A Fistful of Love: A Domestic Violence Anthology Read online

  “Jessenia you will have to excuse my family. They sometimes forget their manners when they leave out of the door. Deon apologize to your aunt.”

  “I’m not apologizing for that but I still love you Bianca,” he replied.

  Bianca grabbed her bag and her cellphone. She was hurt, embarrassed and angry.

  “Whatever Deon, I don’t blame you at all. I blame your mother and father for allowing you to walk the earth as if you’re a king when you ain’t shit,” she replied and briskly walked off.

  Bonnie took a long, deep breath and sighed. She followed after her sister and shortly after she left Billy stood up and walked after them. Billy had a lot of skeletons in her closet that her parent’s and sister’s knew nothing about. She was not going to get into Bianca and Deon’s argument because Deon knew some things that would have her sister and parents giving her the side eye.

  “That wasn’t nice Deon,” Jess said feeling a slight buzz from the champagne.

  Deon finished off his glass and sat it down. His mother’s gift, a white Toy Poodle, wasn’t due to arrive until the next day so he figured he would give her party another hour before leaving. He looked at Jess’s plate and frowned.

  “Where my food at?”

  Jess giggled but he didn’t find anything funny. He grabbed her plate and started to eat her risotto. After swallowing a few forkfuls he looked up at her.

  “You can go make you another one. Baby, I brought you to my parents’ home, the least you could have done was make me a plate. All day you been fucking up but I’ma fix all of that,” he said and started back eating.

  Jess watched him for a moment stunned that he would actually take her food before getting up. Jess made her another plate of food and talked with Deon then eventually was introduced to more of his family. Later that night Deon gave her oral sex and all of his bad comments and strange behavior from earlier were forgiven. Jess had two incredible orgasms that had her crying real tears and wondering why she had went so long without sex. She was ready to give Deon her virginity she just had to decide when to do it.

  Chapter Four

  A week later Jess walked into her home with Deon on her mind. They’d been making out in his office at the candy store and he had once again eaten her out. Jess hated she had to leave him but she knew she couldn’t miss bible study. She could hear her parents arguing as she walked through her home. She decided to rush upstairs and change into some fresh clothes mainly underwear before bible study. Lately all her parents seemed to do was argue and she was sure it had everything to do with her mother. Jackie had been spending more time at church and less time with them. Jess knew that her father loved God but he didn’t feel the need to spend all of his free time in the church unlike her mother. Her mother was a lot to deal with but she hoped her father could see that she did in fact love him in her own special way.

  “Jess, are you ready?” Jackie asked walking into the bedroom looking as if she had been crying.

  Jess had just taken off her t-shirt and leggings. Her mother looked at her fit but curvy body and shook her head. She was sure her daughter was doing something now. She already had to deal with Sampson demanding more of her time and now this…Jess, who was obviously having sex. Her body proved that to Jackie. No teenage virgin had a body like hers.

  “Look I can’t sit back and say nothing Jessenia. It’s obvious you’ve sinned and well you’re still doing it. Tonight I’ma have the pastor pray over you with some holy oil. I can’t condone your behavior. It’s hurtful to know that a child of mine is having sex. Have I taught you nothing?”

  Jess looked at her mother and quickly put on a long maxi dress with a cardigan. She felt as covered up as she could be yet in front of Jackie she still felt invisible. Her mother didn’t really see the real her at all.

  “Mom I run every day. I don’t eat pork; I don’t drink soda or even eat snacks. My health and fitness is important to me. I am not having sex. I promise you I’m not.”

  Jackie stared at her daughter. She seemed the same but something was different. Jess carried herself differently now. Jackie’s eyes landed on a new bag that looked to be Gucci and she rushed over to it. She snatched it off of the bed and unzipped it. What came out to be fifteen hundred dollars in twenty’s sat inside of the bag. Jackie hastily pulled the money out then she grabbed the cellphone. Jess’s heart sunk into the bottom of her stomach. She had been good at hiding her gifts but wasn’t expecting for her mother to rush into her room so fast and inspect things.

  “Mom that’s Willow’s!” Jess blurted out.

  Jackie smiled. She knew that Jess was doing something and this proved it.

  “So instead of you doing God’s will for you, you’ve decided to do man’s. Are you trading sex for money Jessenia?”

  Jess’s faced reddened. She had never in her life felt so disrespected.

  “Daddy! Daddy!” Jess yelled not wanting to talk with Jackie any longer.

  “He’s not here, he um…he had to go back to work. Whatever this is stops today and I mean it! No more, Jessenia Nichole, no more!” Jackie yelled and went to Jess’s closet. She pulled out clothing items that she knew she hadn’t purchased and begin to toss them onto the floor. Jess sat on the edge of her bed with her eyes watery. Deon’s gifts meant something to her. She valued each and every one of them.

  With every article of clothing her mother ripped out of the closet Jess’s hate grew for her. Her mother was obviously running her father off and now she was punishing her for being happy. Jess had always done everything that her mother had asked so she saw no reason for her to behave that way towards her.

  “You hate me,” Jess said just above a whisper.

  Jackie turned to her daughter.

  “I love you and that is why I’m stopping him from getting you.”

  “Stopping who?” Jess asked.

  She knew her mother couldn’t have known about Deon or did she?

  “The devil, he can’t have you. I won’t let him and whatever plans you had for your birthday will be canceled. I’ll be watching you closely from now on,” Jackie replied and continued to raid Jess’s closet.

  ****

  “Here comes this basic bitch,” Tiffany said loudly as Jess walked into the lunchroom.

  Jess was a month into no Deon so her temper was very short. He had been riding by her house for days now but her mother was always home so he didn’t stop. She was hoping he would come up to the school but if he didn’t then she would be forced to skip school and go to him.

  “Tiffany, today isn’t the day,” Jess said sitting at a table behind hers.

  Tiffany licked her lips while her friends laughed. Willow and Mauri joined Jess at the table and Tiffany’s smile wiped off of her face.

  “Oh really, it’s like that Maurice? You slumming now? Looking for easy pussy?” Tiffany asked feeling jealous and embarrassed at the same time.

  “Tiffany, go to the principal’s office. Your attitude and behavior is ridiculous,” the teacher’s assistant Mrs. Rollins said before anything could escalate between Tiffany and Jess.

  Tiffany pushed herself up from the table and walked away with her head held high. She would never let Mauri and Jess get the best of her. She knew Mauri would be back.

  “I swear I hate her ass. She is so damn bitter. I gotta bounce though since Mrs. Rollins is following her. I’ll see you in 6th hour plus we need to talk about you know who. He finally broke down and asked Danilo what was up with you. See you in a few,” Willow said and rushed to the exit sign in the lunchroom.

  Mauri chuckled and a few minutes later his other teammates joined him and Jess at the table. Jess was borderline depressed but hearing that Deon knew what was going on with her made her feel somewhat better. Now if only she could see him.

  “So what’s been wrong with you Jess? You haven’t smiled in a while ma,” Mauri said scooting closer to her.

  Jess picked over her pizza and looked at him. Mauri was looking fly in his black t-shirt with his dark
blue jeans and the newest Jordan’s. He had on a Detroit fitted and Jess wondered how he was able to wear it in school without any trouble.

  “I’m good.”

  Mauri licked his lips while eying Jess. She was dressed homely in baggy jeans with a teal cami and white cardigan. It seemed like she was trying to cover up her body but that was impossible. Then there was her hair. It was pulled back tightly into a low ponytail making her look older than what she was. It was the worry lines on her face that saddened Mauri though. Jess looked very sad to him and all he wanted to do was make her smile.

  “Nah, something is definitely wrong. What’s up? I’m not with Tiff no more so we can talk and be friends, right?”

  Jess looked at Mauri and smiled. He smelled good and his laid back attitude was appealing. Deon didn’t like her even sitting with him but she felt like Mauri would be a good friend to her so she nodded.

  “Yeah, we can be friends.”

  Mauri rubbed his hands together and his friends laughed at him. They too had seen Jess’s body but to them she was too quiet and they didn’t have the patience for her. They liked girls more like Tiffany. Girls who knew how to have a good time and girls that looked good on their arm while doing it.

  “Man, let me find out you like Jessenia. She gone be front row at all of your games now with her sweater and braces?” Mauri’s teammate joked and all of the guys at the table laughed expect for Mauri.

  Jess stood up and grabbed her stuff. She felt disrespected by Braydon’s joke and wished that he and his teammates sat somewhere else but she knew that wherever Mauri went they did too. That was one of the reasons why she had been apprehensive about being close with Mauri. He had too many people following his every move, including Tiffany.

  “Aye Jess wait up!” Mauri yelled running up behind her. He grabbed her tray and put it away for her.

  “Braydon is stupid ma. I told him to leave you alone so the next time you see him his ass better turn and walk the other way.”

  Jess simply nodded and walked out of the lunchroom with Mauri beside her. They both shared the same fifth hour and Mauri chose to sit next to her, which made Tiffany’s friends talk about her for most of the hour. Mauri cut into them when they got to be too loud and shut them up. Jess was sick of people for the most part and counting down the time for school to be out for the summer.

  “Here, use it please,” Mauri said sliding Jess his number on a sheet of paper.

  Jess put the number away and smiled at him. He wasn’t Deon in any way shape or form but he was still really cute and he seemed to like her. Whenever she could use her phone again she would be sure to call him. He seemed like he could be a good friend.

  “Oh and happy belated birthday,” he whispered passing her a birthday card filled with two gift cards.

  Jess read over the card and laughed at its witty slogan. She put the items away and shot him another smile. She wondered how he even knew when her birthday was.

  “Thank you Maurice,” she replied calling out his full name.

  Tiffany’s friend’s silently watched the whole exchange eager to run back to her with details. Mauri on the other hand smiled and stared at Jess for the rest of the class. Jess went to her sixth hour class excited to hear Willow’s story on what Deon said about her. She was quickly disappointed when she realized Willow didn’t come back to school.

  ****

  Deon sat on the East Side of the city with Danilo and his girlfriend Willow. He’d just bailed Danilo out of jail and they’d just scooped up Willow from her sister who had picked her up from the jailhouse. Deon was furious with his cousin for being caught with weed on him. It was such an amateur thing to happen. He wanted to go in his shit and was smoking a strong Kush blunt to calm his nerves.

  “You so fucking silly for this shit here nigga. I can’t believe you had some fucking weed in your car.”

  “It wasn’t even that much Deon,” Danilo said with his head hung down.

  Willow sat by quietly with her eyes on Danilo. She was afraid for him. He’d already been in jail and she wasn’t ready for him to do a bid.

  “Maybe we can say it’s mine,” she suggested making Deon and Danilo look her way.

  “I mean I am a minor.”

  Deon didn’t particularly like Willow because she talked way too much for him but he respected her gangsta. She was willing to take some charges for his cousin. Hell, she got major brownie points for that.

  “Bae they might still give you some time for that shit though,” Danilo said looking at Willow.

  “She’ll be in juvenile though. They sending your ass away nigga. You not no fucking minor,” Deon said to his cousin wanting him to accept Willow’s offer.

  Danilo sat back on the porch and looked straight ahead as he thought about what he should do. Sienna, Deon’s sidepiece that he strictly used for sex and nothing else walked up with a group of her friends. Deon looked at her then at Willow who was looking at Sienna with a small frown on her face.

  “Deon can I talk with you for a minute?” Sienna asked with an attitude.

  Sienna was beautiful in a ghetto kind of way. She was way too unpolished for Deon to take her seriously but she also had a banging ass body. He liked her body but could do without the rest of her.

  “This bitch, y’all give me a sec,” he said standing up.

  Deon took his time stepping off of the porch and walking down to Sienna. Her friends took a few steps back still in awe at how good he looked then they licked their lips and tried to stick out whatever kind of butt they had. Deon paid them no mind as he grabbed Sienna’s arm and pulled her down the sidewalk away from prying ears. He did not want Willow to know he was fucking her.

  “Sienna, how the fuck you know I was here?” he asked her still gripping her arm.

  Sienna looked up at him with a smirk on her face. She wasn’t going to play side bitch to anyone including Deon. She’d been his fuck buddy long enough. She was going to demand he spend more time with her.

  “Deon, I been calling you all week. I see you been out with Torie but still you ignore me? I guess I’m good enough to suck your dick but not good enough to take out? What’s up with that?” she asked.

  Deon let Sienna’s arm go and he cleared his throat. Her feistiness was cute when he first met her but now she was just taking it too far. Popping up at his spots and shit like she was his bitch was not cool. Torie knew better than that and Jess would too once he was done with her. Deon felt no need to tell Sienna these things because she wasn’t his girl and she never would be.

  “Bitch you must be smoking,” he said with a chuckle.

  Sienna frowned and looked behind Deon at her girls. She’d been bragging to them for weeks now how she was having sex with him. She needed for them to see that she was telling the truth. She was most definitely the leader of their clique.

  “Nah nigga, I ain’t smoking shit! I thought I was something to you!” she screamed and gently pushed at his chest.

  Deon pulled the bottom of his lip into his mouth and bit down on it while Sienna continued her show.

  “All that I fuck with you ma! You so cool I love this pussy was just game! I’m so tired of you calling me at one in the morning and shit!” she yelled while staring him in the eyes.

  Sienna’s friends started to smile and egg her on.

  “Tell that nigga Si-Si!” one girl yelled.

  Sienna smiled on the inside clueless to the anger that was simmering inside of Deon.

  “Oh I got this nigga Jade! Then when we get alone you telling me how good and sweet my pussy is! You better get your mind right Deon!” she yelled and raised her hand to push him only this time he caught it.

  Deon pulled Sienna forcefully to him and grabbed her up by her neck until her feet were off of the ground. Sienna’s friends, Danilo and Willow watched in shock as he started to choke her.

  “I better get my mind right. Is that what you said Si-Si?” he asked calling her by the nickname her friends had given her.

 
Sienna’s eyes watered and she began to cry. She shook her head but he was all out of patience when it came to her.

  “Nah bitch, you had so much fucking mouth a second ago. I got something for your ass though,” he said and let Sienna’s neck go.

  Sienna pumped up on adrenaline and anger took slow deep breaths while trying to square up against Deon. He wasn’t the first man to put his hands on her and she was sure he wouldn’t be the last. She’d been fighting men her whole life and he would be no different.

  “You gone fucking choke me nigga!” she yelled and punched him in the face.

  Danilo’s mouth literally fell open. He knew that Sienna wasn’t working with a full deck to punch his cousin. He stood up and slowly began to descend the stairs.

  “Did you just hit me in my face?” Deon asked looking at Sienna.

  Sienna let out a low growl and ran up on him again and he punched her right in her mouth. The impact of his fist and strength sent her flying to the ground. Sienna’s friends tried to run up and was stopped by Danilo and his gun that he had pulled out. Deon walked over to Sienna and bent down. He grabbed her hair with one hand and held her face up. Sienna’s nose was bleeding and her left eye had darkened. He hoped he’d broken her shit.

  “Bitch don’t you ever fucking touch me,” he said and punched her in the face again.

  Deon blacked out as he began to pummel his fist into Sienna’s pretty brown skinned face. Sienna had long ago blacked out. Danilo decided to interject not wanting his cousin to kill the pretty hoodrat and he grabbed his arm. Deon shrugged him off and he stood up. He bent his tall frame down to grab Sienna’s hair and he began to drag her towards her Monte Carlo. Sienna’s friends were now crying and wishing they would have just stayed at home.

  Danilo opened the car door for Deon and he tossed a badly beaten and unconscious Sienna into the backseat. Deon wiped his bloody hands onto his pants leg and looked at Sienna’s two girls.