CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: The Return; The Leaving

I pulled into the driveway and turned off the ignition. I got out of the car and opened the back door. DJ got out followed my Mari and James got out on the other side. I opened the trunk and pulled out some bags. I handed them to DJ and James. I took out my cell phone and looked at the time. It was 6:45, just as I looked up a car pulled up along the street. She got out and walked up the driveway.

"Am I early?" She asked. I shook my head.

"We did a lot of shopping. Mind helping?" She shook her head and reached for a few bags. "Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem." She said nodding. I handed the kids each a few light bags and we started to the front door. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Dom sitting on the porch. He was sitting in a plastic lawn chair leaning against the house. I sighed and opened the door and pushed Nikki and the kids inside. I walked inside and slammed the door so I knew I woke Dom up. I wondered how long he'd been there. Nikki let the kids pass her and walked beside me. "Who was the bald guy on the porch?" She asked.

"My… fiancé." I tried. She raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

"You're engaged?" I sighed and nodded a little. She nodded. We entered the kitchen where the kids had already set down their bags and gone off somewhere in the house. DJ knew he was home; he let the kids show him around the house. Nikki decided she should stay in the kitchen and assist me in putting groceries away.

"You've been here before, correct?" She nodded. "You're going to help me with groceries then." She chuckled and started to empty out bags onto the counter. "You catch on quick." I joked. She chuckled.

"If I knew you were engaged I wouldn't have…" She trailed off as I looked at her.
"No worries. I doubt think we should get married after all he's done to me."

"What's he done? I mean it can't be worse than what mine did." I looked at her. "What?"

"You're married?" I didn't know that.

"Divorced." She held up her left hand and there was no ring. I nodded and looked at her. "He was a total sweetheart when he first met. He's a racer, professionally and after he got big into that, he turned into an asshole." I nodded.

"Like all guys do." I noted. She nodded. "So what happened?"

"He got cocky. We were always fighting. It's just not healthy in a relationship. After I believe the biggest fight, the only one where he's ever resulted in hitting me, I found him in bed with another woman."

"Did you know the other woman?" I asked. She nodded. "Sister?"

"No."

"Mom?" She chuckled and looked at me. I laughed a little and smiled innocently. "Hey if she's hot." She laughed a little and shook her head. "Who?"

"My niece." I raised an eyebrow and she nodded.

"I hate to ask but how old is your niece?" I questioned daringly. She chuckled and looked down at the box of cereal in her hand.

"Twelve." I choked a little and she nodded. "Laugh it up."

"That's not funny, actually, that's illegal." She nodded. "Did you press charges?" She shook her head. "Why not? I would have." I walked over to the cabinet and put a few boxes of cereal away. She walked over and put the box she had in the cabinet. She smiled a little.

"I didn't want to ruin his reputation."

"I still would have done it. Could have gotten a lot of money. What did you get when you divorced?"
"Shit." She said. I walked back over to another bag and it contained beer. I took it out of the bag and slid it into the fridge. Nikki looked over at me and I smiled a little. "I got about three hundred bucks. I put it in the bank for a rainy day."

"Ah. Rainy day fund. I have one of those. About a dollar in there. There's been too many rainy days in my life." She chuckled and nodded a little.

"So why do you think you shouldn't marry him?" I shrugged and started putting items in the fridge away.

"Well, he's cheated on my numerous times."

"Any nieces?" She asked, jokingly. I laughed and shook my head.

"My sister is one." She nodded. I really needed somebody to listen and here somebody was to listen. "Denied it to begin with. Then I found evidence to prove him guilty and then he admitted." I shook my head.

"What did you find?"

"Bra in the bed." I said. She winced and I chucked a little. "Yeah. Then not too long ago, yesterday to be exact, I found pictures of them, naked." She raised an eyebrow.

"Ouch." I nodded. "That's why I haven't had a boyfriend in years. That's why…" She stopped herself for some reason. I looked up at her and she shook her head. She handed me some ice cream containers and I put them in the freezer.

"You want something to drink?" I asked getting into the back of the fridge for a cold beer that I knew Joe had replaced from yesterday. She shook her head and I raised an eyebrow. "Don't drink?" I asked setting an extra on the counter.

"11 months sober." I was shocked, she could tell. "Shocked?"

"Yes. I didn't expect that out of you. I expected you to be the sweet little innocent girl that's still a virgin. Damn. You used to be a party animal?"

"Yeah. I used to be pretty crazy. I do believe I slept with a few guys without even knowing their names."

"Really?" She nodded.

"You know what?" I looked at her. "I'll take that beer."

"You sure I wouldn't want you to break your 11 months." She shrugged and took the beer off the counter. She opened and took a long drink. She chuckled when she finished and I tossed the cap from mine in the trash like I was playing basketball. There was a knock on the back door and I rolled my eyes. Nikki craned her neck to see who it was.

"Lover boy." She said laughing.

"I think that beers gotten to your head." I said nodding to her with my bottle. She jumped up and sat on the counter. I shook my head and walked over to the back door. I opened it and yawned loudly. "Excuse me." I said to Dom. "Can I help you?"

"Can we talk?" I shrugged.

"Can we?" I asked. He cocked his head to the side and I shrugged. He looked in the door and saw Nikki sitting on the counter sipping a beer.

"Mommy?" I heard Mari ask behind me. I turned my head and looked at her. She looked at Dom and then at me. "Never mind." She started to walk away and I looked at Dom. "Nikki?" She asked. I listened. "Can you get me a glass of water?" Nikki nodded and got off the counter.

"Can I come in so we can talk?" I turned back to him and sighed. I opened the door more and he walked inside.

"The other side." Mari instructed Nikki on finding a glass.

"Who's the water for?" I asked.

"Me." She replied. I nodded and walked to the cabinet Nikki was next to and opened it. I pulled out a plastic cup and set it on the counter. Nikki thanked me and turned on the faucet. She filled the glass about halfway and handed it down to Mari. She started to walk away and I put my leg out in front of her and she stopped.

"What do you say?" I asked her. She turned and looked back at Nikki.

"Thank you." She said smiling.

"Your welcome Mari." She said. I smiled and Mari looked at me and I dropped my foot. She walked out of the kitchen. I looked at Nikki then at Dom.

"Can we talk, Letty?" Dom asked. I looked at him and sighed again. I jumped up and sat on the edge of the counter.

"I'm listening Dom." Nikki walked over and sat at the kitchen table and sipped her beer. I didn't look at her but I could tell she was grinning.

"I'm sorry about today." He stated.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"They called me into work." I nodded and looked at his neck. I looked down and thought. No, that hickey could be from me. I looked at his shirt. That lipstick wasn't from me. No way. I didn't wear the stuff.

"Yeah, I'm real sure." He stepped up between my legs and he rubbed my thighs gently.

"Can we talk in private?" He asked. I shook my head and he sighed.

"Letty, I'm sorry about today. I was going to go. Something came up." I one hand in the other and took of the ring that was still there from so long ago. "Letty I'm sorry."

"Yeah, Dom. I used to being hurt by you. I don't care anymore." I held out my hand. "Here." He held out his hand and I dropped the ring in his hand. "I know Mari hasn't known you a long time but so far that's all she's known from you. Hurt. Dom, I told you if you weren't ready to quit your old ways then don't come back. I meant that. I don't want your shit, I'm perfectly happy without it."

"Letty."

"No. I mean, you'd be lucky if Mari ever talked to you again. You hurt her feelings." He looked down and squeezed my thighs a little.

"Baby. Please don't do this." He leaned forward and kissed me softly. I sighed and shook my head. "Please." He kissed me again, this time longer. I pushed him away and he frowned.

"No, Dom. You need to leave." His face turned red from anger. "Come back when you're ready to be a good father. But you'll never be my husband." Suddenly I felt the same stinging in my cheek I felt yesterday. I kicked him away from me with my feet and he flew back into the table. Nikki picked up her beer and scooted back. I jumped down off the counter and glared at him. "Slap me again and see what happens." He put his hands up in surrender. That's what I thought. He sighed.

"Letty I'm sorry."

"Right now I don't care. Leave. Get out of my house." He nodded and left quickly. The door closed and I sighed. I leaned back against the counter and Nikki stood up and walked over to me. She slowly slid her hand over my cheek.

"That looks like it's going to bruise." She said. I nodded a little and she frowned. "You should put something on that." I shook my head and she nodded. "Okay. Um… want me to kick his ass?"

"Nah."

"You sure. I can do it." I chuckled and nodded. "Okay. Your okay though right?" I nodded again and she smiled. "Good." She turned and looked at the door. Dom was standing there leaning on the glass looking in. I noticed that too. I got an idea and smiled.

"Nikki?" I asked.

"Huh?" She turned and looked at me. I put my hands on her hips and she looked at me. I pulled her close and kissed her roughly. Now it was my turn. I grinned and kept kissing her. Neither of us seemed to want to pull away.

"Mommy?" I heard behind me. Why did I ignore that? Oh, because this kiss was too good. She tugged on my shirt, but I shooed her away with my hand.

Lol. I'm sorry I think it would cool to see Michelle Rodriguez kiss a girl and this is my own way of thinking it personally. That's strange, I know.

This is, I believe the longest chapter I've written. I'm on to Chapter 23 and 24 but for chapter 25 I'll need help. I need names, seriously this time too. Not really profiles. You guys girls can give me names and I'll use which ever I like best. I'm either going for two or three. Not sure. Should only appear in one chapter. The one with the revenge. You know. It's going to be at the races so I need some whore's names. I'd rather not use one of your names. I don't think anybody's a whore or a slut or whatever. I also need a bitch. I need at least a bitchy type name and a whore-ish type name. I hope you get that.