Finding Her Way by Riley Jefferson Page B

her reach. On her knees, she tried to crawl away from him. “Gregory, please don’t do this.”
    “Don’t do what, Jerrica?”
    He hoisted her up like a rag doll and spun her around to face him.
    She could no longer see the loving man she had once known, this monster she now feared had replaced him.
    “You think you can just up and leave me? I have given you everything, you ungrateful bitch!”
    “This shouldn’t be a surprise to you. We haven’t been in love for a long time,” whispered Jerrica.
    She could not stop him when he shoved her body violently against the wall. Her head hit hard, filling her eyes with stars. She felt his hands clutch her upper arms, keeping her from crumbling. The strong fingers dug painfully into her skin. “You’re hurting me, Gregory!”
    “You don’t know what hurt is, Jerrica. You’ve broken my heart,” he bellowed as he shook her, “I gave you my love. I bought you this damn house. I’ve given you everything. What happened to the promise you made me, until death us do part?” Gregory released her arms, stepping away, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration.
    Finally, standing on her own feet, Jerrica calmed. “We made a lot of promises to one another, Gregory. To be faithful was one of those promises and you broke that.”
    She felt the pain the moment his palm connected violently with the side of her face. The force jerked her head to the side, almost knocking her off her feet. She grabbed the doorframe for support. The familiar taste of blood filled her mouth.
    “I am the man of this house and you will not talk to me in that manner! This is entirely your fault! See what you made me do!”
    Jerrica could feel a trickle of blood run down her chin as her cheek started to burn. Summoning courage from deep inside, she straightened her back. “Does hitting me make you feel like a big man. Go ahead, do your best, Gregory. You will never have me ever again.” Jerrica closed her eyes, expecting him to release his anger, ending this torture.
    Gregory forcefully grabbed Jerrica by the back of the neck, heaving her in the direction of the front door. “I love you and I know you love me. You just need time to realize that. We will be together. No matter where you are, you will always belong to me!”
    Jerrica grabbed the doorknob, opening it quickly to escape. Her legs couldn’t move fast enough as she sprinted toward the car.
    “Remember, Jerrica, you are mine,” Gregory yelled after her.
    That was the last thing she heard him say as her tires squealed out of the driveway, the car jolted forward toward town. A quick look in the mirror showed the damage he had caused. The blood from her lip was beginning to dry but her lip was swelling. She could faintly see the bruise developing on her cheek. Tears filled her eyes. Flipping her cell phone open, she called the only person she trusted.
    “Lauren, its Jerrica. I need your help. Is your cottage free?”

    †

    “I didn’t want you to see the bruising, Lauren, that’s why I wouldn’t let you come down here for the first few weeks,” Jerrica sighed.
    “I always wondered why you didn’t want to see me.”
    “I didn’t want to see the look of disappointment in your eyes if you saw me like that.”
    “I wouldn’t have been disappointed in you,” whispered Lauren.
    Exhaling heavily, Jerrica continued her story. She explained that her ex-husband wanted all her money in the divorce and that they still co-owned the house they once inhabited. She paused, laying her hands in her lap, re-grouping, and started talking about Devin. Jerrica’s tone saddened as she recounted their history, Devin being her first real relationship with a woman.
    To Lauren’s dismay, Jerrica went into intimate detail about her feelings for Devin, using the word love often.
    She described the last weekend they were together, down to the end. Jerrica’s voice was so full of pain, she had to pause again and slowly sip her coffee.
    “Wow, I had no