The Love We Share

A/N: This is my first story! Well my first story that I let others read. Let me know what you think! I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Enjoy!!

Prologue

My name is Victoria Riley. I'm twenty two years old and I'm the mother of a wonderful five year old boy, Donovan. I would love to say that I am happily married and that my world is complete. Sadly, that is not the case. I had Don when I was seventeen with the man I thought was the love of my life, Jake. We had been dating for two years, I thought that I would spend the rest of my life with him. But things don't always turn out like you want them to. After I had Don, things changed. My mother abandoned me, my father had left years ago, and Jake was the only person I could depend on. I guess that was too much for him because he changed from the sweet loving man, to an abusive alcoholic. I could take the pain, but I didn't know what I would do if he turned his anger towards our son. I had hoped that that day would never come. I was mistaken.

Chapter 1

I had everything packed and ready to go. Everything was hidden in the closets so Jake wouldn't find them. Once he left for work I was leaving, I was taking our son, Donovan, and leaving. I couldn't take it anymore. All the abuse, all the pain he caused me. I never complained because I didn't want my son to grow up without a father, and Jake never hurt him, until last week.

Donovan had been playing in the living room with all his toys, Jake had just gotten home and tripped over a toy. He got furious, marched up to Don and slapped him. He slapped him so hard that his little body fell to the floor in an instant. I was in the kitchen when it all happened. I ran out once I heard Don's cries. I got there only to have Jake's fury be turned towards me. Don saw it all and could not stop crying. Since then things have calmed down. But I know that he will hit him again. And I can't take that.

Jake was finishing up his breakfast in the kitchen, Don sitting across from him eating as quietly as possible. Jake got up leaving his plate on the table.

"I'm off to work," he said. He came up to me and kissed me.

"Bye honey," I said in the most lovable voice I could manage.

"Have dinner ready when I come back."

"Of course."

"Bye little man. See you later." Don didn't respond. He just kept looking at his food. He still hadn't forgiven him for what he did. "I said bye Donovan," Jake said the anger obvious in his voice.

"Bye daddy," Don whispered. Jake seemed satisfied and left. I waited 10 minutes just staring at the door in case he forgot something and would come back.

When I knew it was safe I turned to Donovan. "Baby we're going out today."

"Where we going mommy?"

"We are leaving this house. Ok? So come on let's go get you changed and ready to go." I took him to his room and got him changed. I ran and got the bags from the closet and put them in the car. I went back into the house and got Don. Everything was ready. I locked the door behind me, got in the car and took off. We were leaving our home in New York and going to Iowa. My first intention was to go to California, to the other side of the country. But Jake knew I always wanted to go there. It would be the first place he would look.

We were on the road when I decided to explain things to Don. "Baby, we are leaving, and never coming back. Do you understand?"

"What about daddy?"