Bruised Peach

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I sat on the couch by myself drunkenly listening to music with tears flooding my eyes. It was seven twenty in the afternoon and I was waiting for Salem to come home from work.

Me, Ricky, and the girls had our fun and told our stories but once they all left reality hits again. I took another swig of the Don Julio singing along to the H.E.R.

Finding out what I found out had me scared to even leave. How was I gonna live my regular day to day life? Was working even a thing? I mean it had to be, I refuse to be unemployed and in the next man's house.

What felt like forever I heard the keys in the door making me take a deep breath before I explained it all to him.

"Eve!?!" Salem came in asking all aggressive making me furrow my eyebrows and slowly get off the couch and peak over into the hallway to look for him but I couldn't see. A few seconds later he appeared from the darkness with his gun out in his hands looking both direction before looking at me.

"Salem." I said shocked not expecting that. He seen it was just me and lowered it putting it back on safety and in his pants. "Damn girl, I thought Scoop was in here. Your car outside and shit." He said walking up to me still on high alert and looking around. "What's wrong baby?" He asked gently grabbing my face wiping away the endless tears.

"Me and the girls went to get my shit today, or at least what was salvageable." I said laughing to myself just thinking about that nasty ass nigga and nasty ass house. He looked at me with an unreadable expression. "Oh! And uh, Scoop got a bag on my head! Yup, any information on little Ol me and someone gets a payday. You have no idea what he'll do to me if he gets me, he doesn't like being alone." I said hugging the bottle, drifting off into thought.

"Wait what? Who told you that shit?" He asked clearly getting upset. "Jayda's homegirl told her." I said about to take another shot but Salem grabbed the bottle from my hand making me reach back for it but he pulled it even further. "You been drinking all day? What's up Eve? Scoop just a desperate ass nigga and he tryna scare you into going back. This ain't how you cope with it, especially when I told you, you safe with me." He said, voice laced with disappointment.

"Nobody understands how I feel." I said shaking my head crying on the spot. Salem and everyone only knew so much, especially when they haven't been directly affected by abuse in a relationship. The PTSD, paranoia, constantly feeling like you could've done something different really eats at you. My fear of this crazy ass nigga was valid and I was sick of being told "Oh don't worry" when that's the first thing I need to do.

"You keep letting this shit get over on you and I see how it's weighing on you. I just don't want you to do anything crazy, like going over there without me was crazy! That nigga could've been there setting a trap for yo ass." He fussed.

"I know what I did could've went left but I needed some key items out that house. I wasn't giving that nigga time to go through my shit or toss anything out. We were smart about it." I stated honestly. Yeah things could've went wrong but it didn't and I wasn't trying to hear too much about it.

He sighed, scratching his head. "I'm find out what all this  money for yo location shit is about. Till then I need you put up Eve, I'm not playing. You don't know who he all told so just be safe right now." He said making me furrow my eyebrows. "Now I gotta sit in the house because of this nigga!" I threw my hands in the air annoyed. "Well that's just sum'n you gotta do now." He said sternly walking up to me, gently placing both hands on my hips. "So I'm need you to put your big girl panties on for at least two weeks tops. If you tryna be out it just gotta be with me, don't even fight me on it." He kissed my forehead rubbing my booty. I submissively nodded sniffing up my last few tears. I looked up at his tall frame and into his dreamy eyes, "you're so supportive." I said making him laugh.