Page 65 of Saving Grace

That shit pissed me off even more. Don’t try and scar my face and don’t pull my hair.

“You’re fucking crazy.” she screamed as she bolted. She tried to use the kitchen island to separate herself from me.

“You’re damn right I’m crazy. I told you I was, I also told you to stop treating my son badly.”

I reached over the countertop

Whap. I jabbed her in the mouth. My fist came back with blood on it.

She windmilled her arms with her head down. Never once hitting me.

“You hanging up on him is treating him badly.” I grabbed her hair.

I saw red when AJ told me he had tried to contact me multiple times on their landlines just to have Sophia hang up on him. I immediately went searching for her.

“I don’t even want to be here. You know that. I told you, take your anger out on your husband. But no, that would too much like right for you,” I yelled.

I grabbed her hair, yanking, I tried my best to pull her over the stainless steel countertop.

She was fighting too hard to stay put. Fine. I balled my fist and brought it down on the back of her head. Once… then twice. Before I got in a third blow. I was lifted from behind. I knew it was Tank. He was the only person in the house that would dare touch me without Atticus ordering him to. He was also the only person who could lift my big ass four or five feet in the air. I kicked out and twisted in his arms.

“Calm down!” He yelled.

“Fuck that. Imma beat this bitch ass until that calms me down.”

“Let her go.”

My head jerked in the direction of Atticus’ voice. He was standing just at the threshold of the stairs that led to the professional quality gym downstairs. Only wearing a pair of gym shorts, his chest and abdominal muscles glistened with sweat. His entire body was tensed. He looked like he was at the end of his rope and about to snap.

Doing as he was told Tank lowered me, unwrapping his arms from around my waist and setting me to my feet.

I shrugged away from him.

My head hurt. My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. I wanted to hit that bitch again.

“What in the fuck is going on?” Atticus whipped his head back and forth between Sophia and I.

Of course Sophia was the one to speak up first. To play a helpless victim.

Her face was bright red in some spots, her mascara stained her cheeks. Blood dotted her lip and nose.

“That ghetto bitch hit me for no reason.” she screamed.

I lunged for her. This time Atticus stopped me. He lifted me around the waist and started carrying me towards the step. I squirmed in his arms yelling. “I got your ghetto, bitch.”

I could hear her following us as we descended the steps. Atticus opened the gym door and shoved me in. I turned in time to see him shove Sophia on the other side. He locked the door by pushing a button on the keypad. It drowned out her yelling. The entire front of the room was made of clear paneling. I could see her banging at the door.

“What the fuck was that?”

I jumped at the sound of Atticus’ booming voice.

I didn’t look at him though. My eyes were focused on Sophia. She had pulled a cellphone from her bright green, two-piece work out set. She was yelling. I couldn’t hear her, but I just knew she was making me out to be the bad guy in the situation to the person on the other end of the line.

Why couldn’t she just leave me alone. Her quarrel was with Atticus. I had stayed out of her way. Been nice to her daughter. I hadn't beat her ass when she creeped in my room with a knife, and what did she do in return? Constantly disrespected and disparaged my son. I wasn’t the bad guy, but I could be.

Vindictive didn’t even describe how I was feeling. I wanted to hurt past beating her ass. I wanted to shatter that bitch’s soul.

Atticus was talking to me but I didn’t hear him as I closed the space that separated us. I raised to my tiptoes, gripped his chin, and brought his mouth down to mine.