Hidden Wounds

Part 15

The next morning Anthony woke me up by shaking me gently and calling my name. 

"I gotta go pick up my car. I'll be back in a few and we can talk." he told me and I shook my head in agreement. Shit, if I could have it my way, by the time he came home I would be long gone. I was ready to have the police waiting on his ass. I had endured his bullshit for long enough, I had to create a better life for me and  my child; the games were over. I waited until I was sure Anthony was gone before I picked up my phone to text Gray; I knew he would have the information I needed by now. 

Me: Coast is clear, call in. 

I expected my phone to ring immediately, but when fifteen minutes went by I got anxious. Gray usually responded to me right away. I told myself that maybe he had to work, he never really told me his schedule. I was going to give it a while longer before I called. I walked over to the surround sound system and reached behind the left speaker. Once I popped out the back, a few rolls of cash fell out. It was twenty-five thousand dollars wrapped in those rubber bands, it wasn't much but I was going to be able to handle myself while I pulled things together. I touched my belly, I wasn't too far away from delivery; I needed to be somewhere I could be at peace and with Anthony was not it. A piece of me was heart-broken my baby wouldn't have its dad in their life because I know what that felt like growing up; but I knew I was making the right decision. Truthfully, the right decision was to walk away the first time he laid his hands on me. I admit that I was weak, too dependent to leave; but hell Anthony molded me like that. My kid changed my mindset, it was no longer about me. I couldn't live with myself if any harm came to my child because I failed to keep it out of the situation in the first place. Call it parental instinct, but I was ready to protect mine at all costs, and if that included putting that nigga in jail then so be it. I reached down to grab the money and placed it in my purse that was sitting on the kitchen counter. After it had been forty-five minutes and Gray didn't hit me back I resent the text message.  When I didn't get a response, I dialed Gray's number and it went directly to voicemail. Anthony was still gone, which was odd because the paint shop wasn't too far from the house.

"Fuck." I mumbled, what was going on?  Why was Gray's phone dead? And where the fuck was Anthony? I picked up my phone and dialed him out, it rang three times before he sent me to voicemail. I called back and he did the same thing. That made me nervous, I didn't like the fact I couldn't get a hold of either one of them. Something didn't feel right. I tried to pass some time by watching a movie but my anxiety was starting to kick in. I peeked at my phone to see if Gray text me back but I had nothing. I was getting ready to dial him out when I heard a key in the door. I shoved my phone under the couch pillow and laid on top of it, pretending as if I was still viewing the movie.  Anthony opened the door, but a stack of moving boxes came in before he did. I sat up to get a closer look. Anthony tossed the stack onto the floor and went out to get more. 

"Going somewhere?" I asked him when he was finished and closed the door. 

"I told you we were moving into a new house." he stated with a soft smile. 

"Wait, already?"

"Shit, now that my mom is gone ain't no reason to be here." he replied. I huffed my breath, he had to be fucking playing games. He had to remember that he told me his mama passed when he was a kid. I wanted to bust his balls right then and there, but I didn't know that Gray had found out anything, so I kept quiet. 

"You wanna talk about it?" I asked, feigning support. Anthony walked over to me and sat down 

"Not really, but I guess you deserve the truth." he rubbed his thighs anxiously.