Under The Spotlight (Dinah/You/Normani)

twenty-one.

Jessie's POV

All this time she was right in my face and I couldn't see it. My best friend's daughter is friends with the child I gave up for adoption. Before you pass judgement let me explain what went down.

I was seventeen when I met him, Carlos, Lexi's father. I was at a house party with Caleb and Y/N, Y/N and I were in the kitchen fixing a drink when  Carlos approached me. Carlos was a tall, hazel eyed, Dominican dude. He had a cute smile and that's how he got me. We started started talking then he asked me to dance, after the party he took me to the Waffle House and we talked for hours.

Eventually we started dating and things were perfect. He would buy me flowers, and he would write me love poems, my parents loved him and that made me think he was the one. But....good things don't last always.

One day we got into a fight because a close friend of mine said she saw Carlos talking to another girl. Me being the crazy bitch that I am I confronted him about it. But dudes lie and he denied that shit so hard but I knew he was lying. I was not going to stay in a relationship with someone who didn't appreciate me. So I told him, "You and I are done."

As I started walking away from him he roughly grabbed my arm and pushed me against the wall. That was the first time he ever laid his hands on me. He immediately apologized and my mind telling me to leave because you don't deserve that but my heart was telling me to stay because I loved him. After that incident we made up, if you know what I mean.

I honestly thought after that day he wouldn't hurt me again but he did. If I didn't dress a certain way or have sex with him when he wanted it he would beat me until I agreed to do what he wanted. At that point I realized that my boyfriend wasn't so perfect after all. I knew that I deserved better but I accepted what I that thought I deserved. Even if it meant I was being treated like less than a woman.

Caleb and Y/N knew what was going on with me. They did everything they could to help me but I refused to accept it. I even had the nerve to tell them that they were jealous of me being with someone while they were single. Carlos even told me to stay away from Y/N because he thought that she was the one responsible for all of our problems.

Day by day the abuse got worse. There were times that I would go to Y/N's house in the middle of the night and she would have to calm me down and clean up Carlos mess. And that's what I was a mess.

I wore makeup to cover the physical damage that he left. I just Covergirl made something to cover the emotional scars that I had too.

I thought I had work up a enough nerve to leave him but I found that I was pregnant with his baby. In my mind I thought that hearing that I was pregnant with his baby would change his mind but it didn't. Carlos flipped out on me when I told him I was pregnant. He gave me the absolute worst beating of my life.  His exact words were, "If you don't get rid of that baby, I will kill it and you."

At that moment I realized that I nor did my unborn child deserve to be treated like this. I considered getting an abortion but I couldn't go through with it. Every time Carlos and I had unprotected sex I knew that I could get pregnant but I Carlos never liked using protection. I was birth control but clearly that wasn't enough.

I dropped out of school and took my classes online so I could stay on track for graduation. Y/N had AJ two months before I gave birth to my daughter.

When I had my daughter I named her Alexandria Giselle Suarez. She was so beautiful my little twin. Yes I gave Alexandria her father's last name biggest mistake ever. Cause when I told Carlos what I named her he laughed in my face and said that there's no way Lexi was his child. I was the faithful one in the relationship he was the one running the streets chasing hoes.

Taking Lexi home scare the shit out of me. When Carlos said he was gonna do something he does it. Lexi and I had had to stay hidden in my parents house because I was scared of Carlos hurting us. The only time I left my house was when I had to take Lexi to the doctor. If I needed something Caleb and Y/N would go to the store and get it for me. It wasn't the worse thing in the world though, I got to bond with my daughter and it was the most beautiful thing ever. I'd take pictures and videos of her so I'd always have those memories of her. If she cried in the middle of the night I would sing or play my guitar and she would go to sleep.

I thought Carlos and I were done once Lexi was born but that didn't last long. He came back with his threats and it scared me to death. I didn't want my daughter living in fear so I had a very difficult choice to make.

Three month before Lexi's first birthday I put Lexi up for adoption. I still remember it like it was yesterday. Caleb and Y/N drove Lexi and I to the adoption agency, the entire ride I held on to my baby girl's tiny little hand. After I filled out the necessary paperwork I held my precious daughter one last time. Once she had fallen asleep I kissed her on the forehead and handed her over to the agency.

I don't think I've ever cried so much much. That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. I carried Lexi for nine months, I gave birth to her, I had a special bond with my daughter and I had to give her away. In the back of my mind I knew that Lexi would get adopted by a loving family that would give her a better life than I could. But that didn't make the pain go away.

After going through all of that stuff I got myself together. I went to cosmetology school and got my license so I could do hair. If you ever need a sew-in or a haircut I got you. I'm on the road with Y/N and we're having the time of our lives. I get to watch AJ and and Lexi grow up, that makes me happy because those two are just like Y/N and I when we were younger. I know that I'm gonna have to tell Ally and Lexi's parents about this and I just hope and pray things go smoothly.

As for Carlos, he's sitting in a prison cell doing hard time for some crimes he committed. Looks like his evil ways finally caught up to him.

I guess second chance really do exist. Now that I've found my daughter I'm gonna do the best I can to be apart of her life and be a good mother to her. I'm not going to take Lexi away from her moms, that wouldn't be right.

All I want is to be apart of her life.

That's all I want.

(A/N)

Sorry this chapter is so short, I just wanted to give you the backstory on Jessie's and Lexi's situation

Thanks for reading ❤️