Loved By You

Fifty-four

Angelo

With Sami being here I was sitting out in my backyard. I was on my second blunt trying to gather my thoughts. I didn't know what to think about Maja having to tell me something else happened between her and Richard.

Flashback.

"Angelo, I didn't tell you everything," Maja said looking at Angelo. Angelo moved Sami, so she was lying on the bed. He grabbed her hand and went into the bathroom. "Maja?" Angelo called as she had her back to him. "I wanted to have everyone together, so I would only have to say it once." She said. "You can't just say you have something else to say and then make me wait." He told her as he covered his face thinking the worse.

"I know, and I called everyone over they should be soon." She said.

**

"Angelo everyone's here," Maja said standing behind me. I finished the rest of my blunt before I stood looking at her. It was obvious she was nervous, so I pulled her into my arms. "Whatever you have to say won't change how I feel about you, okay?" I told her. She let out a sigh nodding her head before we walked inside.

I looked around the room seeing everyone including Dimitri, Keenan, and his wife and step-kids. I went and sat the bar behind everyone as I looked at Maja. "So as everyone may or may not know Christoph was arrested and will be testifying against him," Maja said in a shaky voice. "Before anything, I may have to disclose becomes public record I felt that you all should hear it from me first." She said, and I watched as everyone looked at her wide-eyed.

"So, this all started after I had Samiya. My relationship with my dad was shaky but around this time he was working on trying to rebuild it. He was spending more time with me and it felt like I was actually getting the chance to have a dad." Maja said looking at her dad. "For about three weeks or so thing were going well until he invited me to his office where he and Richard were." She paused taking a breath. "The two them essentially came up with an agreement that in exchange for the Lieutenant Governor position Richard wanted me. That's why my dad was spending time with me." She said.

"I, of course, said no but Richard isn't the type of man who hears no. He threatened you and me, and with pull he had, I knew he meant it. Several days later I agreed. The rules were I did whatever he asked whenever."

Maja

I could see Rod, Tae, and Dimitri getting angrier the more I spoke. "The first night I was with Richard..." I paused. "He was so rough and aggressive that I had bruises covering my body when he was done. If I didn't do something right he'd punish me. When he was entertaining guest he made me dress up as a maid and serve them." I said.

"If he thought I was flirting with one of his friends, which I never did. He used to tie me up in the most uncomfortable position for hours before he would inflict his actual punishment." I said. "We saw you that entire summer how did we miss any of this?" Nadia asked. "You were taking summer classes and you spent most of your time on campus. Arnell you and Micah were joined at the hip and I didn't like him. Tae, you and Rod where doing whatever the hell you two do." I paused shrugging.

"As for the bruises, bite marks, hickeys I wore makeup or hoodies and sweats. I was able to hide it well until one day Richard caught me as he called it whoring myself out to another man. I was talking to Yosef." I said looking at Haseem. Yosef was his brother's best friend and we hadn't seen each other for a while, so I hugged him and kissed his cheek. I didn't even know Richard had seen me. I got to his place that night hoping he would be in a good mood but when he called me into his office..." I paused. As I spoke I could feel the fear I felt that night.

"He was leaning against his desk with a glass of dark liquor in his hand. He pointed towards the tv on the screen before he pressed play. It was a video of me with Yosef and from the angle, it looked like we were kissing. He downed the rest of his drink before he stood. I tried to explain but before I could even speak he slapped me. He grabbed my hair and dragged me down the hall to his room. He hit me, again and again, yelling about how I was ungrateful and that I shouldn't be giving what was his away." I said looking down unable to look them in the eyes.

"He fucked me nonstop that night and for the remainder of the summer he made sure to come in me every time." I sighed. I looked up at Angelo biting my lip. "I was on birth control, but that shit is only so effective. I tried to sneak to a store and get a plan b but like I said he was watching me, so I got pregnant." Everyone's eyes widened in shock except for my parents of course. I looked at Angelo and his face remained neutral. "What happened to the baby?" Omar asked. "I had the baby in February of my freshman year," I said.

"Wait a minute." Arnell chimed. "You had two boyfriends freshman year and I saw you in several crop tops. There's no way you were pregnant." I nodded my head. "I only gained 10 maybe 15 pounds in total. I didn't show any signs like I did with Sami, so I had no idea until my water broke. I spent two days with my baby before I gave him up for adoption. I made sure he went a nice couple." I said.

"Richard was still watching me and the day after I gave my son up he came to visit me. He promised that he would make sure our son was taken care of and he kept his word even now. He set up a trust fund for him." Shock and disbelief were written on everyone's face except Angelo. "I have a nephew," Tae said but my attention was on Angelo. "I went through several years of therapy to not feel disgusted with myself at the fact that my son is my daughter's uncle. Or that my daughter's father and my son are brothers. It's just one big ball of hillbilly country foolishness." I said.

Nadia was the first to get up and pull me into a hug. "I wish I was there, so you didn't have to go through it alone." She said. Soon enough I was in a huge group hug. I felt all the love my friends and family had for me, but my attention was all on Angelo. I wanted to know was what he was thinking.

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