Enjoy

Mercedes

"Honey, why aren't you eating?" Yvonne asked her daughter who just played with the food on her plate.

"I'm just not extremely hungry." Mercedes replied knowing that she was lying, looking at the food had turned her stomach and she was trying her best to keep herself from throwing up but she was slowly losing that battle. She looked up when Shane walked in and tried to muster up a smile but one whiff of his cologne was all it took for her nausea to win.

"Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom." She said as best she could before quickly walking to the bathroom, she quickly ran into one of the stalls and sure enough what little she did eat came right up. She wanted so badly to cry because she wanted to be anywhere but there but she had to keep with the bullshit just a little longer, just until she figured out a way to get out.

"Baby girl?" Mercedes stood up and quickly wiped her mouth before flushing and letting out a deep breath. She walked out giving her mother a small smile before walking to the sink and rinsing her mouth out not even trying to hide the fact that she'd just thrown up.

"Are you okay?" Yvonne asked her daughter.

"Yeah, just a little nervous I guess about the wedding being so close and what not..."

"Is that all? Is there something else bothering you?" Yvonne asked, taking a step closer, looking at her daughter intently.

"I'm sure moma, I just… I'm just overwhelmed is all." Mercedes replied feeling tears threatening to fall but she took a deep breath before giving her mother another smile.

"Baby you know you can tell me anything and you I'll do-"

"Do what? Because the last time I asked for your help you didn't do a damn thing and I ended up getting shipped off to boarding school because I wanted to keep seeing the person I was in love with, so no I can't tell you anything and expect you to do something to help me." Mercedes interrupted before shaking her head and walking past her mother.

"If you really wanted to help you wouldn't have allowed daddy to get away with half the shit he's doing now. I mean he's making me marry a man that I don't know because he doesn't want me to be with Sam and if you really think it's just business then you aren't the woman I've thought you to be all these years." She added before walking out of the bathroom leaving her mother there in a stunned silence.

When Mercedes got back to the table she noticed her father looking angry and readied herself for whatever lecture that was coming her way.

"So that took long enough." Nathan said, looking at his daughter intensely just as Yvonne returned to her seat with an unreadable expression.

"I didn't realize my bathroom break was a timed one." Mercedes retorted, rolling her eyes and taking a bite of her lukewarm food.

"Why were you in there so long?"

"My purse and phone was here the whole time so obviously I was using the fucking bathroom!" Mercedes said, snapping and raising her voice slightly.

"Babe, don't talk to your father that way, it's disrespectful." Shane said, trying to grab her hand but she snatched it away and shot him a hard look.

"I am not your 'babe' so do not call me that!" She said to him through gritted teeth before her father slammed his hand on the table causing the other patrons to look at them, he shot them all apologetic looks before looking back at his daughter with a dark glare.

"You better change your attitude right now, you will not speak to me like that and you damn sure won't embarrass me in the fancy ass restaurant." Nathan bit out with a growl, Mercedes shot her mother a look and let out a humorless laugh before shaking her head.

"Fine daddy, I'll play but what I won't do is pretend like after I leave here that I'm going to the store. I will be going to see my fucking man and when I'm done, I'll come home but not a second before. Oh and Shane I hope you know this will be a sexless marriage, my vagina belongs to someone else and will continue to belong to him. So you won't be getting any kids from me… EVER." Mercedes replied sweetly before standing up and grabbing her things.

"Sit down." Nathan demanded and Mercedes just smirked.

"Or what daddy? You're gonna make me? Let's not forget you have an image to uphold and I'd sure hate for it to be ruined by you being rough with your daughter who just wanted to leave peacefully."

"If you go over to his house you will regret it."

"You threaten him again and you will regret the day you made me." Mercedes spat and for once her father's demeanor changed from hardened to shocked. This was the first time she really challenged him about Sam and he could tell that she wasn't going to back down this time, so he had to make sure she understood her place.

"The wedding is Wednesday, Shane and I thought it'd be best if we moved it up since your dress is fitted and everyone is in town." Nathan said with a shrug when Mercedes's expression went from smug to shocked.

"You better hope I'm there come Wednesday." She said before walking out of the restaurant, she quickly pulled her phone out and called Sam.

"Baby? Are you okay?"

"No, we're leaving, meet me at my parents." She said getting into her car and letting out an annoyed breath.

"What happened?"

"They moved the wedding up to Wednesday! I kinda went off on both my parents and told Shane we would have a sexless marriage and that I was going to see my man..."

"I'll be there in thirty minutes, I just need to get some things together but I'm on my way." Sam replied before hanging up, Mercedes let out a sigh and started her car then headed to her parents to gather her things.

Mercedes felt herself slowly panicking as she packed her bag only grabbing what she absolutely needed. She kept checking her watch hoping Sam would get there before her parents but sure enough she heard her mother and father arguing as they walked through the front door.

"MERCEDES!" Her father shouted and she chose to ignore him and finish packing, she looked out the window and saw Sam pull up and quickly shoved the last things into her bag and went down stairs just as he knocked.

She looked at her father who eyed the bag before quickly opening the door and looking over his shoulder at Mercedes with so much anger that she felt it.

"I thought I told you to never come here again."

"I won't be coming back after I get what's mine." Sam said looking passed him at Mercedes with a small smile that she returned and started to move forward but her father blocked her way.

"There's nothing that belongs to you here so leave before I help you leave." Nathan said calmly, a little too calm for Mercedes's liking.

"Sir, I'm not a kid anymore so you don't scare me. Now I'm not leaving without Mercedes and you're just going to have to face that fact, I've waited long enough but I'm not waiting any longer." Sam replied with the same easiness as her father and she got a bad feeling.

"Daddy, I'm going with Sam. This won't be a repeat of last time and you can't force me to commit to this fucked up marriage, now move." Mercedes said stepping forward but her mother grabbed her arm shaking her head ever so slightly and Mercedes looked at her like she was crazy.

"You will and that's final." Nathan said not breaking his glare with Sam.

"Ugh! I'm grown and I'm tired of this, let it go I'm choosing Sam! I'm choosing myself and if that means not having you in my life then so be it!" Mercedes shouted trying to move pass her father but he just shoved Sam before slamming the door and locking it.

"NOW THAT'S ENOUGH! You ungrateful little brat, I have given you everything and you will do as I say, you will marry Shane and you will like it. Think I want my child, my only child walking around with someone like him? No! You will do as I say and if you ever have that man come to my house again I will make sure it's the last time you ever see him!" Nathan roared, making both Mercedes and Yvonne jump back.

"Nate, you need to calm down." Yvonne said, stepping in between him and their daughter.

"I don't need to do shit, you allowed her and that boy to have a damn relationship and now I have to clean up your mess!" He replied, narrowing his eyes at his wife before looking back at Mercedes. "You can go unpack that damn bag of yours because I'll be damned if you go anywhere with that boy."

"I am going with Sam and you will get over it." Mercedes said, letting out an annoyed breath.

"When I get back you better have that bag unpacked." Nathan demanded before starting to walk away.

"It'll be gone along with me and my child!" Mercedes spat making her father freeze and Yvonne's eyes grew wide.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm pregnant and it's Sa-" Her words were cut off by her father's hand coming across her face.

"YOU'RE WHAT!?" He shouted and looked at her with sheer disgust.

"NATHAN, now I've allowed you to do whatever you want but you will not put your hands on my child and think it's okay!" Yvonne said moving Mercedes closer to the door and squaring up to her husband who shot her a daring look.

"Try it, I dare you." Yvonne said when Nathan started to move forward, balling up her fist and narrowing her eyes at him.

"You are my wife and you will respect what I say and do in this house." He said with a growl that only got him a mean look from his wife.

"I've done that but this is too much! You've done enough and this stops today, your daughter just told you she was pregnant and you slapped her!"

"She's getting rid of it." He said shooting a look at both Mercedes and his wife before walking away. "She will not bring that bastard child into this world and I will see to that it's done before Wednesday!" He added before slamming his office door.

Yvonne turned around and saw her daughter still holding her face in shock with tears running down her cheeks. She gave her daughter a sympathetic look before walking over to the book shelf and pulling out an old book. She quickly looked in the direction of her husband's office before walking back to Mercedes.

"Take this and don't come back." Yvonne said, handing her the book to which Mercedes just shot her a confused look.

"Moma..."

"Go now this is your window and I'm not sure how long he will be in there. Baby, I never wanted you to think I didn't stick up for you… I fought for you every single time but that man is unmoving and he isn't going to budge on this so please take my grandchild somewhere safe and be happy." Yvonne said pulling her daughter into a hug trying not to cry when she heard shuffling she quickly pulled away and picked up Mercedes's bag. She opened the door and saw Sam pacing back and forth before his head shot up, noticing her, she shot him a sad smile before grabbing Mercedes.

"You take care of my baby, both of them." Yvonne said to Sam giving Mercedes a final hug before going back inside.

"Moma… what… I don't… I'm pregnant." Mercedes said, stammering over her words looking at her mother sadly.

"You need to go now, send me the sonogram okay? Now please go! I love you baby girl!" Yvonne said before closing the door and leaning against the door praying she did the right thing.

Sam walked over to Mercedes and just pulled her into a hug knowing that she needed it in that moment before grabbing her bag and walking them to his truck. He helped her in before getting in himself, he looked over at her and she gave him a smile before sighing.

"Ready?" Sam asked, grabbing her hand and she smiled and nodded before they pulled off. She only looked back once.

:)