More Than Fine. (Complete)

22- MTF Shame

     "Gia. Are you okay?" Nick pulled back so he could see her face as she shakily nodded. "Let me get you some water." Moments later he handed her a glass, then laid her phone beside her. "It was ringing and texts were coming in almost nonstop so I silenced it. I couldn't help but notice they were mostly from Brian, but it looked like Evie was trying to get in touch too."

     Gia's face flushed, but she said nothing and pushed it away.

     "I hope you don't mind, but I texted Evie that you were safe with me. I didn't text Brian. Didn't want him getting any wrong ideas." He winked, then looked at her curiously, hoping she would explain things. She had clearly been upset, and he didn't want to upset her further by forcing her to say things she wasn't ready to speak about. As long as she wasn't in imminent danger, he could wait.

     Her glazed over eyes stared right through him then shifted to staring out into the room. "He kissed me." Her voice was shaky and soft.

     "Brian?"

     She slowly nodded, eyes still staring out the window as if seeing some far distant thing. Actions that started this downward spiral so many years ago.

     Nick remembered when she mentioned running from her boyfriend months earlier for the same reason, and he fought asking the question at the tip of his tongue. There was more; that he was sure of. He watched as her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep, so he lifted her legs up on the sofa and stretched her out.

     Gia felt something soft under her face, and her eyes fluttered open leaving her confused when she took in her surroundings. It looked like Nick's apartment. She blinked, then looked again to see it really was his apartment. Pushing herself up, she found Nick sleeping at the other end of the sofa with her legs laying on his lap. Her movement roused him and he smiled lazily at her.

     "How are you feeling?"

     She shrugged. "I'm sorry for ruining your day off."

     "Gia, you could never be an inconvenience. I'm glad you felt like you could come to me." He rubbed her feet. "So, Brian-" He let it hang.

     Frowning and taking a deep breath, Gia tried to formulate an answer. "I have to break up with him." She sat up and folded her legs underneath herself.

     "Gia, if you care for him, explain things. I'm sure he'll understand."

     She shook her head. "I can't, it's not right... things don't seem right with him. I was planning on breaking things off before this happened." She fidgeted with the edge of the plush throw. "We were meeting at the Guggenheim; we'd planned it days before I'd made the decision, so I decided to get there early and talk to him before." She covered her face with her hands and shook her head, clearly struggling with the memory. "I was praying about the break up, and he snuck up on me and... kissed me." Her eyes were pained as she found Nick's. "It happened again. I was hit with memories and-" Her hand clapped over her mouth.

(Trigger warning: sexual abuse described below)

     Deep down he knew the truth, but had to ask. He slid closer to her, grabbed her hands and caressed them. "It's okay, I know. You were abused. Gia, who touched you?" She looked at him in shock as he spoke. He tried to hide his anger and pain, not wanting to scare her, but rage coursed through him.

     Her face went blank and her breathing became labored. Tears began to stream down, and he gently placed his hands on her cheeks to wipe them. Gia's eyes closed, then her lips began to move. "I was twelve, it was my aunt's husband."