Trembling With the Strings

Marcus had avoided me for a month. Darius kept trying to keep me happy, but he was failing at it. I had to face the fact that my brother hated me (so Johnny wasn’t too fond of me either) and that I’d have to give up my child the second he was born. I was reminded of that every time I looked down at my tummy since I was starting to show (even though Darius told me that I was still his “hot little sex kitten”).Yeah, I didn’t have too much to smile about.

I was just sitting with my fiancé as we watched television with Marty. My littlest brother could surely see how upset I was since he had crawled onto my lap and snuggled up with me. We had probably spent half of the day like that—for the past twelve or thirteen days. Darius wouldn’t really let me do anything since he was so against me harming little Dante Jr.

Anyway, we were watching Mindfreak, and Darius wouldn’t stop saying how he could easily do everything Criss Angel did. I had told him to stop being so cocky, and he had—of course—made a perverted joke. I smacked him, about to tell him to watch his mouth, when the doorbell rang. Darius excused himself to answer it.

And then there was yelling. Darius was hurling every insult he knew at whoever was at the door. I pushed Martin to his feet, placing my hands on his shoulders and ushering him to the door so I could see what was going on. My mouth fell open, but Demetrius tore himself from me, running into his mother’s arms, shouting, “Mommy! Mommy!”

I stepped up to Darius, ready to walk past him and slap my mother and father for showing up. They had caused all of this pain. How did they get the nerve to just show up at the doorstep? Dray caught my hand, rubbing my thumb with his as if trying to sooth me. It didn’t work.

“What do you want?” I demanded, letting Darius remind them what they had thrown me into as he pulled me to him suddenly, kissing me roughly.

“Gracie, please,” my mother begged, crouching down to embrace Demetrius. My father stood silently. “Come back home. Get Johnny and Marc, and we’ll go home!”

“Like Hell you will,” Darius hissed, glaring death at them as Marty glanced back at us. “Why are you really here? Did you finally pull your head out of your ass or what?”

My father tried to say something, but Dianna cut him off. “Gracie, your sister wanted to see you. And...we heard some things.”

“Where is Kate?” I told her, knowing exactly what she met by things.

Darius obviously knew, too, because he crouched down to kiss my abdomen, smiling up at me before looking over to my parents, saying, “We had plenty of fun in the bedroom.”

Frank and Dianna grimaced, but then my mother started going on and on about how her baby was having a baby. She tried to touch my stomach, but Darius growled at her. She was wise to keep her hands to herself.

“Oh, Katie is in the car. Don’t you want to come see her?” Dianna asked, smiling.

“You said she wanted to see me. And here I am.” I knew Darius wouldn’t let me leave the house like that. I knew I would be kidnapped if I stepped foot outside—by my own parents! She scowled, but excused herself nonetheless. Frank followed her.

“Why are they here?” Darius groaned, running his hand hastily through his hair.

“I don’t know,” I muttered, pulling Marty into my arms and kissing his forehead. I begged him to go play with Johnny or Marcy. He ran outside to go see Marcella and her horses.

All of a sudden Katelynn had me in a bear hug, kissing my cheek and refusing to let go. She whispered, “Don’t make me stay there anymore.” And I told her what I thought was the best for her.

...Surely I made the reasonable choice, right?