Always Running

Tiana Lambert

Single

Mother of LaMont Crowwell

Divorced from Landon Crowwell

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tiana was fresh out of high school eighteen years old, fully in love with her boyfriend of five years. Her middle school sweetheart Landon Crowwell. They're the power couple in school. Perfect right? WRONG. There's a side to Landon, Tiana never knew and never wanted to meet. Sadly, she got the displeasure of doing so after they were married, legally bonded.

TIANA

"Oh, so you don't wanna be with me no more, huh? Who the nigga you want? After all these years I gave you?! I love you! Nobody else could possibly love you like I do girl!" He yelled, eyes blood shot red, fist pummeling into my face.

"No baby, please , please stop! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I do love you. Landon, please." I pleaded curling up, attempting to cover my face to stop the pain, all while cover my stomach to protect our growing fetus.

I tried to stop him, I did. He just kept going, his hands flying everywhere until he wore himself out. Landon then picked me up and pulled me to him by my sore arms. I winced from the intense pain he had just caused me.

"I'm sorry Tiana, but you make me act like this. Why can't you just love me? I do everything for you, but you make it so hard, nothing's going right, right now." He whispered holding me to his chest. My heart sped up a few notch when I felt his grip tighten, not in the good way either, I winced in pain when his fingers dug into my skin. When he heard my expression of pain, he loosened his grip a little.

"I'm working on it. I love you so much baby girl. I don't mean to hurt you, you know that cause don't nobody love you like I do. Do you forgive me?"

Forgiveness. Forgiveness? He just beat my ass, but he wants forgiveness! I felt my body's natural reaction to when I'm about to cry a river, but I held it in.

Letting out a shaky breath I replied, knowing he doesn't ask rhetorical questions, "Y-yeah." He smiled down at me, kissing my forehead and sitting me on the bed.

"I gotta go bae, I'll be back a little later. Clean this up, clean your face up, and make some dinner. We suppose ta be having company tonight. I love you." He gave me the instructions, while grabbing his keys, slipping on his black and brown polo boots.

When I didn't reply to him, he turned around, anger slightly heating his eyes up, "I said I. Love. You," the way he said it as if I was some confused child, though I wasn't far from it, I felt like it.

"I love you too Landon." I finally managed to choke out, holding back the river behind my eyes, on the rim of my eyelids, ready to pour heavily.

"Good, and you better not leave this house. Do what I said, matter fact, gimme that phone." My eyes widen when he came closer holding his hand out. I wasn't moving fast enough for him so he snatched me up by my hair, "where the damn phone at Tiana?" His voice low and deadly.

I couldn't give him my phone, not only would he go through it , he'd find something to give him a reason to beat my ass.

"I don't know."

"Fuck you mean, I don't know?!" He questioned his voice raising a few decimals.

"I fell somewhere when I went to --"

"Shut the hell up." He yelled, clearly irritated, pulling out his phone. His finger swiped quickly over the Galaxy S4 entering his pass code. I looked away quickly, if I knew the code if be tempted to look for what I already know: infidelity. If I got caught going through his personal shit: ass beating.

He pulled up his phone icon, going to the dial menu, my heart sped up faster when I saw the first five digits of my number being typed in quickly. He's looking for it! I scanned the back if my mind for any memory of where my phone could be, if it was charged, if it was on silent, if it was even on.

I heard the faint vibrating in the hallway, he didn't seem to hear it. He pulled his phone away from his ear, walking around listening. I seen my life flash before my eyes, if I got caught in this lie, lord help me.

"Baby, I think-"

"Did I ask you to speak Tiana?" He yelled. Then his eyes darkened as he took long strides into the hallway. He heard it.

Before I could say anything , his hand was racing the wind towards my face------

I sat up straight in my bed, covering my face in panic. When I didn't feel or see anything I began patting around my bed frantically. When I felt the warm body next to me, I froze up, but when I felt curly hair instead of waves I relaxed a little.

I wiped my forehead free of the excess cold sweat coating me, looking over at the clock that read 3:05AM

I shivered thinking about the dream that I've been having more than often lately. I laid down trying to woo myself back to sleep, nothing worked.

I got up, going into the bathroom to start my morning routine. I brushed my teeth, turning on the shower head and stripping from my night time attire. I knew Lamont would be sleep for another hour or two until I had to wake him, which wouldn't be pretty.

Right when I was about to step into the tub, I saw a roach come from the window sill, which was now open. I looked at it confused, I didn't leave it open for sure. I always close it because roaches will come in, and it also creates an uncomfortable draft. I got an uneasy feeling as I closed it, my gut was telling me something was off. I shook the unwanted feelings off, stepping into the shower.

After handling my business, I got myself properly dressed for work. I worked as an intern at a new firm in New York, New York. I quit my job as a lawyer two years ago do to a personal family crisis, so now to keep it lowkey, I work here. It pays pretty good and everyone's nice they also have a daycare.

Putting my necessities in my purse I prepared myself for my cranky 1 almost 2 years old going on 40 years old.

Gently shaking his shoulder, wasn't working for us no more, "Lamont, I know you hear me, up, now." I heard the sniffling and knew it was coming.

"Pweaseeee, no, me don't wanna get up. Pwease ma." He whined, no tear leaving his big ass eyes. I rolled my eyes pulling him up completely.

"Don't even start this morning, you can go back to sleep when we get to work."

"Whateva!" He exclaimed, pouting. I didn't even bother with dressing him, I just put his slippers on, packed his backpack making sure to include his daytime attire and turned on Sprout.

I was already exhausted, and missing Tre. Damn this was gone be a long day.

__________________________________________________________________________

This is just a prologue chapter, the story will start from the beginning for the next chapter.

I typed all this on my phone, excuse my mistakes. And this is altogether new because I wanted a change I am going to continue my other story.