Saved by the Way (SLOW REVISIONS)

Chapter 19

Gerard was gone. He was gone.

He had left my life almost as quickly as he had entered. Like a sunrise, our love for each other had risen with hopes lighting up the world only to crash down into the horizon again.

He lied. He said he would love me no matter what. He said he loved me. Our relationship was faithless and he didn't give me a chance to explain. He just assumed and I had to suffer from it.

He had the chance to have me. He had his opportunity and he blew it. We both blew it. I should've told him what happened the day it happened instead of procrastinating. This is my fault.

A broken heart for a broken heart. Mine had been broken before. His too. We were both nothing but a shattered mirror where you can't see the whole picture, but you can see fragments that don't make sense, yet each piece tells it's own story.

I wasn't going to let Gerard's stupidity ruin me. I was going to be a mother and I couldn't play the blame game right now. I can't give up on myself anymore because I won't be the only one suffering from it anymore. I can't put a little boy or girl through that. I can't give up on an innocent child and ask them to grow up too quickly.

I grew up to quickly and it's not OK, nor is it a good thing. I would be stealing their childhood and it wasn't fair to them that my decisions would affect them.

I would love this baby. I would not give up and I would be the person I had to be in order to do that.

Tears lined my eyes and I could feel them fall. All my childhood had been robbed by greedy hands of want. Greedy hands that care about nothing but self pleasure. Mindlessly only caring about their own self indulgence and not caring for anyone else.

I would protect this child from the cruel world. I wouldn't hide their eyes from the truths and lie and tell them that everything is alright when clearly, not everything is OK. I'm not OK. I can lie all I want and say I'm OK, but I'm not OK. I'm not alright, everything isn't alright and it's time somebody did something about that.

I cast Gerard out of my heart. Forget about him. Forget how he made me feel. Forget all the kisses and all fun. Forget his little notes he gave me. Forget him.

"Scarlett!" my mother screamed from upstairs.

Mother. This woman wasn't my mom. Mom's are the kind of people that love their kids and want to be with them. Mother was nothing but the term used to describe my relationship with her.

I dried my eyes and ran out of my room and up the stairs.

She was sitting on the couch and that douche, Richard was standing up.

He'd pay extra if he could get his hands on you.

The phrase ran through my head and before I knew it, I felt a fist against my eye socket. I was shocked more than anything. I felt myself crumble down to the ground and curled up in a little ball.

I went limp as he pinned my down by that familiar spot on my forearms.

This was all too familiar. Without warning, he took his fist and started punching my face repeatedly. I felt each impact killing me not only on the outside, but on the inside. My heart was being ripped bit by bit. It was being tossed around without a care in my chest.

He punched me hard on the cheek and I could feel my teeth rip holes through my flesh and cause bleeding. I tried to keep all the blood inside, but my mouth was full, so I opened it and the blood oozed out from the corners of my mouth in a red sticky mess.

He then punched my nose and I heard a crack followed by intense pain and nose bleeding. There was so much blood. All from my body. It made me dizzy.

Richard then stood up and I curled up defensely into a ball cradling my stomach where my baby was. If he hurt my baby I don't know what I'd do to myself. It's low enough to hurt a woman or child, but a poor defenseless baby was about as low and cruel as you could get.

Richard started kicking my body. He started on my back and just kicked repeatedly. He laughed with every blow. He then went to the other side of me and started kicking my stomach.

No. No. No. He can't hurt my baby!

I threw my arms and knees in front of my stomach so he would have to pry my legs and arms off if he wanted that.

My baby was in there and I was going to protect that baby regardless of who the father is. The baby never asked to be conceived like that and it wasn't their fault and they don't deserve any punishment.

I did my best to protect the child and Richard just kept kicking never letting up.