The Boy Who Solved Crimes

27: Days of Tony

"I'm sorry, Violet." I whispered into her dark hair. It shined like a silk sheet, thick and curly tonight. Her hair reached just slightly below her shoulders, and it smelled incredible. "I didn't mean to ruin your dinner with your friend. But I feel like you haven't been taking any of my feelings into account."

"What?" The word left her lips like a feather landing on the ground, simply put, she looked shocked. She still stood there, not returning my hug as she leaned back to look at me.

"I... it's just... After my proposal, you were in a rush to get back to your apartment. And then I saw..." I cleared my throat, trying to swallow the pain in my chest, "Aaron through your window. And that weekend, you went home and I know he was there... and then you invited him to dinner without telling me anything. I don't understand Violet. Why do you turn your whole world around when he shows up?" I stopped myself from continuing my speech, I didn't want to get angry. I wanted to be reasonable and to hear her out. Communication and reciprocation was the key to a successful relationship.

"Tony," she finally sighed, a sadness in her eye, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was hurting you like that." She whispered, placing her hands on my arms, "I guess, I was just surprised when he showed up here. I haven't seen Aaron since we graduated high school. He was my best friend." She said, hurt flashed in her eyes as she slid her fingers down to my hand and held it. I wondered why she'd be hurt by declaring another man as her best friend, whatever that means. I, as her future husband, should be her best friend. But I'd keep working on it. She'd said Aaron was her best friend, meaning he wasn't anymore.

I stood there patiently, wanting to know everything, she'd kept her high school history a secret from me. Before last week, I didn't even know Aaron existed.

"Can I tell you something?" She finally spoke, eyes boring into mine as she walked us to the couch and sat. Her fingers laced around my own when she turned to face me. It seemed like she was lost in thought for a moment before she returned to me.

"Yes." I responded with conviction. I didn't want to push for information, I wanted her to be willing to share it on her own. I wanted to communicate so we could move forward. I was ready.

"In high-school," she began, swallowing as she spoke, "I was raped." Her words hit me like a fire truck as my heart began to race. I suddenly felt too protective over my Violet and several things I'd said tonight came racing back. I knew it must've been hard for her, even now, to share this piece of information. But the fact that she shared it meant she was willing to work through our issues, to consult with me and love me.

"I'm so sorry Violet," I said, holding her as she looked up at me, pain in her eyes. I didn't know how to react to her vulnerability. There were always the type of vulnerable statements that made you uncomfortable and others that didn't; this revelation definitely made me uncomfortable, but I wanted to learn and understand her. She was a survivor. It suddenly made sense why, at the start of our relationship, she'd never let herself be alone with me. And made the boundary of not being over at her apartment late at night. I understood now. Her pain was a type of pain that didn't just go away overnight— it lingered with her for years and I could even see it now on her face.

"It's been almost seven years since it happened," she shrugged, but she let me hold her as she continued speaking, "the guy who did it was my ex-boyfriend. He's still... in Rosemond somewhere. But that doesn't matter, I just want to tell you about Aaron so you feel more secure that I love you." She said, extremely straightforward.

I nodded, trying not to smile when my heart skipped a beat. The room was brightly lit with the fluorescent light from her kitchen. The smell of the dish she'd made was still fresh in my nose. She really tried so she'd to make tonight perfect, and because of my insecurities, I had completely misunderstood her friendship with the detective. I'd ruined the night with my jealousy, and that was something I'd need to work on.