Chapter 12

I laid in the bed next to Justin, who was sleeping and stared at the ceiling. How could I have done this? How could I have slept with him? My heart was pounding, I wasn’t going to get back together with him. GOD! This situation had happened before and there was no solution except giving in to what Justin wanted.

THAT WAS NOT GONNA HAPPEN! I was not gonna get back with him.

I crept out of the bed and pulled on my clothes. The faster I got out of there, the faster I could get on with my new life without Justin.

I ran to the playroom where Ruben was watching the twins. As long as it wasn’t Paris, that seriously would have added to my list of reasons for despising Justin.

“Hey Mrs. T. I was just playing with the kids.”

“Thanks for keeping an eye on them, Ruben. But I really need to go.” I ran my hand through my messy hair and grabbed my children.

I’m sure it was really obvious by my disheveled demeanor what Justin and I had been doing in our bedroom but I really didn’t care. I wanted to get the hell out of there.

Almost running out to my Lexus waiting for me outside. I secured the twins into their car seats, when I heard the voice of someone that I really never wanted to see in my life.

“Natalia. To what does the neighborhood owe your not so lovely presence? Stupid spic. ”

Paris, that fucking bitch, how dare she fucking say that about my ethnicity.

“Paris. Dear.” I said sarcastically. “I do believe that you forgot to rub in some orange from your 10 second tan.”

Paris looked me up and down and scoffed loudly.

“Always the kidder, Nat. Although I wish you were kidding with that outfit. The sophisticated Mom look isn’t for you… I’d try more for the trailer trash look next time. It seems to be more up your alley.”

I wasn’t going to fight with her, damnit, I needed to get out of there and not waste time! I gritted my teeth and looked up and down at her.

“And it seems that you’ve got that look down pat.” I flipped my hair and took a deep breath to calm myself down. “Anyway, I don’t have time to stand here and argue with whores who break up families. You can have my sloppy seconds.”

“I’d take sloppy seconds of Justin any day.” Paris cackled. “But do make sure you take those horrendous little brats with you. I know I had to pretend to like them before but if they stay with Justin and I, I will make sure to send those little mobbettes to boarding school.”

Oh no she fucking didn’t talk bad about my children. This little trollop wasn’t going to get away with that. I charged at her, throwing her onto the floor and pulled at her bleach blonde hair extensions.

“You can diss my style… which is so much better than yours might I add…  you can steal my husband… and make ethnic slurs but you fucking dissed my kids?!” I pulled my fist back and slammed it into her plastic face. “Bitch you’ve fucking asked for it!”

I seriously had no idea what I was doing. It was like everything I was feeling, my anger and hurt towards Justin, my hatred for Paris, my confusion with David and the feeling of just being lost was all coming out. “Poor” Paris was getting the brunt of it all though. She had just picked the wrong time to fuck with me.

I slammed her down against the concrete and clawed at her face. All Paris could do was pull at my hair, which only made me more enraged. My father would pull my hair when I was a kid and it just infuriates me to this day when anyone does it.

“YOU STUPID FUCKING WHORE!!!! YOU BROKE UP MY FAMILY AND YOU RUINED MY LIFE!!!! I HOPE YOU FUCKING DIE!!!!!!”

Before I knew it, I was choking her. She scratched and slapped at my arms, trying to get me to stop, but I didn’t care.  I just loved watching her gasp for breath. In a sick twisted way, I guess I had snapped and watching the color drain from her face was giving me peace.

“Miss Natalia!!” Bruce pulled me kicking and screaming off Paris while Lonnie assessed to Paris on the floor.

“What’s going on?!” Ruben ran outside of the house, staring at the scene. God, I must have looked like the biggest psycho and at that moment I probably was.

“Go get Mr. Timberlake… NOW!!” Lonnie ordered Ruben who ran into the house. Damnit. So much for my escape.

“Now both of you calm down!” Bruce yelled at us.

“GET OFF ME!!” I screamed out. “BECAUSE WHEN MY HUSBAND GETS HERE YOU’LL ALL BE SORRY!”

I must have put the fear of God in him because Bruce let me go and I ran into my car just as Justin came outside.

“What the hell is going on here?” Justin exclaimed as he ran out of the house, buttoning up a white shirt that looked really good on him.

I rolled down my window a bit and looked over at everyone, but mostly stared at Justin.

“Thanks for everything Justin… but really let’s never do it again.” I took off my wedding and engagement rings and threw them on the floor in front of him.

With that I sped off to the only place I could think of. Home. I didn’t give a shit if it was going to take me a long time to get there. I was gonna go home, back to New York, to my Mommy and to Ricky.

I was going to try to talk to my Mom and let her know that she was right and that I was sorry. I was gonna become Natalia Fuentes again.

**

Driving with two kids crying was really tough but I managed to make it. As soon as I saw the Welcome to New York sign I knew I was home. No one was gonna control my life anymore, no one was going to hurt me.

Some how, I made it to my mother’s house in 48 hours. Sure I stopped a few times to sleep and eat but for the most part I was proud of myself.

Pulling the twins out of the car, I cradled a sleeping Nikolas and held Samantha’s hand. It was about 5 o’clock in the evening when I knocked on Isabel Fuentes’ front door.

I adjusted my bebe t-shirt that I was able to stop and get at a store. I couldn’t be ew and not change my clothes or the twins clothes.

My mother opened the door and stared at me in shock. Tears came to my eyes when I saw my mom standing there.

“You were right, Mami. You were right about everything.”

“Natalia…” Isabel threw her arms around me and the sleeping Nikolas I was holding.

“Mommy Mommy… who is that?” Samantha asked and sleepily rubbed at her face.

I smiled a little bit and my mother let go of me and bent down to my daughter who just looked at her with confusion.

“I’m you’re grandma… call me abuelita, it’s prettier than grandma.” Isabel Fuentes hugged Samantha. “She looks just like you.”

“Her name is Samantha… and this is Nikolas.”

My mother stood up and ran her hand over her grandchild’s face softly. Although she had once told me she’d never accept them as her grandchildren, she had already done so.

“Que muchacho mas guapo.” She smiled. “He looks just like Andrew.”

My Mother looked up at me, I probably looked like hell from all the crying. She stroked my face lightly.

“Poversita…” Sighing and quickly forgetting about everything almost instantaneously, my Mother grabbed Samantha’s hand. “Come in come in.”

I followed my short Hispanic mother into the living room, catching a glimpse of my stepfather who sneered at me and walked up the stairs. I always knew that he hated me.

I laid Nikolas down on the couch that I had grown up lying on. Samantha was busy hugging her newfound grandmother. It made me happy that my Mom actually accepted them.

**

Samantha fell asleep a little while later and my Mother and I were left to talk finally. She sat in the kitchen making us tilo, this tea for the nerves that she swore by.

“Now, mijita. I want you to tell me what’s been happening.”

“Mommy… he cheated on me. You were right about him.” I looked down, defeated and felt tears slide down my face.

“Natalia…” My Mother grabbed my hands and placed a kiss on them. “Forgive me for the hurtful things I’ve said to you. I just knew you could find better then him and that he would only hurt you. But things happen for a reason. He was a maldito, but without him you wouldn’t have had esos hijitos lindos.”

“I know… but I loved him, Mami.”

“I know Natalia. I felt like that when tu maricon padre, left me.” Isabel Fuentes stated, the anger almost radiated from her at the mention of my father who she so “lovingly” called a faggot. “But I lived my life and moved on for my children and you must do the same.”

I just nodded and stayed quiet. My Mom was right. I had to get on with my life. I sipped at my tea and spaced off.

I had no idea how I was going to do that.