Shattered

Whose Son

"I'll see you soon." I tell him.

He smiles. So much emotion flashes by in his eyes . He looks out his window and then back at me.

"I'll call you." He says.

I get out of the car. Inside the house, Jeremy is seated on the couch. Typing something on his phone. The moment I walk in, he looks up.

"How was Paris?" He asks.

There is something cunning about the way he asks this.

He stands and walks over to me.

"Paris was amazing. I want to go back someday." I tell him.

I drop my purse by the little side table. He hugs me from behind.  His arms caress mine.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" He asks.

"Yea, I enjoyed myself." I tell him. Still weary about his behavior.

"It looks like you did. " he says, his arms grasping my body harder.

"You're hurting me." I whine. He holds harder.

I knew his act was too good to be true. My heart hammers in my ribs. The fear morphs to my brain, aching.

"Did you think about how much you're hurting me when you were parading the street of Paris with another man?

Huh! Making headlines everywhere. Did you consider that. What I'm doing now is a joke compared to the hurt you put me through." He says.

He holds me and pushes me forward. I whine, pain jolts through me.

"I'm sorry Jeremy. I'm really sorry." I beg.

"Sorry? Why do you insist on making me something I'm not? You like it when I'm a monster huh? You just keep fucking provoking me!" He yells .

Then he does it, he smacks me right across my face. All the food I have eaten piles up in my throat .

I push him away and run to the bathroom. I spill all my guts into the sink. Just when think it's all done. I hear Jeremy get to the door frame.

"What are you doing?" He asks. His voice laced with fear and a little hit of concern.

"I dont feel so good-" I gag into the sink again.

My guts spill into the sink again. This time I cry, I weep as the food falls from my mouth.

My stomach hurts so bad . I cry, I lean back on the sink and I cry. For the first time in Jeremy's life he sees me crying.

"Jenny what's wrong?" He asks seating next to me.

"I'm going to sleep." I say . I stand up and I head to my room. I cuddle up in my bed until I fall asleep.

My stomach growls and grunts, soon enough it's time to wake up.

I wake up to a buzz on my phone.

Arraine : Please stay home for a week. There's a buzz in the gossip section and a few journalists want to interview you about the trip with Nathan. I dont want you yo be overwhelmed.

Me: Thank so much. I'll do just that.

Within second of sending. She replies , and sends another text.

Arraine: You have fun ; )

Arraine: You know he's like a brother to me.

Me: I will ; )

I reply,  I put the phone on my bed and I head out to shower. I leave with a blue mom jean, a purple cotton sweater and white sneakers.

I walk downstairs to make breakfast.

I've always loved pancakes. So that's what I make. I hum silently as I make the pancakes.

I dont notice his presence as I'm too busy making breakfast.

"Can we talk?" He asks.

"Okay." Is all I say. He sits on the dining table and with the last pancake out the pan, I join him.

"I'd like to start by saying that I'm really sorry about yesterday Gemma. I'm sorry baby." He says.

I dont say anything. I cant lie and say that I forgive him when I knows the truth.

"Secondly?" I ask.

He sighs disappointed that I dont forgive me. He looks almost ticked off.

"We're behind on rent." He says.

"Excuse me?" I almost yell. What the hell does he mean.

"Six months. " he says.

"Jeremy, for the past six months I've been giving you money to pay rent and Ethan's daycare. Where the hell have you been taking my money?

Do you understand how hard I work for that money? And you just spend it like that? I cant sit here.  Bye." I stand.

"Gemima I'm talking to you. Get the fuck back here." He yells.

Normally this would scare me, but I grab my overnight bag and I head out.

The drive to Charlotte takes a while. But the familiar tea shop comes to view and my heart smiles.

"Daffodil!" Aunty Rose yells from behind the counter.

"Aunty Rose." I say embracing her.

She leads us to the booth near the window. Where my mother and I would sit when I went to work with her.

Aunty Rosalinda was my mother's best friend from a young age. She is a manager of this tea shop.

"Matilda would have killed me if I didnt say this. Sweetheart you are gorgeous. " she says.

"Thank you Aunty." I tell her.

"Look what we got." She says showing me the engraved name on the wooden table.

Tilly and Daffodil's chair.
In loving memory.

I tear up. Daffodil, was the name my mom gave me. I smile.

Before I leave, Rose says something.

"Honey, I hope that you can soon get out of his hands." She says.

I havent said anything about it but here she says it.

I drive to Alice's place.

I sit with Allyson on the dinner table as she breast feeds her child.

"Ohh. You didnt say anything about Paris. How was it?" She asks.

"It was amazing. I had so much fun. I'd love to go back." I tell her. She smiles.

"I saw you met Nathan Meyer." She says.

"I met him." I say. I remember everything that happened in Paris and that we almost kissed! I smile.

"You two looked cozy." She says.

"We–" I begin but my phone rings. "Can I take this?" She nods.

"Oh, its Nathan?" She says wiggling her eyebrows.

"Hey boys." I greet.

"Hey Gem. Can I call you after an hour. Please,  Ethan has to bath but I promise I'll call.

He doesnt want Charlotte to bathe him." He says. Looking back.

"Dad come on!" Ethan says.

"Alright, go on." I say smiling.

"Bye. Come say bye to mommy." He says.

"Bye mom. Let's go daddy." The little man says.

I end the call and I smile. I'm knocked out of that little world of mine when Allyson speaks.

"Dad?" She asks.

"Let's go to the backyard porch. Like old times." She says.

"Likd old times." I tell her. Smiling as well.