Hello readers,
Thank you all for reading Dark Chocolate: A Mature Story. This is continuation of that story. The character Keisha was introduced briefly in chapter two of that tale, and for some reason I feel compelled to tell her story. I must state that these are fictional characters and exist solely in my imagination.
This is an interracial love story. I must warn you the first chapter is a bit rough and there is NO SEX in this chapter. The love scenes will come as the Dylan and Keisha's story develop. So if you want a quick fix, please find another story that will fulfill that need.
Overstar, thank you for editing. Any errors are my own, but please don't allow them to distract you. So if you are going to get hung up on mistakes, then I apologize.
Please read it and enjoy. Also I ask that you do not replicate this story without asking. Writing is hard work and I really take it seriously.
IR2R
Keisha Johnson stared at her bruised face once again in her bedroom mirror. The person that inflicted this damage lay sleeping in the next room. Keisha hated him, and the only thing running through her mind was the words of her arch nemesis Talia Greene.
"Keisha, how many times does he have to go upside your head for you to know Deshaun does not love you? He hit me once and I ran. How many times has he hit you, ten, one hundred, more? You call me names and try to insult me when you have a problem. Yes, Richard is young, but he loves me. He would never hurt me like that. That's not in him."
Talia glared at her, daring her to deny what she said at her parent's anniversary banquet last year.
Keisha stood her ground because she had to save face. But she knew Talia was right. He didn't love her. She was convenient, a punching bag for him. Her friends were there and she knew they'd tell their men what was said and eventually Deshaun would find out. If she seemed weak, she'd pay when he came home. But then again, she argued with Talia, so he'd make her pay anyway, and she did. It took her four months to heal from the beating he gave her, but that was a year ago, today was different.
A week ago she had to work late, and didn't get a chance to call. When she made it home a little after eleven, Deshaun was waiting. He was angry because she wasn't there to cater to him. He didn't have a job and could not get one because of his record. So he controlled everything she did. She had to be home by a certain time, and could only leave when he permitted her to go. Even when she was permitted, she had to give him an itinerary so he could approve. He allowed her to work, but not much else.
He was always angry, and this night was no different. He slapped her around and then made her prepare a full meal for him. The whole while he told her what a worthless person she was. "You're nothing. I can find another woman that is much better than you. You think you can survive without me. No, bitch. I made you. But really you are a waste of my time. Fix my dinner and then clean this shit up." He ordered. She cleaned up the mess and quickly made his dinner. The next morning, she got dressed for work, carefully applying make-up to hide her shame. He didn't even pretend to be sorry anymore. He just said, the beatings were her fault.
Keisha wore makeup to hide the bruises, but she knew no one was fooled. She arrived at her job, and people stared. Her boss shook his head and said nothing. A few days passed, and things settled. On Tuesday night, she got an emergency call from Mya, her best friend. Her Mom had collapsed. The residential supervisor had called an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Keisha alerted her supervisor, who let her go immediately. She rushed to the hospital and waited anxiously as her mother was being cared for. Her mom, who was already deathly ill, fought hard and survived, but barely. It was in that hospital room that her mother spoke to her honestly. For once, Keisha listened.
"Keisha, that boy will kill you. Promise me you'll get away." She breathed heavily, struggling with each breath. "I love you, and I hate seeing him treat you like this. I won't be here much longer, and I won't be here to protect you. He hit you again, didn't he?" she asked, eyes sad and broken.
"Momma, you know he doesn't mean to hit me. I just make him mad sometimes. He's a good man. He's just misunderstood. I'll tell Deshaun that you're sick. He'll understand. He might even come see you and then you'll see he is a good man." Keisha tried to cover plastering on a fake smile while thinking that her mother was right.
Her mother wasn't listening. She was distraught as her daughter stood there spouting the exact same excuses for this man as she did for her ex-lover years ago. "I hate that I stayed with Frank. I hate I let you see him beat me. I should have left, but I didn't think I could. Keisha, baby, listen to me; a man who loves you won't hurt you like this." She explained. "Baby, you are beautiful, and you deserve to be happy. Leave him, promise me you'll find a way." She demanded. Keisha did not reply, because she didn't want to lie to her mother. Her mother became agitated. Her monitors sounded and the nurse ordered her to leave.
Keisha knew her mother was right. She'd seen it. That was why she hated Talia and Dalia Greene. They had perfect parents that never struck them, or demeaned them.
She caught the bus home and as she rode, she remembered riding in a car with her step-father when she was younger. One of his friends was interested in her, and he told her that she could just spend time with his friend and earn some money. Keisha refused, and Frank became angry. Keisha shuttered as the memories assaulted her.
"You stupid little bitch. I do all I can for you and your sorry ass Momma, and you talk back to me. You think you can say no to me. Bitch, I own you. You do what I say."
Keisha opened her mouth to speak when he hit her, and told her she'd better not ever back talk him again. It was then that Keisha's dreams of a better life ended.
She never told her mother, but she learned that as a woman you had to do what the man said. Her step-father's abuse continued until Deshaun stopped him. He became her everything. He trained her, conditioned her, and even now almost twenty years to the day they met, he made sure she knew he made her; she was his creation, his property. She endured a lot at his hands, even other females.
At twenty-one, Keisha became pregnant. She wanted to give her child stability. She didn't want her son or daughter growing up like she did. However, Deshaun needed to change. She felt he needed to stop messing around and settle into his role as a family man. One night after waiting up till early in the morning, he staggered in smelling of booze, weed, and women. Keisha was furious and hurt, so she confronted Deshaun about his drinking and cavorting around with other women. He snapped on her and slammed her into the wall, hard enough to dent it; she lost the child. Keisha cried as she remembered the pain she suffered. She recalled the intense agony of her child dying and then slowly evacuating her body. He would not take her to a hospital because he feared being arrested again. She lay in bed a full day before Deshaun demanded she get up and take care of him. She learned to never question him again.
Soon after, he set his sights on Talia Greene once again. She was pissed when she learned he was sniffling around the other woman, but Talia turned him down. He was infuriated, but her refusal made him even more determined to get her back. He came home, and told her what a frigid little bitch Talia was, and that he didn't really want her anyway. His description gave her confidence, because he swore he hated her and her dark skin.
Keisha knew he was lying, but as long as he focused on the other woman, then he wasn't knocking her around. Keisha felt pathetic, shamed, and she felt like a failure.
