48. Than Life Itself
Than Life Itself
Dani
Three weeks later
I shoot up in bed. The doorbell is going off like mad. "It’s almost one in the morning, who in the fuck is here?" I mutter as I grab my phone and check the camera App.
"For fucks sake." I don’t bother reacting when I Josh, the cameras are recording everything. The ringing stops and I lay back down.
— Crash —
Glass shatters somewhere downstairs and I jump out of bed, racing to my bedroom door and locking it. I text Mason, telling him to stay in his room. He won’t get it until the morning. That kid can sleep through a nuclear blast and his door is always locked.
— Bang, bang, bang—
"Open the door, whore!" Josh roars from the other side.
I scramble for my phone and hit call on the first number in my recent calls list. " Go away or I’m calling the cops!"
More banging. " The fuck you will! Let me in!"
I hear whoever answered call my name. "I’m giving you ten seconds to get out of here Josh."
— Bang, bang, crash —
My bedroom door is hanging off its hinges. Josh storms into my room, grabbing me by the arms. All I can smell is beer. Like it’s oozing out of his pores.
"Drop the lawsuit." He demands.
"I don’t fucking think so." I spit back.
"I did nothing to you and you fucking know it!"
"Just like you’re doing nothing to me now."
He brings his elbow up quick, connecting with my nose causing pain to fire through my face as blood runs down into my mouth.
"Bullshit! You’ve always played the victim!" Josh yells, his spit hitting me in the face. "You had everyone believing that I was the bad guy!" he moves to hit me again, but I avoid the blow to the head.
Barely.
"I never played the victim; I was a fucking victim. Of your abuse, your manipulation, your gaslighting and love bombing! I want you to pay for what you did to me! What you’ve probably done to who knows how many other women."
"It’s all in your fucking head! You hurt me by blaming me and turning everyone against me! You even had my cousin believing that I hit you. My own fucking family!"
He slams against the wall, my head ricochets off the wall, making me see stars. I lift my knee and connect with his nuts. He drops and I take off across the hall to Mason’s room, banging frantically on his door.
"Dani!" Josh yells as he stumbles out of the room and lunges, knocking us down the stairs.
I throw my hands out to stop from hitting my face on the floor, but they slide when they connect with the tiles, my right wrist twisting and cracking and I smash my face off the ceramic flooring at the bottom.
My head is swimming, my jaw is throbbing, and my vision is blurry as I scramble up the stairs. I bang on Mason’s door again and it opens this time. He takes one look at me, and fury transforms his sweet face into something frightening.
"Ma?"
"Dani!" Josh hollers.
Mason pushes me behind him just as Josh reaches the top of the stairs. "Move, son ." Josh snarls.
"Get. Out." Mason says so low, I can barely hear him.
Josh starts laughing. "And what are you going to do, son?" Josh takes a swing at Mason, catching him in the jaw. Mason throws a punch of his own, knocking Josh back a step.
"Think you’re tough," Josh spits blood on the floor. "A whore raised you. You’re nothing but a mama’s boy." He shoves Mason, hardly moving him. "How many kids do you have running around, Mason."
"I could ask you the same thing." Mason says icily.
Josh takes another swing and Mason catches Josh’s fist before it connects.
"I can tell you one thing," Mason says, twisting Josh’s fist. Josh drops to his knees with a whimper as Mason twists his wrist again. "If I did have kids—which I don’t, I wouldn’t leave them high and dry because my daddy told me too."
"She didn’t even want you. Did she tell you that?"
I grip Mason’s arm with my functioning hand.
"She wanted to abort your sorry ass." Josh lies.
"Okay." Mason shrugs, letting everything Josh is saying roll off his back.
"Said that having a baby would ruin her life." Josh’s face is flushed. "You’re the reason she tried to kill herself. You were a horrible child and she had to get away from you."
No one but my parents and Erin knew about that and it had nothing to do with Mason and everything to do with me.
"How would you know, you weren’t around." Mason replies.
"People talk, son. And I know a lot of people." Josh sneers.
Mason lets go of his fist and Josh stands, lunging for Mason but never connects.
I look around Mason. "Gabe?" How did I not hear him come in or up the stairs?
"The cops are on the way, baby girl," he says in a voice that does not sound like my sweet Gabe. He lands blow after blow, until Josh’s face is swollen and unrecognizable.
"Gabe! Gabe stop!" I yell.
Breathing heavy, Gabe sits back on his heels, his knuckles covered in blood. Josh isn’t moving and his face is a bloody pile of mush. I hear sirens, stopping in front of my house and banging on the door.
"Stay here." Gabe says as he heads down the stairs.
I grip Mason’s waist. "You okay, Bubba?"
He nods and I feel the slight tremor of his body. He says nothing as he pulls me out from behind him and wraps his arms around my waist, lifting me off the floor. I hold onto my baby as silent sobs rack his large body.
"I wanted you the minute the stick said positive, and the moment I held you," I pull back to touch his cheek, making his eyes meet mine. "I knew I never wanted to let you go."
Mason hiccups out a sob.
"You’re my baby boy. My whole world revolves around you."
His arms squeeze me tighter as he buries his face in my neck. I rub his back to sooth him.
"Is it true?" he mutters.
"Is what true?"
"Did you try to kill yourself because of me?"
Fuck .
"No, Bubba. You were not the reason I tried."
Mason lifts his head and meets my eyes. "Then why?"
I exhale. I had always prayed I would never have to explain my past to him. However, he does deserve to know.
"Guilt. I felt like the worlds worst mother. I had to work two jobs and leave you with Nanny and Papa. I barely spent any time with you when you were younger. I was in a horrible place mentally and I thought you’d be better off without me."
"My best memories all revolve around you, Ma," he places me on the floor. "No matter how busy or tired you were, you always had time for me. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without you.” He smiles. “I love you, Ma."
I smile up at my baby boy. "And I love you more than life itself."