Girl I Know

When the morning came I got up and went into the bathroom to take a shower, leaving Dante sound asleep in bed. I stood there under the hot water surveying my body. Most of the bruises had already started to fade. Thankfully, the dress I was going to wear to the wedding would cover what was left.

I got out of the shower and dried off quickly. My hair was still damp when I walked out of the bathroom and over to my closet. I pulled the dress out of my closet and stepped inside of it pulling it up over my body. After tying the straps behind my neck I looked over at Dante who was still sleeping and clearly he wasn’t going to get up anytime soon. Fucker was going to make me late for my own cousin’s wedding.

“Dante” I called out his name, but he didn’t stir. So, I walked over to the bed and put my hand on his shoulder and shook him gently. When he opened his eyes and looked at me, I knew already which Dante was looking back at me. The bad one.

“You have to get up, it’s already 11 o’clock”

I walked back over to the closet to get the shoes that matched my dress and I could hear him sitting up in the bed. I found my shoes and set them down on the floor in front of me and stepped into them. He got up and pulled on his jeans and after taking something out of his pocket he sat back down on the bed.

“You want some?” he asked holding up a clear plastic vile.

“Really? Do you think no one will notice if I show up high at Lyric’s wedding?” I spoke sarcastically. Sure I did get high here and there with him, but it was only because he said it would help me stay awake so I could get my work done faster. He looked at me and seemed a little surprised by my statement.

“Is that why you are wearing that dress?” he asked pointing at my attire.

“Yes. It’s today, did you forget?” I stood there with my hands on my hips trying not to lose my temper on him.

“No, I didn’t forget, but apparently you forgot that you aren’t going to the wedding”

“What?”

“We have an understanding that you weren’t going to go near Blade”

I picked up my hairbrush and stood in front of my vanity table. “It’s Lyric’s wedding, how can you expect me not to go?” I looked at his reflection in the mirror as I spoke to him and continued to brush my hair.

“Melody. I’m not letting you go to the wedding. So you may as well take of that pretty little dress and put it back on the hanger and then put it back in your closet. You can leave the shoes on though, they’re kinda hot”

I set the brush down on the table and turned around to face him just as he was lighting up a cigarette. “You aren’t going to let me got to the wedding? I don’t need your permission to go anywhere, Dante”

He laughed a laugh that sounded somewhat sinister. “Take off the dress, Mel”

“No” I shook my head and picked up my clutch purse.

“No?” he stood up as if to dare me to defy him.

“That’s what I said. I’m going to the wedding” I walked out of the bedroom and into the living room to get my cell phone and I could hear him following behind me. My cell phone was sitting on the coffee table and when I picked it up he grabbed my arm.

“Let go of me” I tried to pull my arm out of his grip, but he wouldn’t let go. Instead he grabbed my cell phone out of my hand.

“Take off the dress, Melody” he spoke with malice in his voice and the fear in me was starting to take over.

“NO!” I shouted back and earned myself a slap in the face. When I shoved him away from me and tried to run for the door, he grabbed me by my hair and pulled me back.
I screamed, but it didn’t matter it only made him pull my hair harder as he dragged me back to the bedroom. My body slammed into the wall when he shoved me into the bedroom. I grabbed the closest thing to me, which was the hairbrush and threw it at his face, but he moved and it missed his face.

“That’s cute” he snickered and walked right over to me. My hair was in his hands again and his face was so close to mine that my lip started to quiver. His hand reached around the back of my neck and untied the strap on my dress. “Dante, don’t” I begged.

“Shut up!” the back of his hand met my cheek and due to the ring on his middle finger this time he drew blood. “See, look what you made me do now!” he spoke in a deep angry voice.

“Let go of me please” I begged and tried to kick him, but he didn’t even flinch.

“You want to kick?” he asked and I knew that was a loaded question. He brought his knee up and jammed it into my stomach knocking the wind out of me. “That’s what you get when you kick”

“I cant breath,” I cried holding onto my stomach.

“It’s your own fault, Melody. I told you to take off the dress and you just wouldn’t listen!”

“Please, let me go. I have to go to the wedding,” I begged.

“WHAT PART OF NO DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?” he yelled and before I could respond he grabbed my hair again and dragged me into the bathroom. My screams went unheard and he just continued to pull my hair. When we reached the sink he opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a pair of scissors.

“Don’t,” I cried begging him not to cut my dress, but my pleading didn’t matter to him as I felt the point of the scissor digging in at my side while he made the first cut on my dress. After he made the first hole he realized the scissors were too dull for what he was trying to accomplish so he set the scissor down on the sink and used his hands to make the rip bigger. I took my chances and grabbed the scissor and jabbed him in the leg with it, but they never broke the skin.

He stopped what he was doing and turned me around to face him. My breathing sped up as his fist connected with my jaw. I lost my balance and fell to the floor and when I tried to get up and run, I only made it as far as the bedroom before he caught me and tackled me to the ground. His fists came at me throwing one punch after the other as I screamed out in pain.
“Stop it!” I screamed, but he didn’t stop.

The beating continued for another 20 minutes at least, but to me it seemed like 20 hours. When he was finally satisfied, he leaned over me and grabbed me by the throat.

“I’m going out of for cigarettes. When I get back that dress better be gone” he warned in a low menacing voice that scared the living hell out of me. “I’m taking your cell phone with me, and consider this a warning. If you aren’t here when I get back, I’m going to do something worse to your mother”

I couldn’t say anything as I watched him walk out of my bedroom. I was in so much pain I could hardly move. My cries were reduced to mere whimpers. I was in hell and no one could help me now.