AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her stare was empty. The same stare I imagined on my face as the events of that night played over and over in my mind. She lay down slowly on the kitchen floor. The tile, no doubt, provided her relief.
“What’s her name?” I asked.
Both Carson and the pink dress girl turned to me, alarmed, as if Carson didn’t remember I was there even though she had called for me.
“Milla,” the woman said.
I nodded, moving to the floor. I lay on the cool tile, trying to keep my breaths slow and soft. I inched closer, Milla’s one open eye trained on any movement that worked its way. Her lower lip trembled, her brows pulled together, and another scream rested on her chest.
“I’m Audry,” I said softly, lying next to her. I licked my lips, not certain what to say. My heart pounded in my chest, and myown nightmares threatened to pull me down. But Milla needed me. “I, uh…I have been where you are.”
Milla didn’t say anything, her breathing fast and labored.
I closed my eyes for merely a moment.You aren’t a victim, Kai’s words echoed in my mind.
“Milla, tonight is possibly the worst night of your life. There is no doubt about that. I was there. I, uh…I don’t know who did this to you, and you don’t need to tell me. You don’t even need to say anything. But I want you to know you can survive this. That you aren’t his toy. You aren’t less than. And you aren’t a victim.”
Her breaths began to slow down, and the screaming stopped as she listened to words that were conjured from the depths of my mind. Emotions I didn’t want to feel rose to the surface, and the scent of Nate’s cologne wafted in from my memory.
“I, uh…a few weeks ago, I was walking home. Like I always did, and this…this man—if you can even call him that—he pulled a knife on me.” I rolled my lips into my mouth, spreading my fingers along the tile. I inched my hand closer to her. “He dragged me into the alleyway. He threw me to the floor and wrapped his hands around my neck.”
Milla glanced at the almost healed bruise.
I lifted my chin slightly for her to see.
“He, uh…he took what he thought he was entitled to that night. And, I…I survived, Milla. I survived, and you can too.”
“How?” she whispered, her voice hoarse. I remembered that pain.
I inhaled deeply. “By getting up,” I said. “All you need to do is get up. Can you do that, Milla?”
She hesitated, tears rolling onto the floor.
I pushed my hand closer to her, rolling my hand into hers. “I’ll do it with you, okay?”
She nodded, gripping my hand tightly. Very slowly, and on her lead, we made our way to our feet. She wobbled, wincing from the pain.
I drew her into my arms, holding her as she sobbed.
“No one came to help me. I screamed and screamed,” she cried. “Why did no one help me?”
Guilt stabbed me in the center. I had someone that helped me that night—Kai. “I’m here, Milla. I’ll help you.”
She scratched at my clothes, hugging me tightly.
“You’re going to survive this, I promise,” I whispered, running my hands over her hair. “We’re going to get you through this.”
Milla curled up on a bed upstairs, her sweatpants the perfect size and her hair freshly washed. Carson had given her some pain meds and called the nurse to show up in the morning. As Carson closed the door, I leaned against the wall, exhausted. Every muscle was tired—as if I’d run a marathon.
Carson made her way next to me, silent like always. She waited for me to fill the space, following my lead, just as I did for Milla.
“You were saying something before we left.” I looked over at her, my voice shaking. “About what happened to your neck…" I pointed.
Carson nodded, biting her lower lip. She hissed in a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. “It happened in high school. I was young, naïve, and couldn’t defend myself.” Her lips thinned.
“Can you defend yourself now?” I asked.
“First thing I learned after,” she said with a shy smile.
