7

Victoria

The ride to Michael's parents' house was silent, except for Antonio's giggling. Michael kept his hand on my inner thigh, making me uncomfortable. Not to mention, there was also discomfort between my legs. Once we arrived, Michael took Antonio out of the car, and he tightly grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.

Michael's mother was the one to open the door. She smiled right away when she saw me; I did my best to return the smile. Her eyes lit up as soon as they landed on Antonio.

"Oh my goodness! Who is this?" She asked.

"This is Antonio," Michael answered.

"Oh, he's such a darling!" Michael's mom squealed. "Come on in. Everyone is so excited to meet the baby."

Once we stepped inside, Michael's mother took our jackets and helped us settle. She offered us some water, but Michael declined.

"Victoria," Michael's father called out. "It's good to have you back!"

"Thank you, sir. It's good to see everyone again.

More and more of Michael's relatives arrived, eager to meet Antonio. They all brought so many gifts I wasn't sure if they would fit in the car. Seeing how well Michael's family did with Antonio made me feel guilty for staying away. I should've returned to Michael once I found out I was pregnant.

As I watched Antonio laugh while Michael's cousins played peekaboo, Michael sat next to me and draped his arm over my shoulders. I turned to him, and he smiled at me; I smiled back and leaned into his embrace. I liked this version of Michael; he made me feel loved, and I wasn't afraid. I wished I could have this version of Michael all the time.

The discomfort between my legs worsened, and I felt wet.

"I need to use the restroom," I told Michael. He nodded his head, giving me permission to go. I practically sprinted to the bathroom. Once I sat down, I was horrified to see a large amount of blood on my pantiliner. Some involuntary tears escaped my eyes.

There was a knock on the door.

"Victoria?" It was Michael's cousin, Lucy.

"Yeah?"

"Did you get your period?"

"Something like that."

"I keep stuff here in case that happens to me unexpectedly. Can I come in?"

"Yeah. The door's unlocked." I was in such a hurry I forgot to lock the door.

Lucy stepped inside. I leaned forward, not wanting her to see how much I was bleeding.

"What size tampon would you like?"

"Super."

"Okay, I'll give you a thick pad as well."

"Thanks."

Lucy opened the cabinet against the wall and grabbed a tampon and pad.

"Here you go," she said as she handed them to me.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. How do you like Antonio's room, by the way?"

"It's gorgeous. Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it."

There was a moment of silence between us.

"Victoria, I don't blame you for leaving Michael. I know he can be an asshole; I wish you would've come back when you found out you were pregnant. We could've helped you. We all feel awful for missing out on the visits to the doctor, the ultrasounds, throwing a baby shower, and not being there when Antonio was born."

"I understand. Believe me, seeing how great everyone is with Antonio is making me feel guilty for staying away."

"Good."

Lucy stepped out of the bathroom, leaving me alone to my thoughts. I took off the pantiliner and replaced it with the pad. I tried putting the tampon in, but it hurt too much. I started crying.

"Victoria, open the door," I heard Michael say firmly; I guess I was in the bathroom too long.

"The door's open."

Michael stepped in, his expression turning from anger to worry.

"What's going on?" he asked as he crouched down to my level.

"Michael, I need to go to the hospital."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm bleeding a lot."

"Well, don't you have your period?"

"My period finished two weeks ago. Even if I had it, I shouldn't be bleeding this much. My vagina is killing me."

"Okay. What do you think is causing all the bleeding and pain?"

"Well, you shoved yourself inside me when I wasn't ready," I spat out. I immediately regretted saying those words.

"Are you saying this is my fault?" Michael asked in a threatening tone.

"No, I'm saying that might be what caused it," I defended.

"That's the same thing as blaming me!"

"I'm sorry. Can we just g-"

I was cut off by Michael throwing a punch at me; I started crying from my immediate pain. Before I could recover, Michael threw another punch at me, and I continued to cry as Michael took a deep breath.

"Okay, we're going to tell my family that you're not feeling well, and we'll go to the hospital. We're leaving Antonio here."

Michael went digging through the drawers of the sink until he found some makeup.

"Here. Cover up your face with this."

I nodded as I pulled up my pants before taking the makeup from Michael. When I finished applying foundation, Michael inspected my face, ensuring no bruises were visible. He was frustrated that there was no hiding the swelling. Michael scooped me in his arms and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Hey guys, Victoria needs to go to the hospital. Can you watch Antonio for us?"

"Oh, dear, what's wrong?" Michael's mother asked.

"Victoria's just not feeling well. We're going to the ER."

"Don't worry, we'll take care of Antonio," Lucy said. "I hope it's nothing serious."

"She'll be fine," Michael bluntly said.

***

When we arrived at the Emergency Room, I was tended to immediately. Technicians took my vitals and gave me a gown to change into. Michael sat beside me, holding my hand as we waited for a doctor. After ten minutes, a tall black woman with a pixie cut stepped into the room.

"Hello, Victoria. My name is doctor Taylor."

"Hello."

"May I ask who you are?" Dr. Taylor looked at Michael with attitude.

"I'm her boyfriend," Michael said.

Dr. Taylor gave Michael a look that suggested she didn't believe him. Honestly, I had no idea Michael and I were boyfriend and girlfriend. Lately, I've felt like his prisoner and toy.

"Okay, so you came in because you're bleeding heavily and have vaginal pain?"

"Yeah."

"You wanna tell me what happened that may have caused that?"

Before I could answer, Michael, cut in, "we were having a quickie. Sometimes she likes it rough."

I had to restrain myself from showing disgust when Michael winked at me, though I was cringing mentally; I never liked rough sex.

"I see." Dr. Taylor said as she gave Michael a glare. "Well, let's see the damage you did during your quickie."

Dr. Taylor sat on a chair and scooted by me.

"Alright, Victoria, this will resemble doing a pap smear. Can you open your legs for me, placing your feet flat on the bed? I slowly did as Dr. Taylor said, feeling pain during the process. After several minutes, Dr. Taylor said, "nearly all the tissue in your vagina is torn, and there also appears to be trauma to your cervix."

"Will she be okay?" Michael asked. Concern was evident in his voice.

"It will take time to heal; I'm going to prescribe some painkillers and antibiotics. Hold off on vaginal sex for the next few weeks." Dr. Taylor turned her attention to Michael. "I advise you to use lube before penetration or at least spend some time doing foreplay the next time you decide to be rough during sex."

"Yes, ma'am," Michael mocked.

Dr. Taylor looked back at me.

"I need to speak to Victoria alone."

"About what?" Michael asked suspiciously.

"Girl things. It may feel uncomfortable talking in front of a boy. You can sit in the waiting room."

Michael rolled his eyes.

"Fine."

Once Michael left the room, Dr. Taylor sat next to me.

"So that's your boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

"How long have you two been together?"

"About a year and a half."

"How is he treating you?"

"Pretty good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Is he the one who hit you?"

"What?" I asked in shock.

"Victoria, I've seen enough victims of domestic violence; I recognize all the signs. I can tell your cheek is swollen. You did an excellent job at covering up the bruise. However, I could tell by how he looked at you and acted.

I stayed quiet.

"Victoria, all you have to do is tell me what he did, and I can make sure he never hurts you again."

I had to suppress the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. I wanted to tell her what Michael had done to me in the past. I wanted someone to know what he was doing now. For some reason, I couldn't get the words out. Honestly, what could I say? It was all my fault.

"Everything's fine," I said with a smile.

Dr. Taylor let out a sigh.

"I'll write the prescriptions for you and have one of the residents bring you the discharge paperwork.

"Okay, thank you."

Shortly after Dr. Taylor stepped out, Michael walked back into my room.

"What did she say?"

"She was telling me how to properly care for my vagina. Apparently, rough sex isn't healthy for it."

"Did you say anything?"

"No."

Michael grabbed my chin, so he could look me in the eyes.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No."

Michael leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.

"Good girl."