Hammered

Chapter 40

   She stares at the box, her palm still covering her mouth. "Demi, if you don't answer I think I might pass out." My heart is jumping out of my chest, my hands are sweaty and I felt like I was about to explode.

"It's so beautiful. Do--do I get to keep it?" She asks with a shaky voice. I laugh to myself.

"If you say yes then, yeah you get to keep it."

"What did I do to deserve this?"

"Demi, the question is what have I done to deserve you?" She takes the box and feels the ring. She looks at me and hugs me tight. Then I feel her head shake yes.

"I want you. I want to be  with you do th rest of ny life." She whispers in my ear. "Yes! I'll marry you!" She screams out. Tears are running down her cheek then I feel streams flowing down my face as well. I hold her face and kiss her precious lips. My hand slowly slides down to her stomach and I rub it gently. "I love you so much." I tell her.

"I love you more." She smiles. Her hand overlaps mine and she rubs her baby bump. She us still sniffling and wiping tears away. I place the ring on her finger and my heart is finally calm.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it." She kisses my lips again and breathes in our passion. "We have 3 weeks until the ultrasound." I smiled. Soon we would be able to know what gender our baby is, then Demi would go all out on decorating the baby's room. She rubbed her tummy ever so lightly and sighed with happiness. "Baby, let's get some rest okay? We have work tomorrow."

"I don't know if I can go to sleep now. So much is happening all at once and it's making me happy." I kiss her forehead and look into her eyes. Then I look at her lips and shake my head. Not tonight Ryan. You just proposed to her. Just let that sink in first. "You're glowing." I whisper to her.

"Am I? I didn't notice." I kiss her lips and feel her tongue. I blush and swallow my feelings down. She bites her lip and holds my arm.

"Maybe we should go to bed."

"You said you couldn't go to sleep."

"Well, I can't but you're probably tired."

"Sing for me then. Please?" She smiles and starts humming a tune. Her voice is angelic and sweeps me off my feet.

   After listening to her beautiful harmonic sounds, we nestled together under the cozy sheets. None of us was aware of the time and my heart began to thump faster and faster. I could hear Demi's breathing pattern in the darkness. It was unsteady and I felt her hand grab mine. We were so close to each other; her back was pressed against my chest and our legs were intertwined. I slowly pulled down her pajama pants and lightly kissed her neck. I could feel her bottom rub against me. She turns around to face me and I feel her teeth tug at my lips. Ring. I tighten my eyes trying to pretend I didn't hear anything. Ring. She stops and kisses my cheek. Her body is covered by so many sheets and she whistles to Momo. I stretch over to my phone which was plugged into the wall.

"Hello?" I answer.

"You've got real guts don't you? You think you could do this to me without me knowing? There are certain boundaries you don't cross, Ryan. You invaded my privacy! I thought we were friends!" I could tell it was Jonathan.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in an annoyed tone.

"I'm talking about the picture you sent to Blanche!" Shit

"You're a pig Jonathan,  I'm sorry to say it but it's the truth. You can't go around screwing other chicks for your pleasure. You have responsibilities, you have a fucking child for Christ sake and you're mad at me for sending Blanche a picture? Screw you Jonathan!"

"No--no. Look, I'm just angry okay? She---she cheated on me with another guy." I was shocked but at the same time upset.

"What?"

"Yeah, Ryan. After she slept with him, she had told me she done it. She said it was meaningless sex; that she had only done it because she wanted to get back at me. Then that's when she showed me the picture you sent her. I've never felt so hurt in my life. I-- I couldn't take it." I heard him sobbing through the phone. The sound shook me like an earthquake. I've never heard a man break down so bad.

"I couldn't control myself. I was so mad. I told her not to--not.. Stop it! Shut up! You slut!" I was afraid, he was talking to Blanche like that.  I could hear her crying in the background; I could hear his daughter crying in the background. My heart sank and I realized at that moment that Jonathan was a drunken fool.

"Jonathan, listen to me. Don't do anything stupid okay? Okay?" I hear bottles break. I'm wide awake now. He hangs up the phone and I am terrified.

"Ryan, what's going on?" Demi asks in concern.

"We have to go now. I think Jonathan is hurting Blanche." She rushes to grab her clothes and we dash out the door. I speed down the road and get to Branch's home. I hear glass break inside the house and when I reach the front door, it's locked. Demi is gripping to my arm and I tell her to back up. I move back some spaces and ram my shoulder into the door. I go at it a couple of more times until I knock the door down. I run into the kitchen to find Jonathan choking Blanche. I tackle him to the floor and throw ny fists at him. Hearing the deathly trembling of Erica's cries made me weak and Jonathan was able to flip me over. His body weight crushed me and his fists landed directly on my cheeks. I see Demi goes to him and tries to hold his arms back. I see Demi hit the floor. My anger takes over and I stick my thumbs in his eyes. His screams were violent and the smell of whiskey on his breath made me nauseous. I through him off of me and went to help Demi. She said she was fine but I could see it in her eyes. She was terrified.

"Baby are you okay?" She nodded and I went over to Jonathan. I saw his giant hands try to grip at me but I dodged them and tackled him one last time. My fists landed on his cheeks and eyes. When I saw blood running from his nose, I stopped. He struggled to get up and as I turned my head, I saw little Erica crying in the corner with her mother. Blanche crawled to me and held my arm with one hand. Her face was battered and she was holding her side.

"Thank you for coming. Please leave now." She said. I looked down and removed her hand from her waist. Blood poured out like a fountain and I grabbed a towel and pressed it on her side.

"Blanche I'm taking you to the hospital okay?"

"N--No. Don't." She reached for something in her back pocket. Jonathan spit out his blood and snarled at Blanche. I turn to her and my eyes widened. I grab her hand and hear Erica scream, "Mommy no!" Bang, bang bang