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Her eyes open wide and she turns away to face her reflection in the mirror. “I can’t, Duke. If I call the cops, he’ll find a way to get out and come after my mother and me. He says he has friends in the department who will cut him loose if he gets locked up.”
I look into her eyes through her mirrored reflection, “And you believe him? You think he can get out? Raya, look at yourself. He did this to you. How can you just sit here and let it go?”
“For my mother; that’s why. I’m doing this for her. She wants to stay and I can’t just leave her here. So, once I turn eighteen, we’re out of here.”
“Wait, what? Your birthday is next month. You’re leaving? What about prom and graduation? Were you going to tell your friends…me?”
Another tear runs down her cheek and she wipes it away, “No, I wasn’t going to tell anyone. I figured a clean break would be best for us since no one will know where we go.”
I look away from her and process her plans of escape. My mind runs a million miles per hour as I try to think of ways to get her to stay…but it’s too much to process at once. All I know is that I can’t lose her. I growl in frustration and brush my hand through my hair only to realize that I’m still wearing wet clothes.
Raya laughs quietly and walks out into her bedroom and opens her closet. She digs into a few boxes and pulls out a pair of jeans and white t-shirt, then walks back over to me.
“Here, you can change into these. They were my father’s.” She smiles and offers them to me.
I reach my hand up to her cheek and rub it with my thumb. “Raya, you can trust me. You know that, right?”
She grabs onto my hand caressing her face and leans into it. “Yes, I know, Duke. I’ve always trusted you, ever since day one.”
“Good, then listen to me. Go to the police. They can help you.”
She pulls her face away from my hand and walks away. “I won’t risk my mother’s life, Duke. I can’t do it.” She closes the bathroom door to allow me to change.
I stand there, looking at my own reflection, and think about ways to help her….only to come up with one solution. I’ll go to the cops. I quickly change into her dad’s old clothes, which fit rather perfectly, and open the door to see her lying down in bed watching television.
I sit on the bed next to her and caress her arm. “If you don’t go to the cops, I will.”
She shoots up and turns to me, “No, you won’t. You can’t, Duke.”
“Raya, I can’t just sit and watch you get beat up. This isn’t safe for you.”
“Duke, please. It was just this one time incident. Everything’s been fine. Craig hasn’t bothered me at all. If I behave, he’ll stay away from me.” She continues to beg and plead for me to understand.
“Raya, how can you ask me to keep this a secret? I can’t do this. What if he comes after you or your mother?”
“Duke, he won’t. The last time I spoke up to defend her. If I do as he says, I won’t upset him.”
I look deep into her crystal blue eyes and see her desperation and fear. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
She looks down to my hands and grabs hold of them. “Duke, please. Do this for me. Nothing will happen.”
I listen to her plea and watch as new tears emerge. Seeing her cry breaks my heart and all I do is bow my head and concede to her request. “Fine, I won’t do anything. But, if something else happens, I’m going straight to the cops.”
Her smile curves along her lips slowly and she pulls me into a deep hug. “Thank you, Duke.”
Duke
The warm, bright sun makes my skin tingle. I close my eyes and take a deep breath of fresh air and suck in the scent of the salty ocean. The sand between my toes tickles and I let out a small chuckle. Lifting my head, I allow the warmth of the sun to melt into my soul. I hear laughter from a gorgeous and magical woman. The sound is so amazingly beautiful and absolutely turns me on. I open my eyes to find her, but she’s nowhere in sight.. The seagulls fly above, scavenging for their next meals. My gut tells me to search for her, to not give up. My journey along the beach continues for what feels like hours until I see her. About twenty yards from where I stand, I see her wearing a white summer dress that flows in the wind. Her dark, long hair waves as the breeze passes. She dips her toes into the water and squeals because it’s cold to the touch. Her vibrant laughter almost causes my knees to buckle. I did it; I’ve found her.
I call out to her and run toward her, causing her to look up at me. As I close the distance between us, my breath is fleeting, my hands are shaky, and my heart beats a million times a minute. She reaches her hand out to grab mine and I pull her into my chest. Her beating heart pounds against my chest; I know she feels it, too—the tingling electricity, the alluring pull, and the undeniable attraction. My fingers comb through the strands of her soft hair and travel down to her hands and I grab hold of them. She pulls her head away to stare into my eyes and I’m fixed in a trance. Her crystal blue eyes suck me into another world—almost like a parallel universe—and we are the only inhabitants. Just the two of us.
My right hand wraps around her waist and I move my left hand to brush along her cheeks. Damn, she’s so beautiful. I notice her lick her pink luscious lips and I almost lose it. Pulling her close to me, I suck in a deep breath as my lips are about to grace hers. As my eyes close, I tell myself to never forget this moment.
Right when our lips are inches from touching, she whispers softly, “Duke, save me.”
My eyes shoot open at the sound of her request, only to find her with tears in her eyes.
“Raya, I will always pro
