Southern Romance

Southern Romance

By

Crystal G Smith

Southern Romance

Copyright ©
2013 by Crystal Smith

Kindle Edition

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  Your support and respect for the property of this author is greatly appreciated.

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Book cover design by Melody Simmons

This book is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales

is purely coincidental.

Disclaimer:  The material in this book is for mature audiences only and contains graphic sexual content.  It is intended only for
those aged 18 and older.

     As always thank you to my wonderful family.  I hope all enjoy reading, as much as I did writing. 

Happy reading!

Crystal

Chapter One

      “Sara, wake up.” She laid there drowsy from yet another night of endless nightmares that left her eyes swollen from crying and dark ringed circles that said very clearly she hadn't slept all night.

     “
Sara, how many times have I told you, if you’re having a bad night, come and wake me, you don't need to go through this by yourself?  I'm your mother, what do you think it does to me to see you like this.  If you won't wake me so I can comfort you, then wake me so I can be comforted just knowing that I was here for you.”  Marie’s voice was soft yet warning at the same time.

     “
There's no since in me waking you.  Besides you’re always here for me.  Don’t feel that you aren’t.”  Sara shifted out from under the heavy white down comforter, wiping her eyes, ridding the sleep and sand that was readily taking up residence there.  “I'm going to take a shower and then I’ll be down and ready to go.”

     “
You don't have to do this if you don't want to.  You know that right?  There is nobody forcing you to go.”               

      “
I have to do this for me.  I have to if I am ever going to feel safe and strong again I have to.”  Sara's mother knew without a doubt her daughter, was very much right.  She just couldn't wrap her mind around having to sit by, while her daughter had to face the man that had caused so much pain. 

     Pain that she couldn't make go away.  She could only wipe the tears falling from her eyes as she exited her daughter
’s bedroom and left her to shower alone.  It was probably a good thing Sara went straight to the shower because Marie was about to lose it.  That was something she tried desperately not to do in front of Sara.

    
“Emmy Jean, what am I going to do?  I'm sorry I called you like this and so early, I knew today would be hard, but I didn't think this was going to affect me like this.  How am I going to be strong for her when I can't even be strong for myself?”

    
“Marie, you need to take a few breaths, and pull yourself together.  This is hard on you to.  I told you when this happened you needed to grieve yourself, but you wouldn't listen to me.  You’re her mother.  Did you really think that you would be able to wake up today and go about your marry little way with no worries?  Your daughter was assaulted, beaten, almost raped, and left for dead.  You couldn't stop it, you can't take away the pain, and you most certainly can't lose it now.  I know that I sound harsh, but right now that is exactly what you need.  You need to get mad, hold her hand, and walk into that court room and support your daughter while she puts that son of bitch away for a long time.”  Marie didn't say anything, she just sobbed.  “Marie, are you still there?” 

    
“Yes, but I don't know how much longer I can take this.  You haven't seen her, she is down to maybe 100lbs soak and wet.  She doesn’t eat, she can't sleep, and she just stays in her room all day.  She quit work, can you believe that?  She worked so hard to become a teacher and she doesn’t even care about it anymore.  I used to see so much life in her beautiful eyes, now all I see is red, swollen, painful eyes that look like they should belong to someone much older.  And she’s so pale now.”

    
“Marie, I can't say that I have seen those same eyes, but I have seen similar eyes.  It took JT along time to get over Amanda.  He had to do it on his own time.  She will have to do it on her own time.  Sara will live again.  Just as before, she will become full of life and love.  When she does, she will know a powerful strength lives in her like no other.  You just have to give her time.” 

    
“Oh Emmy Jean, you’re right, you have always been right.  You know exactly what to say to me to make me find my own strength.  I do love you my friend.” 

    
“I love you to, when this is over, you should come and visit.  You and Rick used to come and visit us often when the children were young."

    
"I tell you what, if we make it through this, we will.  It would be so much easier if Rick was here.  But at the same time, I don't know that I would be able to handle him and her in the same room with that low life sleaze ball."

    
"Will you call me when this is over today?"

    
"I will, again Emmy Jean, thank you for always being there whenever I needed you."

    
"Hey, what are friends for."

    
Marie heard Sara descending down the stairs and said her goodbyes.

    
Sara reached for the coffee mug sitting on the counter and poured her a cup of coffee.  She needed a good cup of coffee, if only she could pour a little courage in with it that would help her through this day.

    
"Who were you talking to?"             

    "Emmy Jean, I thought I would just kill sometime and I hadn't had a chance to call her this week."  Marie went to moving things around to busy herself, and to hide the fact she had been on the verge of a serious melt down.

    
"Still calling up Emmy for some words of wisdom?"  Sara allowed a scant grintouch her lips, only to try to lighten the situation.  Forcing a smile out of her these days was almost as easy as making it snow in July in the middle of Texas.  A phenomenon.  She knew that this had been very hard on her mother, and she didn't intend for it.  After all, this was her fault.  If she wouldn't have gotten so mad that night and left the bar alone, none of this would have happened.

    
“It’s good to hear encouraging words from time to time.  Do you want any breakfast?"  Marie looked up at Sara knowing what the answer was going to be before Sara had a chance to answer her. 

    
Sara didn’t doubt that.  She wasn’t in the mood to push the subject anyways.  "No, I don't feel like it.  Thanks anyways."

    
"Sara you are wasting away.  If you don't eat, it’s not ever gonna get any better.  You’re gonna pine away to nothing and he wins.  Is that what you really want?  I know somewhere under all that hurt and pain is my beautiful daughter waiting to bless us with her presence again."

    
"Mom, don't talk to me about something you know nothing about.  I may be your daughter but I’m the one with the pain."  Sara was angry and yelling.

    
"I know honey, but you don't have to continue to starve yourself."  Marie yelled right back.

    
"You know what it wasn't you under his body.  It wasn't your face he used for a punching bag!  It isn’t your face that wears the scar!  It’s not your ribs that hurt from being kicked, and you don't have the ugly scars from being shot not to mention the other!  You don't wake up at night smelling his breath or his sweat!  You don't wake up at night screaming and fighting the dark!  Oh, and don’t forget scrubbing your skin until it is ready to bleed and feels as if it will do so at any given point!   Don't try to make it better because you can't!  Let's go so this can be over."  Sara slammed her cup down on the counter causing the coffee to splash over the rim and stomped out to the car. 

    
Marie just stood there replaying in her head the words her devastated daughter had just lashed out at her.  These were the first words that had been spoken of that night other than her statement to the police at the hospital.  She couldn't believe what that man had done to her baby. She wanted to kill him.  She wanted to make everything ok.  But the damage was done.  Now she had to be strong, pull her trembling body back together and take her daughter to face her attacker one last time. 

    
When they pulled up at the court house there was security around. The press was there snapping pictures of them before she could even get the car parked.  Security rushed into escort them into the court room leaving Marie very thankful. 

    
The moment the doors opened to the court room Sara seen him.  Sitting there with his defense attorney laughing and cutting up like there wasn't a worry in his world.  The same smug look on his face today was the one that he wore that night. 

    
Behind him sat and stood several officers, decked out in their best, patting their friend on the shoulder and laughing right along with him.  Staring at Sara as if she was the one in the wrong.  Like she was the perpetrator and he was the victim. 

    
Sara and Marie made their way to their seats.  The prosecutor knelt down in front of them.  "This is what they want Sara.  They want everyone to see how he is well liked.  He only allowed his fellow officers to come to make you nervous.  To try to scare you into not testifying.  He’s scared.  We have him right where we want him.  Don't let it work.  You can't let it get to you.  Can you handle this?" 

    
Sara hadn’t taken her eyes off of them.  She was shaking, her palms were sweating, tears where in her eyes. She remembered everything that man had done to her. She could feel everything that man had done to her.  It was like it was happening all over again.  He was sitting across the room from her but she could smell his scent.  It was sickening to her.  Making her nauseous.

    
"Sara, honey you don't have to do this.  We can get up and walk out right now and never look back.  We can move.  Pack up and start a new beginning somewhere away from here."  Marie was just as scared as Sara.

    
"No, if we do that then he is free to do this to someone else again.  I can't, no; I won't let this happen againto somebody else because I was too much of a coward to get on that stand." 

    
"All raise, the honorable James Mastersend residing." 

    
"Are we ready to proceed?"  The judge’s voices was deep and raspy.  Almost as if he had just gotten out of bed.

    
Both attorneys stood and agreed. 

    
"Mr. Clemons, call your first witness."

    
"Your honor, prosecution wishes to call Sara Stevens to the stand."

    
It took everything in her to stand before that ruthless man and take her stand.  She stood and slowly made her way to the stand.   

    
"Raise your right hand.  Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give is the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

    
"I do."  Sara could hear her voice shake. Her body trembled.  Her eyes burned from fighting back tears.  She didn’t want to show that son of a bitch what he had done to her.  Physically or emotionally.

    
"Ms. Stevens, do you recall what happened the night of August 15, 2011?"

    
"Yes."

    
"Can you tell me and the court about it?" 

    
Sara sat there, she couldn't speak.  She tried to and opened her mouth but no words came out.

    
"Ms. Stevens, answer the question please."

    
"I was out with a few friends.  We were at a bar celebrating.  I had just passed my exam."

    
"And what exam was that?"

    
"I had taken a state exam giving me the credentials to teach elementary education."

    
"And then what happened Ms. Stevens?"

    
“It was me and a few friends.  I had,,,, we were all drinking and laughing."  Sara had to swallow the lump in her throat before she could say his name.  "Officer Davis asked me to dance.  At first I said no thank you.  My friends kept telling me I should, but I didn't want to.  About an hour later he asked me again, this time my friends kind of nudged me to go so I did. 

    
“I could feel my head spinning out on the dance floor, and I knew that I had drank too much.  I excused myself and went to the bathroom.  I splashed some water on my face, and decided it was time for me to go home.  When I opened up the door he was standing there.