstatic.

Then she continued, "But right after it, I feel like I'm not worthy of having someone care about me or that I'm going to do something wrong. I want to be able to trust you, Marshall."

"You can trust me Val." I ran my fingers over her beautiful face and stared into those mysterious chestnut eyes. "I've never lied to you baby. And I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. I understand. You don't know me all that well yet."

"I know. Which is why I wanted to share this with you. I was able to organize some of my thoughts." Val picked up her journal and settled her back against my chest.

"That's what I'm here for baby. I won't judge you." I tried to comfort her, and I meant what I said with everything I had. I needed Val to let me inside her world.

"This makes me so nervous," she took a deep breath, "but I feel like it's important for you to hear this."

MY PAST

My counselor asked me to recall the moment I realized that I was in an abusive relationship, and I couldn't do it. Jarred had always been possessive, snappy, and controlling. I feared him almost since the moment I met him, but I didn't consider him abusive. He had never actually gotten physical with me...until that day. We had just gotten married, and I was pregnant with Cassaundra.

We were fighting, screaming back and forth. I was giving him crap about not having enough money and not taking care of me. He called me a nag. He used to say if I wouldn't stress him out the way I did, the fights wouldn't happen. I was stupid enough to believe it. I actually thought it was my fault.

This time was different. Jarred grabbed fistfuls of my hair in both his hands to bang my head against the wall repeatedly. It happened so fast; I couldn't believe he could get that violent. It's true what they say about seeing stars when you get hit in the head. He then picked up a notebook that he had found of my journaling and flung it at my face with all his might as he left the bedroom. I fell back on the bed protecting my pregnant belly, my face now crying with a headache and a black and blue on my lip. He broke my spirit. And I still didn't leave. I stayed for years to come.

I buried my face in Val's hair while she told me this story and stroked her arms, trying to make all her pain go away. My eyes stung with the emotions I felt for her. Suddenly, the flood gates busted open, and Val started shaking with sobs. Tears escaped my own eyes as I sensed how lost she felt. Val was so overwhelmed she was trembling, and I held her tighter.

"It's ok to cry baby, it needs to come out." I turned her to face me, "I'll never hurt you Val. And if I ever see that motherfucker, I'm gonna fucking kill him!"