Always Us (Always and Forever 2)

No, it can’t be. That face, I would know it anywhere now.

“Gwen?” I ask on a choke.

“No, your worst fucking nightmare!” Another harsh blow strikes my body, and I swear I can hear the echo. Screaming out, I curl in the fetal position, reaching my hand out to grab at my thigh where her foot hit.

“Gwen, please! Why are you doing this?” I knew deep within me it was too good to be true, she left without so much as a peep, without a sound. There was no way this devil of a woman would walk away defeated.

“You! I told you, you would regret this! David, grab her!” she yells to the man I saw standing at the fireplace. When his heavy boots begin to pound toward me on the hardwood floor, I immediately think about our baby, curling up I keep my stomach caged by my arms.

Strong hands grip my hair, a sting erupts from the top of my head when he pulls with all his strength; I know I’m losing hair from this tug. I scream out again, hoping someone will hear me, som

eone will save me, Trey is only two floors up…please hear me, baby.

“Shut up, you bitch!” Gwen spits, flipping on the kitchen light. The man she called David is stilling pulling me, dragging me across the floor. I flail my arms and legs, trying helplessly to break free; if I break free, I can run. I remember now who David is; he is the man from the coffee shop.

“This is all your fault, I was so damn close to making my way back in and one step closer to getting my money.”

“Money! What money?” I yell as I am thrown on the couch, I try to right myself but he does it for me, throwing me around like a damn rag doll. I worry about my child, please stay strong, baby, Mama is going to keep you safe. The tears come, a hot stream of fearful tears cascade like waterfalls down my face. David uses duct tap, straddling my hips he ties my hands, I scream begging him not to when Gwen comes behind the couch and covers my mouth with her hand.

“Shut up, stupid bitch.” When my wrists are tightly wrapped in tape, he leaves my body to bind my feet together. I cry harder, biting at Gwen’s hand so I can scream out.

She flinches, removing her hand. “Damn it! Cover her fucking mouth!” She screams and I start to scream out, my last attempt to get someone to hear me before they completely bind me. My scream is silenced far too quickly when he slams tape over my mouth. What do I do now? I can’t fight, I can’t run, I can’t even scream for help.

“That money my stupid, pathetic ex-husband left Trey should be mine and if you would have let me back in his life, I would be sitting pretty. I deserve that fucking money!” The way she talks about Pops has my tears turning into fuel, anger boiling in my blood. I want to rip her apart, protect Pops, protect Trey, protect our unborn child. I won’t let her take this all away. I look to the door as she paces and David’s eyes stay glued to her. The door is barely cracked open. If I wasn’t tied up I would run, make an attempt to leave, but my feet are trapped.

She stares at the skyline for a moment, before pivoting to face me slowly. Her eyes dark and malicious—how fitting.

Rounding the couch she gets in my face, her hand wrapping around my neck. I can’t gasp for air as she squeezes, pushing hard on my windpipe. Flashbacks of Evan come circling in like a tornado, Gwen’s face flashing from hers to Evan’s in my mind. I survived that, Trey and Kings saved me once, I pray they can do it again.

Feel it, baby, please tell me you can feel my pain, Trey. We are one now.

“I married Charles because I settled, then for years he worked dead-end jobs, causing me to have to work and never be able to enjoy the fucking things I wanted to!” Her spit hits my face, causing me to want to vomit. I smell smoke and liquor heavy on her smoldering breath that, mixed with her spit, has my stomach turning.

“Then he got me pregnant with that waste of space they call my son. I begged Charles to let me have an abortion and he wouldn’t let me, I nearly did it behind his back until I realized that maybe having a child would give me leverage, maybe he would finally get a fucking job that would take care of me! But it didn’t. So I left. Me leaving is what fucking made him make the money! He fucking owes it to me. I deserve that money.” Her hand leaves my throat and I breathe in and out of my nose with everything I can, the air feels thick and cold and I can’t get enough of it.

Just as I manage to get a lungful of air, her hand comes barreling down and strikes my face, completely blindsiding me. I feel blood seeping down my face, spilling from my nose. The pain is numbing. I want to reach up and grab it but can’t, so I drop my head down but keep my eyes looking up at her. I probably look insane, which I am.

The way she talked about almost aborting Trey makes my heart break. If she had done that I wouldn’t have my best friend, my life, my love. The world without Trey would have been dull.

I close my eyes and reel from the pain of her hard blow to my face. I look at her then peer at the man behind her, finally seeing his face after he removed his hoodie; it’s the same man from the coffee shop, like I thought.

“You ruined it all, bitch, and now, I’m going to ruin you.” You can’t level with crazy. Her hand grabs my neck again and she starts to squeeze, the pain is unbearable, I’m fighting to breathe. I feel every inch of her hands around my neck and the muscles caving in. A few more seconds of this and I will be lifeless in her hands. My eyes begin to close, my limbs tightening, my body quickly losing strength from the lack of oxygen.

Save me, Trey, save me again, baby, and you never will have to again. I send a prayer up to God one more time.

“What the fuck?”

Kingston.

“Get the fuck off of her!”

Trey.

Gwen’s hands leave my neck and I fall to my side on the couch, my nose once again trying to fight for air. I hear the faint sound of bodies clashing, and I peek to see Kingston on top of David, holding him down while Trey has Gwen in his arms.

“What the hell are you doing here? What the fuck did you do?” he screams, pulling his phone out, I’m assuming to call 9-1-1. I need an ambulance, I need someone to check on the baby. My face burns and it’s still bleeding, my neck aches painfully, but all I care about is getting to see our baby, I need to know he or she is okay.

“Let me go!” Gwen yells. I turn my head to her just in time to see her slap Trey. I try to scream out, but it’s just strangled behind the tape, no noise.