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"Just wasn't watching where I was going, bumped into someone and they just said a few words to me, which were cruel, and it scared me." It did scare me a bit and made me remember that I can't live a normal life; I can only live the life I know.
"I'm sorry that happened to you. If you want to order things online, you can. But to be honest, I want you to leave the house, and I want you to go out and walk with your head held high. I know that's going to take time and I promise that I'm here with you."
I turned my head to look at Leo for a moment. I'm not sure what I did for him to help me, but I'm happy he's here.
I just wish that I could get the voices out of my head and the rules too. I try, but the memories of the nights in the dark room alone and having to take cold showers and the punishments always come rushing back.
"Jackson still here?"
"Yeah, he’s here all day. About to pop out when we do," Leo says as his hand moves to the floor and slides the article from underneath the box. He opens it up. "Is this the only picture you have of your family?"
He's the first man that I've thought about trusting enough to let into my dark life, so I grab the box, my fingers move over the old broken card, and I slide it over to him on the floor.
Leo's fingers trace the lid, and he taps his finger. He takes the lid off and I watch him pull out the necklace. He moves closer to me, as he dangles the necklace in front of me. "Did your dad give you this?"
Stopping the necklace from dangling, I open the pendant to show the pictures of me and my parents on one side and me and my brother on the other.
Leo takes a closer look at it, then moves closer to me to put it around my neck, but I move away from him. "I'm not allowed to wear it."Theytook the necklace the day Uncle Jack got me. He threw it to the floor and said that I was never allowed to think of them again, but when he wasn't looking, I quickly picked it up and hid it from them. This pendant is the only thing that matters to me.
"Who said?"
Turning to face him, I don’t even have to answer that question. My eyes tell him everything he needs to know.
He moves my hair out of the way. "You wear this, and you wear it every day. And you wear it with a smile." Leo moves closer as his arms move behind my neck as he fastens it on me. His hands move to the front and place the pendant nicely in the center. "Don't hide; don't hide from your family." His forehead rests on mine.
"Thank you," I whisper to him. He’s letting me be free. I just have to learn to be free with him now.
Leo looks at me, and he lifts my face, so our eyes connect. "Never say thank you for being here." He stands up and puts his hand out for me. "Shall we go?"
Placing my hand in his, I stand, and we both make our way downstairs.
Jackson is shaking his head. "I'll be back in a few hours, a client is having money problems." He starts laughing as I walk away from them.
I hear Jackson say something about how the man is going to lose a lot of money. Filling my glass with water, I watch them both from the corner of my eye. I can feel Leo looking at me. I can always feel his eyes on me, as my body starts to heat up.
"Ready?"
Cleaning my glass quickly, I grab my jacket and make my way out with Leo.
* * *
"I'm going to give you some stronger medication which will help with the pain. You’ve explained the nose bleeds and I believe that you know how to handle them but if you have any concerns then call me." The doctor hands Leo a piece of paper which has all my medication on it, and I don't say anything as he is paying for the stronger medication. "Is there anything you would like to talk about?"
I turn my head a little to glance at Leo, but I quickly turn back. Taking a pen from the desk, I writecan we talk aloneand push it to the doctor so she can tell Leo for me. I know he won’t mind and will be happy that I want to talk to the doctor.
"All you had to do is ask," Leo says and I hear the humor in his tone.
"Hope, is Leo hurting you?"
I shake my head. “No.” There is not one part of me that feels in danger with Leo. After so many years of feeling scared or feeling alone, I actually feel safe.
“How can I help you then?"
"In... the thing is... I’m not sure what it is. All I know is they needed to change it every three years." I point to my arm. They never told me what the implant was or why it was there, the doctor would come and change it for them.
She walks around her desk to me and asks if she can have a look at my arm. I nod, and she presses my upper left arm. She explains what it is; an implant to prevent me from getting pregnant. Suppose that makes sense seeing as they never used protection with me.
We talk for about an hour about the advantages of the implant and if I still want to keep it. I tell her that even though I’m not having sex, they might find me, so she gives me a new one. I ask her to tell Leo, as I can’t hide it from him; I mean there is a huge Band-Aid on my arm. She also wanted to do some tests, as they had unprotected sex with me and she wants to make sure I’m okay.
