Deadbeat Mother

Battered

~Mia~

It was a long night with Nokio trying to come up with a plan to help Neela. The issue is Steven; he’s so controlling and violent. If we could find a way around Steven, we could help Neela do anything she likes. Steven paying those men to watch Neela makes things even worse.

I didn’t get much sleep, but I did expect a message from Neela when I got up. My phone had no such message, so I called her. She didn’t answer, which was weird, but I figured that Steven was keeping her from answering. I continued to call her on my way to her place, but I was still met with nothing.

I’m now walking up the stairs on my way to get to Neela. I passed the thugs when I walked into the building, but I ignored them. I walk up the stairs to their floor. The door is shut, and I don’t hear any sounds. I knock on the door, expecting Steven to answer. I tried to steel myself against that, not wanting to see his face or have to interact with him at all. There’s no answer at the door, so I knock again. I wait, and there’s still nothing. Things are starting to feel weird now, and I’m not sure what to do.

I put my hand on the doorknob and slowly turn it. The door clicks, and I wait to see if there will be any pushback. Nothing happens, and nothing is said. I slowly push the door open and walk in. The room is dark even though it’s early morning. There are no lights on, which is weird. Neela should have gotten that message last night and should be up even if she isn’t ready to go.

I walk into the room a bit and look at the bed. It looks like it hasn’t been slept in. I move to the wall where the light switch is. I flip the switch and notice a busted phone down the way. I turn my head, and my heart drops into my stomach. I can’t breathe; I can’t move. Neela is on the ground, and there’s blood everywhere. I don’t even know if she’s alive. “Neela?” I whisper, but there’s no response.

Something clicks inside me, and I run to the door, closing it as quietly as I opened it. I lock the door, not wanting those goons to come in. I get to Neela’s side quickly and check for a pulse and breathing. Her pulse is faint, but it’s there. Her breathing is really shallow. I feel a tear fall down my face as I look at her battered body.

I pull my phone out and dial Nokio, putting the call on speakerphone. “Are you and Neela almost here?” I can’t find my voice, but I have to figure it out. I know I don’t have much time.

“I…..Sh…….Where are you?” My voice is breaking, but I’m trying to keep it together.

“I’m at the house, about to leave. You know we have that shoot this morning.” I take a shaky breath.

“I need you to come upstairs, but don’t alert those thugs that anything is amiss. Neela needs you.” There is silence on the other line for a few seconds.

“I’ll be right there!” I want to make Neela as comfortable as possible but I don’t want to do much. If I jostle her too much, I could cause permanent damage. I want her to go through as little movement as possible.

The doorknob jingles, and I get in front of Neela, ready to defend her if needed. I’m not even sure what I’d be able to do, but I’d sure as hell try my hardest. The door creaks open, and Nokio pops his head in. He quickly shuts it behind himself and walks over to me. He stops in his tracks when he puts his eyes on Neela. “S**t!”

~Natalia~

I stretch, and my body starting to feel sore. I never heard back from Evan, and frustration set in. I worked that frustration and anger out on Steven, and he was doing the same. There was no small talk between us last night; we simply devoured each other.

I roll over and grab my phone from the nightstand. I have a text and a few missed phone calls. None of that is from Evan, and my frustration is growing. I’m getting pissed too. How dare he continue to ignore me?

I check my voicemail, and I jump out of bed. I run to the bathroom and hop in the shower. I need to get out of here as soon as possible. I should have woken up earlier, but I’ve been preoccupied.

When I get out of the shower, I quickly dress. I sit and start to put my makeup on. Steven stirs in the bed behind me. My thoughts go back to the night before, and I clench my thighs in a lame attempt to keep the wetness inside. “Where are you off to so early in the morning?” I turn to look at Steven.

“I got a call last night. We have to go back in and do a reshoot.” Steven’s expression changes. He has a lot of emotions on his face and I’m too scared to identify any of them.

“Y……you got a call last night?” I nod but hold my tongue. “There’s a reshoot for everyone?” I nod again, not understanding what’s going on in his head. Steven jumps out of bed and scrambles to find his clothes.

“Is everything okay?”

“I need to get out of here.” Steven starts to mumble under his breath. I catch him saying that he messed up and took things too far. I have no idea what he means, and I don’t have time now to figure it out.

I watch Steven stumble out of the room and shake my head. He doesn’t say anything as he rushes out of the room. I turn to the mirror and continue to get ready for my day.