Shattered

Chapter 35

            I shuddered as I lay in bed with Keith's arms wrapped protectively around my waist offering me security and warmth. Outside was an unexpected snow storm that was painting everything in a blanket of icy white sand. I could see the snowflakes falling slowly, but in such large amounts that it obscured everything. Thankfully, it was supposed to stop by midnight. Unfortunately for me, midnight couldn't get here quick enough.
"It's so beautiful," Keith murmured, his breath was hot against my neck.
"What is?" I asked.
"The snowstorm," he answered. "It's almost as beautiful as you, but nothing outshines your beauty. Not even the snow when the sun hits it."
"Corny," I muttered. "I hate the snow."
He pulled me closer to him before saying, "Why? Do you not find it beautiful?"
"No," I answered. "I hate it because it's just so cold. I don't really like cold things. I guess you can say I was never a winter lover. I prefer autumn."
"Autumn? Hm, that would be a nice name for a daughter if we were to have one," he murmured.
I sat up and looked at him before saying, "You want kids?"
"Well, yeah. I love kids," he answered. "Do you not want kids?"
I shrugged and said, "Yes I do, but I'm worried."
"About what?"
I looked at him before shaking my head and turning my attention towards the snowstorm outside.
"That once I'm pregnant you'll feel differently towards me," I answered.
He sighed heavily and grabbed my chin so that I was looking at him before saying, "October, I thought we got through this. I'm not Tyler. Please, don't make me pay for what he has done to you. Haven't I proven to you that I'm not like him? I proved it to you when I told you I would never leave your side and I'm still right here aren't I?"
"Yes, I'm sorry," I muttered. "He just hurt me so bad."
He said nothing, instead he grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug. For a while, I listened to the sound of his heartbeat before pulling myself out of the hug and staring at him.
"How do you deal with this?" I asked. "With me? Any other man would've left me a long time ago seeing that I was broken beyond repair."
"I'm not any other man. I'm me and I have repaired you," he answered.
"Not really. I'm still broken in so many ways," I whispered looking down. "You're never going to fix me completely. I'm never going to be brand new. I've been broken since my childhood. My brother and I both were."
"Tell me," he said.
I looked up at him.
"About your brother. I want to know what happened to him and how close you two were," he answered.
"It's a long story, Keith," I said.
"I'm willing to listen. If you tell me about your brother, I will tell you about mine," he murmured.
"You have a brother? How come you never told me about him?"
He sighed heavily before saying, "I never claimed him as my brother. I hated him just as much as you hate Tyler. He had a record that could probably outline a whole entire football field twice. Assault charges, use of a deadly weapon, drug use, drinking and driving, robbery, you name it, he's done it."
"Why wasn't he put in jail for it?" I asked.
"Because of me. There was a time when I loved my brother. I loved him so much that when he got in trouble for something, I willingly took the blame."
"Why?"
"Wouldn't you do the same if it was your brother? Matthew probably would've done the same for you, but anyways, he and I were like two peas in a pod through most of our childhood and up into our late teens. He was always in and out of juvie and constantly on the run from the cops," he said. "When he learned that I got a job in law enforcement, he was outraged and tried to sabotage me."
"How?" I asked.
"He would store drugs in my car when I wasn't around or weapons that were stolen, yet I still loved him and forgave him for everything."
"So when did the hate come?"
He looked down and his voice became strained as he said, "The hate came one night when I was on duty and I got a call. I was to respond to a crime scene at my grandmother's house. I had a gut feeling that it was something dealing with my brother, but at the same time I didn't want to believe it. The whole drive, I was doubtful and praying that it had nothing to do with my brother, but when I arrived at the scene and saw my brother covered in my grandmother's blood..." he trailed off and shook his head. "...I felt all my love for him disappear. He had beat her to death with a golf club all because she wouldn't let him use her car to go and look for drugs. I was thankful they wouldn't let me see her body. God knows that if I did, I would've killed him that night."
"I'm so sorry," I whispered.
"I was the one to choose his fate and I gave him the death penalty. He had nothing to say to me when they had him in the chair. Despite hating him, I couldn't bear to watch him die like that and I had to leave the room. My grandmother meant the world to me and he took her from me in a selfish act of violence. My brother truly is dead to me. He was dead to me up until the last day of his life," he finished.
For a long while, we sat in silence. I stared at him, unsure of what to do. I was about to reach out and comfort him, but before I could, he looked up at me and smiled.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered, his voice sounded a little happier. "Now tell me about your brother."
I eyed him before saying, "What do you want to know? You have him on file."
He laughed and said, "Well, yeah, I do have a file on him, but I don't have a file on your relationship with him."
"Well, Matthew was always there for me when I needed him. Even though I didn't tell him everything that happened to me, whenever I did tell him something, he was there to comfort me," I answered. "Sometimes it was like all we had was each other."
He studied me for a moment before saying, "It can be like that sometimes, but I feel like you want to tell me something."
"What makes you think that?" I asked.
"Just the look on your face."
I sighed heavily.
"If you want to share something with me, go ahead. I'm all ears," he said reaching out to touch my hand.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could there was a knock on the door and Mya, who had been sleeping at the foot of the bed, jumped up and darted out of the room barking loudly.
"Who would be out in this weather?" I asked as Keith got out of the bed.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Wait here."
I stared after him as he walked out of the room telling Mya to calm down. A few minutes later, he returned with a confused look on his face.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's Gia," he answered.
"What?" I exclaimed getting out of bed and walking up to him. "What does she want? Why is she here? How did she find out where I was?"
He shrugged and said, "She's sitting on the living room chair. She's here to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Just go and see," he answered.
I walked out of the room and walked down the hallway. When I entered the living room, I saw Gia sitting on the sofa with her head down. She was wearing a black sweater with the hood pulled over her head, black jeans, and black boots. I could tell by her torso that she was pregnant and I didn't even have to ask by who. One thing I wanted to know was why she was here.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded.
She looked up at me before saying, "I'm sorry. I just didn't know where else to go. I just wanted to get away from him for a while."
"Again, what are you doing here and how did you know I lived here?"
She stood up and sighed heavily as she said, "I kept bugging Ericka until she told me where you were. October, how did you put up with Tyler's mood swings and abuse? Did he abuse you while you were pregnant?"
"Yes," I said coldly. "He raped me and beat me. Why are you here? If you're looking for comfort, I'm not the one you should've came to."
"October!" Keith snapped my name. "That's no way to talk to Gia."
"You don't know her like I do, Keith. This woman threatened me the first day I met her and accused me of taking Tyler from her. She came to his house on the day I shot at him and told me that she and Tyler had been sleeping together the whole time he was with me. So yes, I can talk to this...bitch any kind of way I want to."
Gia looked down before whispering, "I'm sorry about that, October, but please. I don't know what to do."
"What do you want us to do? Let you stay here? That's not happening. Your lover already calls me every single day!" I snapped.
"That was me calling you," she said slowly raising her head to meet my gaze. "I was trying to get in touch with you."
"For what?" I demanded. "It doesn't make sense at all!"
"Advice," she answered.
I laughed and said, "Advice? You come to me for advice? I'm the ex and you come to me for advice? Don't make me laugh. What do you want really?"
You shouldn't be so cold hearted towards her. Look at her, she's suffering with him as well. Take a good long look.
I studied her and guilt instantly washed over me when I saw her. She had horrible dark circles under her eyes, her lips were chapped, she had faint bruises and scars all over her face. Her hair was a mess and her skin appeared to be very broken out.
"October, he forced me to get rid of my daughter."
"What? What do you mean he forced you to get rid of your daughter?" I asked as she started to tremble.
"He told me he wasn't going to allow a child that belongs to another man stay under his roof. He made me give her to my mother and ordered me not to visit or call her. He told me that if I didn't, he would kill me," she explained.
"That asshole! I'm going to his house right now!" Keith shouted behind me making me jump.
"No!" she shouted holding her hands up. "Please don't! I don't want him to know I told anyone this. Just please don't do anything."
"Gia, he..."
"Please," she cut him off as her lip started to tremble.
I stared at her and sighed before saying, "Keith don't. I know how Tyler is. You don't want to do anything that would put her and her baby's life in danger. Trust me."
Keith took a deep breath before saying, "Fine, but Gia, if he ever put his hands on you, I want you to pack all your clothing and leave him."
She nodded and I heard Keith walk down the hallway before closing the bedroom door with a slam.
"How far along?" I asked nodding towards her stomach.
"Seven months. It's sad that his father is a jerk," she muttered sadly.
I stared at her feeling sympathy for her and not knowing what to say to comfort her.
"Gia," I said reaching out to touch her shoulder. "I'm going to tell you what my mother and a bunch of other people told me. You must be strong. You are a woman. Don't let anyone ever call you weak or make you feel like you are weak because by all means, you are not."
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, her phone rung loudly and she pulled it out of her pocket with shaky hands.
"He...hello?" she answered.
I heard Tyler's muffled voice on the other end, but I couldn't make out what he was saying.
"I told you I was going for a drive. I'm on the way home now," she said as her eyes watered and a few tears spilled down her cheeks. "Okay. I...love you too."
She hung up the phone and looked up at me before saying, "I must go. I'm so sorry for everything I've said to you, October."
I stared after her as she headed for the door and closed it. I sighed and turned around before heading back to the bedroom.
"You okay?" I asked when I saw Keith pacing about the floor.
"Yeah," he answered. "You? You kind of have a very strange look on your face."
I sat down on the bed and said, "No. I'm worried about her, Keith. Her and her baby boy."
"Why? She's the one who chose to be in that situation," he answered.
"Yeah, I know, but..." I trailed off and stared at the floor.
"But what?"
"I know what kind of man Tyler is. She's putting herself in danger and she won't let anyone help her. I just hope she's going to be alright," I whispered getting back in bed and pulling the covers up to my chest. "I was in her situation before. I know what he's capable of. I just honestly hope she gets out before it's too late."