Chapter
17
Mine
~Sass~
Tank’s right, the two lines are a sign of a new path and a new direction.
I am in my closet getting ready to pack. As I run my hands over the clothing, I realize none of them are mine. Going to the dresser, I have a few items left from before, but most of them are the fancy shit Nick bought me. Pretty, but they’re not comfortable.
The more I look around, the more I take in the loss of me. Nothing here is really mine. A few articles of clothing, like Tank’s sweat pants and my dad’s old t-shirt but nothing truly memorable. Nothing that brings my personality to what’s supposed to be my home.
In the bathroom, I hear movement in my bedroom. Coming around the corner, I expect to see Tank or maybe Doll, so I am completely unprepared for Nick to be in my face.
“Is there something you maybe want to share with me, Savannah?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, feeling the tension radiate off him.
“I got a call today from the pharmacy. Our insurance won’t cover your brand of prenatal vitamins after all, so you’ll have to keep paying full price like yesterday or have the doctor call in a different prescription. I’m a little curious as to why you need prenatal vitamins.”
“When I was sick… apparently antibiotics weaken birth control. We had sex.”
Before I can react, he’s pushing me harshly into the wall. “What have you done?” He’s yelling at me. “This ruins everything. I never planned to have kids with shit like you. Just get married, get divorced, pay you off, and move on. I need the company from my father, not the baggage of a real wife, much less a kid.” His hand comes up around my throat. “You’ve fucked everything up.” His spit sprays my face with every word as his hand gets tighter.
“Nick,” I try to choke out as I feel the pressure building from my windpipe closing. “Think… about…” I gulp as I reach up to pull at his wrists, “the baby. You’re… hurting me.”
Releasing me harshly, he throws his hand up backing away from me. “Don’t say it’s mine. The bastard child in your belly could be anyone’s. I know you’ve been seeing Tank. That’s his little Hellion.”
I struggle to catch my breath as Nick suddenly starts throwing my stuff out of the drawers.
“You’re right; it’s mine and she’s mine. A bastard, it is not,” Tank says as he walks through the bedroom door.
Shit! How much has he seen? How much did he hear? He will kill Nick for hurting me.
Without thinking, I walk to Tank to put myself between the two men, just in case.
“You can have her.”
Something in me snaps at those words. “Have me? He can have me? Like you’re giving me away? Clue in, dipshit; he’s here because I was planning on leavin’ your ass.”
“You were fun to play with. Obviously, this isn’t going to work, though. So, you go back to the trailer park, and I’ll find someone else to easily fill your shoes.”
“You’re a piece of work. How many times did you say you loved me? Huh, Nick? I did everything you asked of me. I left everything to make you my PRIORITY!” I drag out the last word for emphasis and in frustration.
“You know I needed you for the company because my dad wanted to see I was settling down. Well, you’re a true example of just settling for me.”
Tank pulls me to him, my back to his front as he addresses Nick. “You need to shut the fuck up right now.” He then turns me to him, “Button, what stuff are you bringin’ with us? We need to leave. He’s not worth the time and you don’t need the bullshit. I told you I’d handle him and I will.”
“Handle what, scumbag?”
“You, fucker,” Tank answers, glaring at Nick.
“Get the hell out, both of you!” Nick roars.
“Just the duffle bag, Tank. None of this other shit is mine.”
“The deal with your dad for the company just tanked. The nice car you’re driving, you won’t have much longer. The museum you call a house, it’s gonna slip through your greedy, little fingers. Everything you think you have is an illusion that’s gonna disappear. You bought yourself a seat in the center of my radar today, fucker,” Tank says to Nick before taking my hand and leading me out of my bedroom and out of the house.
When we get to Tank’s house, the ramp off the side of the porch is a reminder of how far he has come in his recovery.
Doll is waiting for us. She runs up to the truck and is at my door when I get out. We hug, neither of us talking for a bit.
“Doll, I owe you an apology for pushing you away. I’m sorry for not answering your calls, and most of all, not keepin’ it real with my very best friend.”
“Forget it, babe. Just don’t do it again. I’ve missed the hell outta ya.” She hugs me tighter.
We make our way inside where the living room is painted in a soft gray with a darker gray microfiber couch and loveseat in the center. Black end tables and a coffee table accent the room, but they are empty as is the fireplace mantel.
“It’s bare, but you can decorate it however you want,” Tank says, watching my face as if he’s looking for my approval.
“It’s home.” I smile at him, knowing it’s the truth. As soon as I stepped my foot in the door, I felt at peace. I am comfortable for the first time in a very long time.
“Well, it’s not very big, but we can add on if you want.”
Reaching up, I run my hand over his cheek. “One thing at a time. We’re gonna work through all the details, but it’s been a whirlwind two days for me.”
“I’m gonna go change the sheets on my bed so you can sleep there tonight. I’ll take the couch. We can set up another bed in the second room later. Get settled, relax, and tomorrow you and Doll can go shopping for clothes and whatever else you need, Button.” He starts to walk away, so I reach out to stop him.
“Thank you for helping me. Thank you for standing up for me. Thank you for not giving up on me and on us.”
“I’m never gonna give up on you, Button,” he states as he pulls away to make his way to the back room.
“So fill me in, how did you end up agreeing to come here?” Doll asks as we make our way over to the couch to get comfortable.
She is my best friend so I tell her everything that’s happened with Nick. I relay the entire back story of the last year of my life with her, finally holding nothing back. Well, everything that is, except Nick’s reaction to the baby. It’s unbelievably hard. It’s embarrassing. Reciting the small details I didn’t notice before, I am now aware of how blind I’ve been to all the little things Nick has done to me. What a mess I’ve gotten myself into?
That’s not to say I was completely innocent. I did agree to marry him even though I wasn’t in love with him. I played my part in the downfall of our relationship. I wonder, though, was any of our relationship remotely real? He was following his agenda from the very beginning. We were both forcing something that needed to come naturally. We were both running, him from his reputation and me from my own insecurities. Yet, neither of us has been successful in our endeavor to be free.
~Tank~
She’s here, but there is a lot to sort out. I am not going to push her since she is under enough pressure already. Nick, though, that fucker, I will push like he’s never been pushed before. Walking in to find him giving her hell. I don’t know what happened before I got there, but I’m far from done with that piece of shit.
After changing the sheets on the bed and then grabbing extras for the couch, I make my way to the kitchen. Doll and Sass are still in the living room talking, so I go into the kitchen to make dinner. Not thinking, I make tacos since it’s easy and I can follow the instructions on the box. I guess the smell is too much because, suddenly, Sass jumps up and rushes to the bathroom.
I turn off the burner to the stove and follow Doll to check on her. When I get back there, Doll is holding her hair back for her when, suddenly, she’s leaning over my bathtub joining Sass in the upheaval of their stomach contents. Sass waves me out of the room, so I go to call Tripp.
“Tank,” he answers.
“Your ol’ lady isn’t feelin’ so hot, man. Thought you’d wanna know.”
“Where is she? What do you mean by not feelin’ so hot?”
“Well, I know she called and told you Sass was coming here so she would be at my house not Roundman’s. Well, Sass got sick and now Doll is, too.”
“Oh, hell.”
“Yeah.”
“You think she needs me there?”
“I don’t fuckin’ know. I just know, if my woman was across the state from me, pukin’ and was as stubborn as Doll, I’d wanna know, so I’m tellin’ ya.”
“With what’s going on, I’ll make a few calls to handle some shit here and then get on the road. See ya tomorrow sometime.”
We disconnect and I take the girls some water to sip. They are both cleaning up when I reach the doorway.
“Here,” I hand them each a glass of water, “sip this. I’m gonna go to the store and get some ginger ale and crackers. Both of you go lay down. Tripp’s gonna come tomorrow, Doll. The flu has been going around and shit, so he’s comin’ to see to ya.”