Hard

24 Auden

I hate myself "Wake up Auden!" I feel hands shake me vigorously and my eyes fly open to Sutten hovering over me. "Get up!" She yells. 

Linc wakes up and jumps out of bed with the sight of Sutten. We both look to her confused and she pulls me out of bed with both her hands, "Ah, what is it?" The clock on my nightstand says 8 am but I am still really groggy. I couldn't sleep last night until after my shower. 

"You two weren't answering! Jace's dad called, they found Liam."

Oh God, "Where?" I ask sitting on the floor from the fear that is about to take over me. Hopefully, he didn't hurt anyone. 

"He went to Gabe's dorm." I start to hold myself and look away from both Linc and Sutten. I have been dreading seeing him again for so long. He used to be my whole world and now all he does is haunting me. How am I supposed to be this strong woman when he is out there. His face from the top of those stairs. His look of fear and dread and then his long legs running from me.  Sutten's soft touch to my shoulder grabs my attention and she holds out her other hand for me to take it, "Come on sweet girl, let's go to the police station." 

I don't know what comes over me but tears begin to flood from my eyes and I begin to shake from my pain. I hate everything that has become of me since I met him. I cry for the first kiss at that godawful party. I cry for that dance in the park where I thought he loved me. I cry for the friendship I ruined in order to be his. I start to sway back and forth and cry louder than I ever have before in my life and Sutten sinks to the floor to hold me. Her pure heart can't protect me now and I am afraid it never will. "I got you." She whispers in my ears. I hate myself. If I could take everything back I would. I would go back in time and tell him to stay away from me. My first love could have been someone great that fizzled out in high school like everyone else in the fucking world but me. Sutten's sweet arms that are wrapped around me remind me of my mother's. My mother that I haven't even spoken to since I got to college. 

I am embarrassing myself right now. Linc and Sutten must think that I am an idiot right now for crying over a guy that never actually abused me. "Auden, let's get you dressed, okay?" Linc says. I agree and Sutten and I stand. She ushers him out in the hall and leads me to our tiny closet. 

She quickly picks out a pair of jeans and a pale blue sweatshirt and throws them at me to put on. "I'm sorry."

She rolls her eyes at me and grabs the hem of my shirt to pull it off, "Sometimes the most broken people are the ones who hide it the best. Just don't feel sorry for expressing what you've been through Auden."

"Like you have ever acted like a baby who got candy taken from them." 

I start to pull on my jeans and she grabs my hand, "When I was 17, my gym teacher grabbed my butt and said he was just checking for scoliosis. I lied and told my counselor that I just didn't want that gym period anymore to avoid him." Poor Sutten. I can't believe I always thought she had it easy. She is so pretty and bubbly that I never considered she could have been hurt in some way. "If you think that you are the only woman in the world to be taken advantage of, then I am afraid you are mistaken." 

I move from her grip and slip on my jeans and sandals. "Let's go to the police station now." 

"With pleasure pretty lady." She throws her arm around me and we walk into the hall to meet Linc who seems confused by both of us looking happy. I just shrug my shoulders and he nods along walking with us out of the dorm hall. 

The police station is cold and busy. Phones keep ringing and police officers are shuffling around all over. I never realized how busy the police station always in until I was in one for a couple of hours. Jace's dad is a captain now. When I met Jace's dad he was Detective Daniel and now Captain Daniel. Captain Daniel is just as nice and polite as I remember. He says there is video evidence as well as call logs that lead him to believe that Liam called in the threat to campus to flush me out. Unfortunately for Liam, I was not even on campus I was in Vermont. Liam is just plain delusional if he thinks that I will ever forgive him. He lied, manipulated, and hurt me.