Kiss Me Slowly

Chapter 24: The Memory

Pic above is Ethan

⚠ This chapter contains abuse. Continue at your own risk.

Chapter 24: The Memory

"Are you fucking shitting me?" She yelled, nostrils flaring. For once, I didn't flinch at a loud tone. I just shook my head. "No. This has to be a joke. You have to be joking. Tell me your joking!" She yelled, shaking my shoulders. Before I could answer, she let me go and started pacing.

"What's going on?" Denny asked, coming in. Jeremy followed, and Kenny hesitantly. I just looked helplessly at them.

"No. No, this isn't happening." Jackie said. "This isn't real. It's a dream. Yeah, a dream!" She seemed to be trying to convince herself. Then she grabbed my hand and smacked herself with it. We both winced and she rubbed her head while I rubbed my hand. "Nope. Not a dream. It really happened?" She asked, turning to me. I nodded hesitantly. She stopped and sat on the toilet lid.

"What really happened?" Denny asked.

Jackie didn't say anything. She glanced at me. I shook my head, but she nodded and silently told me to tell them. I hesitated.

"What?" He asked again. I glanced at Jackie again and sighed.

"Um, it was Carter." I mumbled, cautiously looking up. All three faces wore shock. Then, two of them turned to worry, and one of them turned to anger.

You can guess who was the angry one.

"Are you fucking shitting me?" Kenny yelled, asking the same thing Jackie did. "Why didn't you tell us? We could have—"

"Kenny, calm down." Denny said, placing a hand on his husband's shoulder. "He was obviously distressed."

"Distressed doesn't even begin to explain it!" Kenny shouted, echoing my thoughts. He turned to me. "Why didn't you tell us?" He asked, his voice softer.

I looked down. "I—"

I couldn't speak again. Damn! I'm so pathetic.

"What happened?" Denny asked.

When I didn't say anything, Jackie put a hand over mine and looked at me encouragingly. I sighed.

"It was last night." I started, saying each word slowly. "He pulled up in his car, and I thought it was you guys." I looked over at Kenny and Denny. Denny looked at me worriedly, but Kenny looked more frustrated. "He took me to his home a few hours away." I paused. Kenny seemed to get the wrong idea. "If he laid even a finger on you—"

"He didn't." I interrupted. At least, not till I was asleep. But I didn't say that out loud. "He lent me a guest bedroom and then in the morning—"

I stopped.

It was quiet for a moment.

"What happened?" Denny asked again.

I bit the inside of my cheek. How was I supposed to explain it?

How am I going to explain it?

"Well, Carter wanted me to hang with him, and then I figured out he lied to me, and then—..." I didn't finish.

I couldn't.

I looked down and fidgeted with my fingers. All eyes were on me. My butt was getting numb, but I didn't want to move. I knew they wanted me to open up, but...how could I? Especially with my breakdown yesterday? That sort of thing never happened before, until...

I shut my eyes. I couldn't bring it up. I couldn't think about it. About him.

It was too painful.