Grace

30

Grace sighed heavily once someone knocked on her door. She had been feeling queasy all morning. Dominic had left her all alone and was not answering her calls anymore. She woke up feeling as if she had suffered a long night. Twisting the locks, she rubbed her head then turned the doorknob to reveal Camino standing on the other side.

From Grace's knowledge, Dominic was still very angry at his father. He didn't speak to his mother anymore. Grace never forced him either, in fear that he would put his hands on her again. The abuse was becoming more frequent and painful. Grace just knew that she was being dumb and that no love should have ever had her willing to stay, but she didn't have anyone else. No one could make her feel like he did. She had become so accustomed to him.

"Nice place. I came over to kick it with my daughter-in-law. We never spend much time together."

"Sure, come in. Excuse my mess. I haven't been feeling well."

"Why's that?" Camino took a seat on the sofa where Grace once laid, sucking in a deep breath. Destinny was waiting for him outside, eager to know just what the hell the outcome would be. The plan was to use Grace to get to Dominic, who would persuade Grace to get the connect for them.

Camino flashed her a smile. "Possibly a bun cooking in the oven? I love kids... I would love to have grandkids. Dominic is kind of moving too slow with that."

Grace stared down at him. He left an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. He seemed a little off plus he kept making jokes that were dry. She knew it wasn't her sense of humor at all. Camino was up to no good and she was beginning to search for any reason to get rid of him.

"I'm just... really tired." Grace faked a yawn, then began rubbing her aching belly.

"OK, OK, well I stopped by to ask you if you could have Dominic call me... I really miss my son and I need to see him. I need to see him and just talk to him."

"I've tried to get him to speak with you but he doesn't want to-" Their eyes flew towards the sound of the door opening. Camino slowly stood from his seated position, while Grace looked into her lap. She had no choice but to meet Dominic's bewildered face as he stepped into the living room.

"I was just leaving." Camino explained.

Dominic kept silent as the older man walked psst him with his hands in a surrendering stance. Grace moved over to the sofa then began to fix the pillows. She knew it was a huge argument awaiting her, and she had no strength to fight with Dominic. As she moved pillows, she felt his eyes travelling over her. He stepped over and crossed his arms.

"So, when you was going to tell me that you was meeting up with him?" Dominic inquired.

"This evening, he just showed up out of nowhere."

Her eyes grew wider as his large hands engulfed her slim neck. Grace's stomach began to stir with utter pain and nervousness as he treated her like some outsider. Dominic was no longer the young boy she had met before. He wasn't the same boy who rode his bike just to come see her, or sneak through her window just to cuddle in her bed all night, or even the matured young adult who retrieved her from her broken home. And she missed that, but she had no time to think of that as she suffered the unbearable pain of his fists tearing into her flesh like glass.

"Quit! Dominic! Dominic!" She held her hands up but he grabbed her wrist, dragging her along the carpeted floor into the bedroom. Grace cried bloody murder as he nearly pulled her arm out of its socket. A deadly look had taken his soft face over. She held onto anything they passed along the painful journey to the bedroom.

"Please, please"

"Shut the fuck up, Grace!"

Michigan drove around the city with her swollen belly. She had just came from a doctor's appointment. They gave her more good news about her growing baby. She was going through Braxton Hicks at the moment but she was continuing her everyday life. After finishing school, she enrolled into CNA classed and started a job at a small restaurant as a hostess.

She stared up at her cousin's condo building. He still lived on the same side of town so she was deciding to go visit Dominic. He hadn't really called to check on her or congratulate her. It was as if he had chose Grace over her but Michigan didn't give a damn. She had to see Grace every single day at school and she used to dread it, but as the days went along, she realised that her grudge was just pointless. She still had love for Grace and that was that. No more dirt was being thrown onto her ex-best friend's name.

She text messaged her mom to let her know she was visiting Dominic. As she stuffed her phone into her bag, she came upon his apartment. Michigan lightly knocked a few times but received no answer. As dead quiet as it was in the hallway, she could hear faint screams. "Bad kids," she muttered, twisting the doorknob and just walking inside. She didn't even know why she knocked in the first place. Dominic wouldn't mind her company.

"Nic," she called out moving into the living room. A lamp was knocked over and the side of the table leg was bent inwards. Michigan rushed to his bedroom to hear water running. Opening the door, Michigan's heart fell at the sight of Grace's body slumped over the bed in an awkward position.

Dominic froze at the bathroom entrance with the washrag, covered in her blood, in his hands.

"Oh, my God, what did you do to her? Look at her face! Dominic, what happened?!" Michigan screeched while wrapping her arm underneath Grace's limp body. She stared down at her ex-best friend in utter shock. Dominic dabbed at Grace's bloody bruises with the wash rag. Michigan took it from him then threw it to the floor.

"Help me get her to the emergency room."

"Fuck no, we don't need those people in our business! I already got enough on my fucking plate and I don't need to cop a charge. Just get the hell out of my business and my life! I don't need this shit! I really don't need to be told what to do by some hoe ass female! Get out! Take her with you, and drop her ass off anywhere. Just get away from me."

And he didn't have to repeat himself. Michigan took her friend and left the apartment, suffering through the pain in her stomach as she struggled.