12. Eden
EDEN
As soon as we walked through the door, Michael told me to sit down and shut up.
My knees were knocking together from the anxiety, so I was glad he didn’t expect me to keep standing.
He’s pacing back and forth on the dingy brown low-pile carpet, mumbling to himself.
My throat is sore from him choking me in the car when I wouldn’t answer his questions about Sterling.
He laughs, shaking his head and smacking his hand against the Sheetrock. “You really thought you were just going to run off, get married, and live happily ever after with my kid?”
I shrug, shaking my head. “I just … I needed somewhere to go.”
He barks out a laugh. “Oh, so you’re not fucking him?”
My cheeks heat, and his eyes darken with rage.
“You’re a fucking whore—you know that? Only a whore would do what you’re doing. What are you gonna do when your family finds out about what a tramp their daughter is?”
He sees the way my face falls at his suggestion, and his cruel smile returns. “Listen, I just think it’s only right for you and me to go back to Texas and see what they want to do with you. You can’t just run away from your problems forever.”
I bite my bottom lip, sinking back against the chair. My face drops toward the carpet.
I didn’t get to say goodbye to him. He’ll have no way of knowing what happened to me.
Michael took my phone while we were in the car and threw it out the window, destroying my last chance of me potentially being able to text Sterling my location.
Either way, I don’t know if I would have done it. This is my mess. I don’t want him to have to deal with it. He’s helped me out enough. I made these choices, and now I have to live with them.
I know that’s what my parents will say. They’ll probably make me marry Michael, which will be impossible, considering I’m already married.
My stomach is cramping. I place my hand over my belly, worried about the cramps. I know it’s from anxiety, but still, I’m concerned for the baby.
I am so screwed. How do I get away from him?
My survival instincts are kicking in. Maybe I just need to pretend I missed him until I find a window to escape.
“I’m sorry, Michael. You really … you scared me. I ran because I was afraid. You hurt me.” I whisper the last part, tears starting to dribble down my cheeks. I suck in a ragged sob, trying to get my emotions in check.
I’ve already resigned myself to my fate, to this being my reality. I have no choice but to face the things I’ve been running from, including my abuser.
Now, I have to focus on survival.
I release a slow exhale, attempting to regulate my breathing. Michael walks up to me, jerking me up by my arm. He shoves me into the bed. I try to protect my stomach, rolling off to the side and onto the floor.
“You stupid fucking bitch! This is all your fault! Don’t try to turn this shit around on me. You made these choices. You did this shit. You had a chance to get rid of it, and you didn’t want to. I have a right to be angry that the mother of my child is a fucking whore!”
I brace myself for the potential impact of him kicking or hitting me, curling around myself to protect my baby boy.
Boy? I don’t know what I’m having yet.
For whatever reason, I instinctively feel like I know what it is in this moment of strong maternal instinct kicking in. Michael grabs my arm to yank me back up. Everything shifts when the door flies open with a bang against the wall.
I gasp when I see Sterling and Duke burst through the door and slam it shut behind them.
I’ve never seen Sterling so enraged. His scar is an angry red, his face flushed. He immediately grabs Michael by the shirt, jerking him up off the ground.
“That’s my wife. You’re about to find out what happens to people who hurt someone I love.”
I don’t even have time to react to his confession as I gape in shock at the scene before me. Sterling throws Michael into the wall across the room, busting a hole in the Sheetrock. Michael yelps.
“What the hell, man?!” He throws his hands up to block his face as my husband starts throwing punch after punch into his abdomen.
When he reaches down to start protecting himself there, Sterling grabs him by the neck, jerking him forward before smacking his head back against the wall. Michael starts to cry.
Duke helps me up off the floor, pulling me away from where Sterling is beating Michael. My throat dries up, and I shut my eyes when I hear the sickening crunch of bone breaking.
“Are you okay?” Duke asks.
I nod, clinging to his arm. He opens the door to the motel room and ushers me outside.
“Let’s go.”
He leads me over to Sterling’s truck parked across the street. My vision is blurry as tears well up in my eyes. He opens the back door and helps me up inside.
“Listen, I’m going back in there. Lock the doors and don’t open up for anyone except us—you hear me?”
I nod, sniffling as he shuts the door and calmly walks back toward the motel like it’s just a casual weekend. I click the lock button before dissolving into a puddle of tears and shame.
After ten minutes, I’ve finally stopped crying. There’s a bottle of water in the console, and I suddenly realize how thirsty I am. I chug half of it and release a slow exhale.
I watch the motel room door open. Sterling steps out.
When he’s halfway to me, my eyes widen as I notice the blood spatters on his T-shirt.
I click the unlock button when he gets to the truck.
He opens the driver’s door and climbs in, slowly exhaling.
His eyes are closed, like he’s trying to regain control of himself.
He grips the wheel tightly before removing one hand and shifting into drive. He slowly pulls onto the street and drives a block away.
Are we leaving Duke here?
He pulls into a gas station parking lot and does a full U-turn before heading back toward the motel. My hands are shaking. We drive past the motel again and another block down the street before he pulls over and idles by the curb.
He glances up at me in the rearview mirror. We hold each other’s gaze for a solid minute. His dark eyes are swirling with so many unspoken questions. I somehow know he’s wondering if I’m okay, but we both know the answer is no.
We jolt in unison when someone pulls on the passenger door handle. He turns and sees his brother standing there. He unlocks it, and Duke climbs in.
We drive back to Sterling’s house in silence. I want to ask what happened, but I’m almost afraid to.
I know I’m completely safe with the Redford brothers. I also know they’re ruthless. I’ve heard them talk about murder like it’s a Sunday potluck.
Now that I’m one of their wives … that must mean they’re ruthless when it comes to protecting me.
I know it should scare me that Sterling’s knuckles have blood caked on them.
I know it should scare me that he was able to find me in less than half an hour when I literally disappeared from a sidewalk in his neighborhood.
For some reason, I’m not afraid at all.
As we pull up to the house, Sterling opens my door and grips my hand tightly. He leads me inside and takes me to the bathroom.
He removes his shirt and undresses me gently. My throat feels sore as he takes his time and silently bathes my body. I watch him dry me off and wrap me up in a towel before he tells me to sit down on the toilet lid.
He removes his pants and showers off quickly. He takes me into the room and finds his USMC sweatshirt for me to wear before getting himself dressed.
Once we’re both fully clothed, he stands in front of me, tilting my head from side to side, studying my neck. Michael must’ve left a few marks.
I grab his arm when I see the storm returning to his eyes. “Hey.”
I cup the side of his jaw. He shuts his eyes. A tear escapes the corner, wetting my thumb.
“Thank you for saving me,” I whisper.
He dips his head, pressing his forehead to mine.
“He will never touch you again.” His voice is a low, desperate promise.
“I know.”
“Come on. I need to feed you.”
He interlaces our fingers and pulls me into the kitchen.
He heats up some fried chicken and mashed potatoes with white gravy and puts it in front of me on the bar.
A few minutes later, Duke joins us, his hair wet from the shower. He’s changed into a clean gray T-shirt and black shorts.
“I’m starving. We should watch a movie. Have you seen Avatar, Eden?”
I shake my head, biting into a crispy piece of chicken.
“You’re gonna love it.”
I finish eating with Sterling standing across from me like he can’t physically force himself to be more than two feet away from me. Duke pulls the movie up on the screen and starts playing it once Sterling and I join him on the sofa.
Sterling pulls me right up next to his hip, his arm wrapped around me. I settle into him, allowing myself to be pulled into the story about the blue aliens and the human who falls in love with one of them.
After an hour, Sterling shifts beside me.
“How’s she doing?” he asks, his hand cupping my belly.
I turn up to him, smiling softly. “I think it’s a boy. He or she is okay.” I lay my hand on top of his. “I was nervous he would, but he didn’t … he didn’t hurt me there.”
Sterling nods, shifting his arm that’s wrapped around me to slide it under my butt and scoop me onto his lap. He sighs, presses his nose to my hair, and inhales.
He rubs the top of my belly, kissing my ear. “You have no idea how scared I was. I was … I was terrified. I’ve faced men with machine guns in the dead of night in war-torn countries, but walking through this door and realizing you were gone had my heart racing in a way I’d never felt before.”
My chest aches. I trace circles over the back of his hand. “I’m sorry … sorry that I brought such a mess into your life.”
“I’m not sorry at all.”
I peer up at him for a few moments, searching his face and only finding sincerity. I press a kiss to his lips before I nuzzle into his chest and shut my eyes.