Lucas
"What are you doing here, Lou?" I ask, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms. "It's late. Riley's not here."
"Is Gabe?" She pokes her head in the door, looking around frantically. Her breaths are rapid, which has me a bit more alert.
"I'm not sure."
"I need your help. It's Riley."
Riley
"Riley, honey, do you know who did this to you?" One of the police officers asks.
I nod. "My--"
"Don't talk." The nurse instructs me. "You need to rest your larynx."
A notepad is placed in front of me. "Can you write down the person's name?" The female officer asks. I shake my head. "You're not going to be in trouble. We want to help you." She sets a pen down beside the notepad.
I stare at it for a minute and then look at the nurse, who is my only companion here because Lou wasn't allowed in.
"It's okay if you're scared." The older woman takes hold of my hand. "If you're uncomfortable, they can come back later."
I shake my head and grab the pen. I write down Gabe's first and last name and worry my bottom lip between my teeth.
"Is he a boyfriend?" The male officer asks and I nod. "For how long?"
I hold up three fingers. "Three months?" The female asks and I shake my head. "Three years?" I nod once. "And has this happened before?" I nod once, again. "For how long?"
I squint my eyes as I do the math. I hold up six fingers. "Six months?" I nod once.
"Okay, we're gonna ask you a few more questions, if the answer is yes, give us a thumbs up, if it's no, give us a thumbs down." The female instructs, pulling a chair up to sit beside me. "Nod if you understand." I nod once and she softly smiles.
"You're twenty-one?" Thumbs up.
"And you study at St.Timothy's University?" Thumbs up.
"You have been in a relationship with Gabe Weston for three years?" Thumbs up.
"Has Gabe Weston hit you before tonight?" Thumbs up.
"Has Gabe Weston strangled you before tonight?" Thumbs down.
"Has Gabe Weston ever used a source of fire to harm you?" Thumbs up.
"Has Gabe Weston ever abused you sexually?" Thumbs up.
"Has Gabe Weston abused you emotionally?" Thumbs up.
"Has Gabe Weston been the only person to harm you in such a way?" Thumbs up.
"Do you live with Gabe Weston?" Thumbs down. "Have you ever lived with Gabe Weston?" Thumbs down.
"We have a form you will need to fill out before we go. It's going to ask you questions similar to the ones we just asked but in a little more detail." A clipboard is slid in front of me. "Before we go, do you have a picture of Gabe? In case he shows up." I nod and grab my phone from the table. I show them the most recent picture I have and they share a nod. "Take your time. We'll be outside." The nurse exits the room with them and I sigh.
The hospital room is lonely. Its walls are bare, colorless. It smells like sanitizer. And they won't let me eat anything.
I pull the clipboard closer to me and read the questions printed on the first page.
DU LÄSER
Dirty Little Secret
RomantikBeing in an abusive relationship is hard, but leaving is even harder. I never thought my sweet, charming boyfriend I met freshman year of college would've ended up this way, but he did, and I don't know how to get out of it. But on my twenty-first b...
