AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Eighteen
Josephine
The rape exam takes a couple of hours, and the medical team charts, photographs, records, and examines every inch of me. I feel like a very sore pincushion every time the medical staff touch me—every surface of my body aches, and I want nothing more than to crawl into a ball against Maceo and cry myself to sleep.
I can’t believe this happened to me.
Images of Jacob flood my mind before I can stop them. Jacob’s cold eyes staring straight through me. His lips roaming over my body. His rough hand forcing my legs apart as the other was squeezing my throat.
I cringe hard, and sobs rake my body.What if I was raped?
Maceo, devoted and protective as always, sits next to me in the sterile room the whole time. He reassures me the exam is precautionary. We already feel confident I wasn’t raped, molested yes, but not raped. His eyes demand my attention, and he stresses he’s here to support me through whatever care I need. He holds my hand, and kisses my knuckles and my face after he’s given the okay by the medical team.
He’s so fucking sweet. How did I get this lucky?Don’t know and don’t care—he’s mine and I love him.
I know this isn’t easy for Maceo to witness. It’s probably equally as horrible for him as it is for me. The cords in his neck strain when he sees me stripped bare, my black and blue body on full display. Maceo’s face contorts in pain when he assesses me, like looking at me is hurting him—no, killing him. And I have to admit, the amount of bruising I have is chilling.
“It’s worse than what I first saw on the highway,” Maceo tells the doctor performing my exam.
The doctor nods in understanding. “Jo is pretty beat up. Don’t be surprised if more bruises pop up over the next day or two. It’s pretty typical after being attacked this viciously.”
Well, that thought is really unpleasant. I don’t know how this could look any worse. My back is scratched and a horrid shade of purple. My throat—which hurts like a motherfucker every time I speak or swallow—looks like Jacob squeezed my neck to the point it could have snapped. My fingernails are broken off or bent back from where I clawed and fought. The bottoms of my feet are bruised from where I kicked for my life.
Maceo is trying hard to control his anger, but I can hear him growling. “I wish I could kill Jacob all over again. The fucker got off easy.”
My heart aches a little, hearing Jacob is indeed gone. As horrible of a thing Jacob did to me, I never wanted him dead. Honestly, I wanted him to get help and move on with his life. I feel slightly guilty, knowing I’ll sleep sounder with him gone, but not enough to feel sorry about it.
Radiology confirms I have two cracked ribs from where Jacob kicked me, and my larynx is bruised from the strangulation. Upon pelvic examination, the doctor believes I wasn’t raped, but laboratory tests will show if there are traces of semen or residue from a condom. The thought of Jacob having been inside me while I was unconscious makes me whimper with dread.
Tears run down my face. “What if he raped me, Maceo?”
Maceo jaw clenches. “He didn’t.”
“But what if he did?” I sob and it hurts my throat. “Will you think differently of me? Will you still want me, or will you want to end our relationship?”
Maceo shakes his head, his face red with anger and pain. He grabs the side of my face as gently as he can. “It makes no difference to me. I still want you no matter what. My feelings for you will only grow stronger with time. I’m not going anywhere, ever.”
I hiccup and scratch at my skin. “But what if he gave me a disease? Do you think I’m dirty? God, I feel so dirty!”
Maceo’s face scrunches up as he fights back his own tears. He cradles my sore face and kisses my forehead. “Baby, you’re not dirty, and you’ll never be dirty. Jacob never made it that far. Even the doctor thinks so.”
Snot runs down my face along with my tears. I’m sure I look awful, but nothing can compare to how disgusting I feel on the inside. Maceo wipes my face clean with his fingers.
I chock. “But what if?”
Maceo’s black eyes soften. “Then we’ll deal with it, together. There’s no STI that will run me off from you.” He holds me tenderly until my tears stop.
The doctor performing my exam takes one of my hands in hers. “I’ve performed a lot of these exams over the years, and I’m confident you were one of the lucky ones. I don’t see anything that would suggest you were raped, but let’s wait for the lab to confirm my belief. In the mean time, heal and try to stay positive. I’m rushing the lab results and I hope to have an answer for you within two weeks.”
Maceo looks over at the doctor. “We had sex this morning. Do I need to give a sample of my DNA to rule my semen out from any other semen that may be present?”
The doctor pulls out a couple sterile swabs, and swipes them along the inside of Maceo’s mouth to gather some cheek cells for testing.
When my nerves finally settle, I ask Maceo another question I have been dreading. “Tony?”
I half expect Maceo to get jealous, since that’s normally how he would react about any male I show a harmless interest in, but he surprises me. His eyes soften and he smiles, his thumb running up and down my unmarred cheek. “He’s got a nasty concussion, cracked ribs, and a really bruised back, but thankfully, his skull isn’t fractured. He’s being monitored here at the hospital, and is in the best hands. He’s going to be okay.”
“I want to see him,” I murmur, my throat throbbing.
