Page 28 of Body

“I know, and guess what else?” She pulls her long raven waves off her neck. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows knit together. “Phillip came to the airport to pick me up.” Her eyes widen. “There was some serious battle of testosterone going on between them.”

“Oh, this is too good.” She pulls her legs under her bottom and waits. “Don’t leave me hanging,Bonita.Continuar,” she asks. Continue.

“Chase all but mauled me in front of Phillip and Anabelle.”

“No, he didn’t!” she says throwing her hand over her mouth.

“He did! And I totally let him. I sucked his face like it was the last drink I was going to have and a drought was coming.”

She howls and grabs her stomach in laughter. “What did Phillip do?”

“He gave me a talking to in the car. Oh, and there’s more.”

“No, no, I can’t take it. This is like Jerry Springer live!” She laughs, leans back and kicks her legs in the air dramatically.

“Chase owns the building and the firm Phillip works for!” I laugh hysterically.

“Oh,Dios Mio. Mierda,shit! I can’t believe it. That’s crazy!” She shakes her head and puts her hand over her eyes.

“I know, I know. This is becoming really complicated.” I lean back on the couch.

“What did Chase do?” she asks.

What did Chase do? I ask myself. He staked his claim as surely as a dog urinates around a tree to ward off other dogs. “He was cool and calm. Though he demanded I call him later. I’m not looking forward to it.”

She nods and then I remember her weekend. “Hey, what happened with Tom? Did you?” I ask, excited.

Her head bobs up and down happily. “Hermana, he was amazing. He made me come twice!”

I laugh and she continues with the gory details. She’s as dirty as Chase. I think they’ll get along well in that arena. They are both very sexual creatures and seem rather proud of it. “He wasdulce…sweet. Though, girl, that man pounded me so hard I think I felt my teeth rattle!”

Smacking her lightly on the leg, a snort bubbles up, and out when I laugh too hard. “Good for you! When are you going to see him again?”

She smiles brightly. “This weekend. He’s taking me to a baseball game. The Giants.”

“I didn’t know you liked baseball?”

“I don’t.” She shrugs. “But, I like him, so I’ll go.”

I giggle then stop when she becomes quiet, her gaze focuses on my neck. She reaches out and pulls at the collar of my shirt, exposing the glaring bruises and scabs. “Cara Bonita, are youreallyokay? This had to bring up some bad memories.”

I take a deep breath. “It did, I have to admit. Looking at myself in the mirror after the attack reminded me of all the times I was tending to my bruises in the bathroom after one of Justin’s tirades.” She grips my hand and tears fill my eyes. “After two years it shouldn’t come back so easily, should it?”

“Cara Bonita,we will always have to deal with the fact that we were battered women.” Her face tilts to the side and she clutches my hand. “Remember in group therapy where they made us talk about each experience we could remember so we could flush it out. You talked about the time Justin beat you so badly your face was unrecognizable for weeks?”

I nod. How could I have let him hurt me for so long? The guilt of taking those beatings still haunts me.

“I think you need to go see Dr. Madison,” she says. “Talk about what happened so that it doesn’t consume you.”

“You’re right. I’m stronger now. I can talk about the attack. Mostly because it wasn’t with someone I trusted. Now that some time has passed, it’s a lot easier. That first year of therapy…” I take a deep calming breath. “Having to talk about my relationship with Justin, what he did to me.” I shake my head and pinch my lips together. “Fucking torture.”

“It was for me too,Hermana. I didn’t want to admit to what Antonio did to me, but talking about the experiences has made us both stronger. And remember, we got out.” She hugs me. Her familiar floral scent reminds me of all things good in the world.

I grip her tightly. We made it out of those diabolical relationships alive when many didn’t. Several of our group went back to their men. The next time we saw them, they were in the hospital or a casket. I shiver and Maria holds me tighter. God, I love this woman. “I love you, Ria.”

“Te amo, Cara Bonita.” She tucks my hair behind my ears. “Looks like you cleaned up the bruises pretty good. When are the stitches coming out?”

“End of the week. I have to make a follow-up appointment with my doctor.”

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