Dangers of Love by Shakia Holmes (epub read online books txt) 📖

Dangers of Love
Ciara examined her body in the mirror in her bathroom. She looked very closely at the detail. She got sick to her stomach every time she looked at the dark marks on her back and stomach. Tears welled into her eyes as she thought of those horrific times that caused all of this. Her beauty was slowly being stripped off of her caramel skin.
Ciara was only eighteen years old. She was living with her mother and her brother. They had no clue about what was on her body. Ciara always hid the marks with makeup. The causes of her beatings were from her boyfriend Mario. Mario was very hot-headed and got mad over anything. She didn’t know what she was getting into before she got with him. The first couple of months were good in the beginning, but everything started to change after their first year together.
Ciara loved Mario the first day she seen him. She had been with him for two years. He was her very first. Mario was twenty one years old. He was a full blooded Puerto Rican. He was a very handsome guy. He had some smooth curly hair that he kept low. He had a pretty set of chestnut colored eyes that lured Ciara in. His teeth were straight and white. He was so attractive that any girl would stop what they were doing just to look at him. He seemed like a good guy to Ciara. He started working as soon as he graduated high school. He bought his own car and had an apartment to himself.
“Ciara, you better be up for school,” her mother yelled through her room door. Ciara snapped out of her emotional state and wiped her tears away.
“I’m getting ready now,” Ciara yelled back. Ciara got some makeup and tried covering up the real dark marks. The bruises looked as if the “accidents” just happened the day before but they took place about two weeks ago. She quickly threw on some clothes. Her phone kept vibrating as she continued to get ready. She took a quick glance to see who it was. It was Mario. She stopped what she was doing to answer his call.
“Hey baby,” Ciara said.
“What are you doing? I’m about to be pulling up in a few,” Mario said.
“I’m just getting my little stuff together. What you wearing today?”
“Some shorts and the shirt you got me last week.”
“Alright, love you.”
“Love you too,” Ciara said before hanging up.
She quickly got her backpack and her purse. She surveyed her body one last time before exiting her room. Her mother was arguing her brother Brian about working. It all faded out when Ciara walked to Mario’s car. Once she got into Mario’s Cherokee she kissed him on the cheek. She had to admit that he was looking very good. He had on some khaki’s and a polo shirt. The sun gleamed against his freckles.
“Baby, why is your shorts so short?” Mario asked speculating Ciara’s body before pulling off.
“You are tripping. My shorts are not short,” Ciara said putting on her seat belt.
“They are short and they are very tight. You must want other dudes to look at you. You must want them to---,” Mario said before Ciara cut him off.
“Baby please, I can’t deal with this today Mario,” Ciara said trying to touch his hand before he pulled away.
“You should have thought of that before you came out the house like that. You are not about to go to school with those on,” Mario said with an angry voice. She had seen the seriousness in his eyes.
“Do you want to take me back home so I can change?”
“No. You are not going home or to school.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ciara stop playing like you didn’t hear me. You heard what the fuck I said. You are not going home or to school.”
“Where are we going?”
“Ciara stop asking questions,” Mario said raising his voice making Ciara shiver. Ciara opened her purse. She got her phone out to do something to get her mind off of their current situation. She was kind of scared. She had six missed text messages and a missed call. Four of the messages were from her best friend Rayna. She kept asking Ciara where she was. Before she could have responded back to any of the messages Mario was on her back.
“Who are you texting?” Mario asked snatching the phone out her hands. He swerved the car not paying attention.
“It’s only Rayna, Mario. Please stop acting so crazy.”
“I told you stop fucking with her. She is so nosey but I bet you know better now about telling our business to her. I can’t wait until you get out of school. You are going to be living with me so I can keep an eye on you. Just wait.”
“Mario, why do you always trip on me?”
“Because you swear you are so sneaky. I know you are messing with other dudes but you always claim you are faithful and this and that.”
“You do the same thing Mario so what are you saying.”
“What girl have you seen ever in my phone Ciara? What text messages have you seen other than coworkers. I don’t care about these other girls. But you are too fucking stupid to notice anything because you got another dude on your mind. You know you are my one and only Ciara.”
“Mario, give me my phone back and take me home. You are acting real crazy.”
“You are not getting anything and you going home when I take you home.”
“I swear you need to be on some medicine,” Ciara said before Mario blasted the music in his car.
In a matter of time, Mario pulled up in front of his house. Mario got out the car first and waited for Ciara to open her door. They held eye contact for about five seconds before she turned her head away. She knew he was impatient but she wasn’t prepared to fight Mario today. She just wanted to go back home. Ciara folded her arms across her chest and walked toward Mario’s apartment. Once they got into the house, Mario went straight back into his room. Ciara sat in the living room. Her heart was pounding. Everything was so still in silent until he spoke.
“Ciara, come here” Mario said causing her heart to almost beat out her chest. She went instead of trying to make him angrier. She stood by the door.
“Yes,” Ciara said in low voice.
“Come in the room,” he ordered. She took two steps in the door. “Are you serious? Get your ass in the room and closed the door. I’m not going to tell you again Ciara. You are playing around.”
“Baby, I’m not,” Ciara started to say before Mario lit his blunt. He said that weed eased his mind, that’s why he smoked it. He took three pulls and set it in his ashtray. Mario got off the bed and grabbed Ciara and made her sit on the bed. He slammed his room door.
“You always act so retarded.”
“Stop calling me names.”
“What the fuck are you going to do C? You know better than to try me,” Mario said.
“Look, you just need to take me home for real. I’m tired of this shit,” Ciara said getting off the bed and stepping around Mario. He grabbed both her arms and pushed her hard onto the door. He was squeezing her tightly. “Mario, get off of me.”
“Make me,” he said turning her arms red. Ciara could have bruised real easy. What have I gotten myself into was all Ciara could of thought. “I told your ass about walking out the house with your shorts so tight and short. I told you about me having to tell you shit over and over again.”
Mario let her go and went to spark back up his blunt. Ciara just stood there scared. Mario’s temper has been so crazy over the last couple of months. She did not want to get a down today. If she tried to leave he would beat her ass but if she irritated him enough, he was going to get mad and use her as his punching bag. Ciara’s phone vibrated and it was a number not saved in her phone.
“Answer this call,” Mario said throwing her phone at her roughly. He treated her like a straight dog. The tears slowly slipped from her eyes as she answered.
“Hello,” Ciara answered.
“Yo Ciara, it’s Derrick.”
“Hey.”
“Are you coming to school today?”
“No, I’m not feeling good.”
“I just wanted you to bring my hat. I’ll probably come by your house to get it later. Sorry you not feeling well,” he said as Mario glared at her.
“That’s fine,” she said before hanging up the phone.
“Who was that?”
“My friend Derrick. He wants me to bring something to school.”
“Are you having sex with him?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me. I swear I will beat your ass Ciara.”
“Mario, you need some serious help,” she said going through her phone to try to make contact with her brother. She had enough.
“Give me your phone,” Mario said. Ciara tried to open the door but Mario grabbed her by her arm pulling her toward him. “I know your ass heard me,” Mario said slapping her in the face causing her to fall on the floor. He picked her phone up and slammed it into the wall causing it to shatter. She tried to pick up the pieces.
“Are you fucking crazy?” Ciara yelled. She threw the pieces of her phone at him. “You crazy ass psycho.”
Mario grabbed Ciara by the throat and started choking her. So much angry raged through Mario. Time seem like it went by slow for Ciara as she tried to gasp for air. She kept scratching at Mario’s arm to let go her. Her face kept turning red every moment. Ciara couldn’t do anything. She was fending for life every second. Did anyone know how to feel when you tried to catch your breath when suffocating? It was such an awful feeling. She was starting to lose her strength as Mario gained his strength as he kept choking the living day lights out of her. Mario’s heart was beating so fast until he knew he had to let her go. As soon as he did let her go Ciara’s body dropped to the floor. Mario placed both of his hands on the wall trying to regain his composure. He looked down at his love and knelt beside her.
“Baby,” Mario said. He rubbed her face and tried to get her up. “Quit playing baby and get up.” He