Finding 'x'

•Treading down memory lane•

I could see it creeping up on hot cop's face, that expression that depicted the feeling I, for the life of me, hated the most.

"I'm not telling you so you can pity me okay? I don't deserve your pity. I'm not the helpless little girl you think I am. I defended myself. I finally found courage to slice him open. It doesn't matter that it took two long years of torturous assault. What mattered was that I finally stood up to him with a knife. Do not pity me. I'm not worthy of it." I clarified quickly and stood up to draw the curtains.

Out of sight, out of mind they say.

Didn't they also say absence makes the heart grow fonder?

I needed a distraction bad.

"It started on my tenth birthday," I continued like one under some sort of compulsion. "He slipped into my room that night and took my innocence away with my limbs cuffed to my bed. He didn't stop after that. He came in night after night, it didn't matter that I was on my period, it didn't matter that I was in pain. Oh it did matter that I was in in pain and he was the one giving me that pain." I smiled at a particular memory, when he marked me with a hot iron. I stopped rubbing the testimonial scar on my collarbone when I felt the cop's eyes on it.

"Why didn't you .....you know, report him?" I laughed humorlessly at his question.

"Who would believe what a minor says? He had society wrapped around his fingers. Mother disowned me when I tried to tell her the truth after he told her his own version. That was how I ended up here, she had to send me away to save her marriage. If my own mother didn't believe me, how would anyone else."

"I believe you," he ventured.

"Only because you don't know Liam. I assure you, you'll probably hate me after a meeting with him. He's a very convincing man."

"I doubt that." He said stubbornly and I shook my head slightly.

"Why does it matter? He didn't dare touch me after recovering from stab wounds and even if he tried, I'd sworn I wouldn't let it happen again." Realisation dawned on him when I was done.

"Jide tried to take advantage of you." It was a whispered statement. Not a question.

"I didn't let it happen. Did I?" I crumpled the empty Styrofoam and located a bin to dump it in.

"Can I sleepover? I have a pest that is insistent on following me about and I would appreciate it if I'm not followed to class tomorrow."

He was still very rigid in shock when he nodded. I grabbed the blanket on his narrow bed and made myself comfortable on the couch I had just vacated.

Hopefully, I wouldn't have those nightmares in which I would see the haunting eyes of Tinuke and her mocking smile whenever she breathed the letter 'x'

I typed the entire two thousand, two hundred words at a single go😱. Ella is so in a rush to get her story heard😇.
Who else thought she ran into Dave apart from me?😁.

My life has been a busy wreck recently so sorry about waiting a while for this chapter🙏.

Although nothing much happened in the chapter, I assure you it's a very important filler.
Now please vote and comment your thoughts so far, while I go give my numb fingers a hot tub treatment.
Till next chapter cupcakes.
Ily still,
✌illusionistic.