Until My Heart Stops Beating by Tonya M Barber

backwards in his chair then hit the floor with such force he fell unconscious.  Quickly, he snatched Makeba by the hand. “You are no longer a friend of mine,” he said through clenched teeth as he pulled Makeba towards the exit of the restaurant.
                  Everyone looked on in disbelief at what had just taken place. Once outside, Declan called Sal and ordered him to bring the car around to the front. In less than five minutes Sal had arrived. Declan didn’t wait for him to get out and open their door. Pulling on the passenger door handle, he opened it, entering the vehicle immediately after Makeba.
                  Looking at her through sympathetic eyes, he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her all over her face.
                  “I am so sorry honey, so sorry. Had I known this is how he felt I would never have even considered doing business with him. I knew he had his issues but not to this extent.”
                  Choosing to remain silent, Makeba turned away from him. She knew opening her mouth at that moment wouldn’t be a good thing. She had to calm down, get her emotions in check before she did or said something in haste that she couldn’t take back. Knowing the incident wasn’t his fault did nothing to change how she was feeling. Never had she been the victim of racism of this magnitude. Yes, there were experiences when it was evidence of bigotry and yes, she had heard stories from friends and families of their experiences. True, occasionally she would have to put a customer in their place because of their mannerisms toward her but this was on a whole new level. Most of the time although the signs were there people would deny their bigotry but Adam, he didn’t care. He wanted it to be known exactly how he felt and his message was received loud and clear. This is the part her parents warned her about, this was the reason they were so concerned about her decision to date him. Shaking her head as she stared out the window, her emotions got the best of her. With the back of her hands she wiped away the tears that fell as a result of the avalanche of emotions that consumed her. Declan attempted to comfort her but she shook her head warning him to keep his distance.
                  “I’m so sorry,” he whispered through glossy eyes.
                  She knew he felt bad about the incident but at that moment, she just needed time to get herself together. All kinds of thoughts clouded her mind. Was she prepared for this? Could she be making a big mistake? Is she asking for more than she bargained for? Is she strong enough to handle reactions from others who feel the same as Adam regarding interracial relationships? She had no clue. This was her first time at this rodeo. One thing was apparently clear; if she was going to continue with her relationship with Declan, she’ll need really a thicker skin and learn not to wear her heart on her sleeves.
                  Realizing Sal was taking the route to the hotel, she leaned forward to get his attention. “I’m going home Sal.”
                  “Certainly ma’am,” he replied.
                  Although disappointed that she wasn’t staying with him, Declan understood that she wanted to be alone. Wishing he could have done something to protect her from that experience, Declan knew it was impossible. He also came to the realization that it would be damn near impossible to protect her from it in the future, but he would damn sure try his best even if it meant severing ties with anyone who had a problem with their relationship.
                  Arriving in front of her house, she thanked Sal and opened the passenger door on the opposite side of Declan. He attempted to get out.
                  “No. Don’t.”
                  “Makeba I-“
                  Cutting him off she held up her hand. “I