My Devotion

1. Leave

A/N--
Hello everyone. Thank you for clicking on my book.
Within this book there are mentions of abuse.
Please, please know that there is Never a situation where abuse is okay! Please find out the resources in your area to help you get out of the situation if you are in one.

"Congratulations Ms. Wheathers." The doctor smiles while handing me a envelope.

The contents inside is that of an ultrasound the hospital performed.

"Uh." I can't help the shock.

What am I going to do? This baby isn't even Bradus'.

"You show to be right at eight weeks along. The fetus is strong and healthy." The doctor continues.

"Thank you."

"As for your x-ray results, we are still waiting on those to come back." The doctor smiles and informs me to ask for a nurse should I need anything as they can help me until my other results come back.

Once the doctor leaves, I pull the small black and gray photo out. My eyes see the little baby bean and my heart soars, but my mind is in shock.

I had been careful. I thought a condom was used. Besides, in the last six months I have only had intercourse once and not even with Bradus. Which led me to not getting my birth control shot, a while back when due because I ended it with Bradus.

The one night stand I had with a random tourist when I worked at a bar to earn extra cash led to the baby. It wasn't money for sex, I made plenty of tips from serving drinks. The guy was nice and we chatted, one thing led to another just like any other one night stand would.

Many would say I cheated, but I called my relationship off with Bradus the day he raised a hand smacking me for embarrassing him. Since that day, six months ago, we haven't been in an actual relationship. I have stayed in a guest room since the abuse started.

These last six months everything in my life has changed once again.

Never did I imagine this would be my life to this day. After finishing high school, my boyfriend and I moved across the country to start anew. He had been talking about it for a whole year before school ended, being as love sick as I was I followed him easily.

I thought we were happy.

Or so I thought back then.

Until the night he got a phone call saying all his money was gone.

That was six months ago. We were out for dinner when his card declined and him being who he was never carried any money on him. I had paid for our meal with my own money so we could leave, but that was a mistake as it was an embrassment for Bradus.

In less than thirty minutes the doctor comes in and cuts through my thoughts. "Well your ankle is not broken or fractured but was close to that happenings. I want you to wear this boot for a couple days to help keep the bone stable and prevent fracturing. Some of your blood work shows you have low calcium."

He places it on my ankle and foot before I am discharged. I carry my shoe and walk out the emergency room doors. Bradus stands up from the chair and a scowl forms on his face.

"Come on." He grunts and pushes me out the door by my lower back.

Once I am in the car he slams the door then gets in. "Did you tell them you fell?"

"Yes, Bradus." I reply while looking at my hands in my lap.

Never once in the last six months has he seen me cry and he never will. My mind is on the baby that I am currently carrying and what I need to do. This isn't the first time he has gotten physical with me, but it is the first time he done so to where I couldn't hide the pain. So he had to bring me here with the mail carrier knowing I was hurt.

As we go to pull in the drive, I see a familiar car. My savor!

"What is Jackson doing here?" Bradus huffs out annoyed.

I get out of the car and Jackson comes over to me. "Adina!" He stops. "What happened to you?"

"I fell." I reply as my brother hugs me tight.

Jackson is the only family I have got as he is much older than I am. He took care of me once our parents passed away Mom lost her battle to cancer and our father was so heart broken he passed within a short time after. Jackson was nineteen at the time and I was ten.

Bradus unlocks the door for us all and we go in the house.

"What is with the surprise visit all the way here?" Bradus looks to Jackson then to me. "Or did you not tell me."

"I didn't know."

"I got some time off work and drove here to see my sister. It has been a year since I last had." Jackson answers then looks between us.

"Whatever." Bradus shakes his head. "I am going to go shower. Adina can cook dinner for the three of us when I get down."

I watch as Bradus stalks up the stairs and then closes the bedroom door.

"What is going on? You are hurt and not cooking dinner." Jackson turns to me and in a whisper. "He seems different."

"I need to leave. Now." I whisper back and Jackson raises an eyebrow.

"Like I asked the first time. What is going on?" He looks up the stairs then to me.

"The last six months he has been abusive. He lost everything, his money. Apparently his sister got the inheritance, so it took from the pool he kept dipping in his parents had is all I know after a phone call with the lawyer."

"His parents passed two years ago and it is just now getting straightened out?" Jackson's eyebrows furrow and I nod.

"Yes. That is the money Bradus has been living off of all this time as he doesn't work but I had been. He has gotten mad because he has to work now, since his sister isn't sharing the money and he done used the half he was to get while having to pay back some to her."

"Come on."

"Let me grab the bag I have had ready." I open the closet. After this last round where he stomped on my ankle making this happen yesterday before he left for work, I had been trying to figure out what to do and be ready.

"Let's go. Leave any cards you have if you share an account."

"I don't have any cards only cash that I have been taking out of my paychecks, or the shifts I pick up at a bar he didn't know I worked at, to where I could leave. It is something I been working on planning to do but you here makes it easier."

Jackson takes the bag and we walk out of the front door quietly. I don't even have keys to the house so there is nothing to leave behind. My brother puts my bag in the back seat then helps me get in his truck since it is a step up. He starts the truck and we take off down the road.