The Price of Love

CHAPTER 2

Today I'm heading out to see my mom. Every other Saturday, we spend time together, and she's in the mood for lunch. I chose a casual outfit that's not too revealing since my mom is pretty traditional. She values modesty.

"Hey babe, I'm heading out to chill with the guys. Is that cool with you?"

"That's fine I'm hanging out with my mom today anyway," I reply, grinning. He steps closer and kisses me softly on the lips, it feels so good and magical 

"Enjoy yourself," he says, holding my gaze without looking away.

"If you keep giving me that look, I might just want to stick around," I reply not breaking eye contact.

"Well, you have to leave because your mom hates it when I make you late that is one of her pet peeves."

"Alright," I say as I head into the bathroom.

The day flew by, and my mom and I had a great time, but she wouldn't stop talking about grandkids. At least I could tell her we were working on it. I head into the kitchen to clean up, and when I glance at the clock, it is already midnight. I grab my phone to check if James has texted me, but I feel let down when I see he hasn't, which only makes me more anxious. I thought I'd call him, but the phone kept ringing until it finally went to voicemail. After about an hour of cleaning, I heard the doorbell jingle and realized it was James trying to get in. He finally managed to unlock the door.

"Where have you been?" I ask, trying to keep my cool. But that big grin on his face just made me more furious. It's like he thinks it's a joke coming home all wasted.

"Hey babe," he mumbles, his words all jumbled up. 

"Don't you 'hey' me! Where the hell have you been, James?" I yell, leaning against the kitchen counter.

He flops down on the couch and says, "I told you I was hanging out with the guys." I shot back, "You could've at least called to let me know you'd be late. I was worried, but I guess that doesn't matter to you. What's going on with you? You're not usually like this. When did you start getting drunk?"

 I am trying to read his expression for some clarity. He gets up from the couch and walks over to me in the kitchen, saying, "Quit being so uptight and just have some fun."

"Stay away from me, you're wasted," I exclaim, stepping back to create some distance. In an instant, he was right in front of me, his tall figure looming over me.

"Leave me alone James, I don't want your drunk ass near me," I say, trying to sidestep him.

"I thought you wanted to make a baby?"

I've never seen him like this before; it's as if he's a completely different guy. I can't decide if I want to run away or just yell at him. I turn my gaze away, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"Adama, look at me when I'm speaking to you," he says, taking my chin and making me face him. His voice wasn't angry; it had this strange, mysterious vibe I'd never heard before.

"James, you're pushing it. Maybe I should just head into the room," I suggest while trying to sidestep him. But he blocks my path, making it impossible to escape. I give him a gentle shove, not wanting to come off as aggressive. He wobbles a bit, and his expression turns furious.

"Seriously, Adama? What's with the shoving?" he says in this innocent tone like he isn't the one who's been acting out of character.

"James, you're freaking me out," I say as the tears I'd been holding back finally roll down my cheeks. I quickly wipe my face with my hand, not wanting him to catch me crying. It seems like my tears hit him hard because his look shifts to one of sympathy.

"Baby I am so sorry I didn't mean to freak you out, babe. I'm not much of a drinker, and maybe that's a sign I should stick to that. You know I'd never hurt you, right? I hate that you're feeling scared of me. I'll sleep in the guest room tonight so you can have some space, okay?"

With that, he turnS and walks away. I stand in the kitchen, trying to wrap my head around everything because I am still in shock from what just happened. I know James would never actually hurt me, but being in that situation still freaks me out.

Before James, I was in a relationship with a guy named Joseph, and it was the most toxic experience of my life. I thought he was the one for me, but I learned the hard way that he wasn't the right person to love. He was abusive forcing me to have sex with him and even hitting me when I refused. Thankfully, I managed to escape that situation with the help of my family.

They were there for me, and honestly, I wouldn't have made it out without their help. We were together for about two years; the first year was fantastic, but the second year was horrible. I feel like I should share this with James, but I don't want him to see me as a victim because I've moved past that.

I might talk to him about it tomorrow since I need to make sure he doesn't behave like that again. It gets to me because it reminds me of how Joseph used to act. The thing is, Joseph would get physical, which is a big difference. I know James would never hurt anyone, especially not me.

I step out of the kitchen and into the bedroom, making sure to lock the door behind me. As I crawled into bed, tears began streaming down my face without warning. I hadn't even noticed I was holding them back until they just started pouring out. I wrap my arms around myself, crying until I drift off to sleep, letting the darkness take over.