His Princess

29: The Mall

Isabella

2 years later

I was cutting up some fruit for Jackson in the kitchen when he runs into the kitchen.

"Mommy!" He clings to my leg. I look down to see him making a pouty face, "what's wrong baby?" I pick him up. He pushes his head on my chest and points to his dad coming down the stairs. "Was daddy being mean?" I ask him while pinching his nose. He nods.

"I was trying to get him into the bathtub, but he doesn't want to," James says.

I laugh and look at Jackson. "Let's make a deal yeah? If you let Dad put you in the tub and you take a nice quick bath, I'll take you to the park later!" His face lightens up and I copy his face.

"Deal!" He says jumping off of me.

He runs over to James and they walk away laughing. I smile at the image of my son.

I hated James for almost a year after he took me from Miami and Damien. He brought us to New York. He found a new job here and bought us a big house. I wanted to hate him longer but he became the only person I was allowed to talk to and see since we left Miami. He kept me isolated as a way of punishing me.

He is an amazing dad to Jackson. They are always playing around with each other and making each other laugh. I was just happy that my son was happy and healthy.

I did love him, but I will never forget the pain he brings me. And, he will never be Damien. He still hits me at the smallest inconvenience. It could be bad, sometimes it wasn't. And it was in those moments that I remembered why I hated him.

But over these past 2 years, it became my new normal. I had nowhere and no one to go to. I wasn't allowed to have any friends unless James specifically chose or approved them. I was barely allowed to talk to my parents and James made me make everyone I knew promise to not tell Damien where I was.

Damien would never find me. Sometimes, when I spoke to Jacob, he would talk to me about Damien and how his life is going but I asked him to stop. It somehow hurt to know about his life when he has no idea about mine.

I still love him the way that I did 2 years ago. And I would love to see and meet with him again but, I don't think I would be able to leave James for him. Not anymore. Not now that Jackson is almost 2 and has such a great relationship with his dad. He can hurt me all he wants but he will never lay a finger on Jackson.

"I have a meeting today and then we have a business party to attend tomorrow," James told me before kissing me and leaving for work.

"Is it okay to take Jackson to the park in like 2 hours and then the mall." He nodded and drove off.

I don't work. James made me stay home to take care of Jackson because he doesn't trust him with "some random nanny" but he just doesn't trust me. Two hours go by and Jackson jumps up on the couch with me.

"Mommy it's time!" He shouts. I get up knowing what he means. I look at him and see he's chosen his clothes.

"You're not going like that baby" he pouts and starts throwing a fit.

"Jackson! Either you change or we don't go to the park!" I hardly ever shout at him but when he throws fits like these, I have to. He keeps whining and even begins to cry. "Baby, come on you have to change. I don't think Daddy will be very happy with you if he sees the hard time you're giving me do you?" I tell him and he immediately runs up to his room. I follow him and change his outfit.