My body was frozen still, staring into the empty eyes of the predator who'd inflicted so much suffering onto me.
Jason.
He smiled kindly at Tory, exchanging a few laughs. The woman nodded at his words, sending me reassuring glances. I didn't know what my expression looked like as I wished Theron had been scheduled with me this morning. The friends walked towards me from Tory's office.
She looked at me, oblivious, "Jason told me everything that's going on. Don't worry about work today, okay? Just get home."
The man had obviously lied to Tory, she would t have reacted this way otherwise. Jason already held my bag. In any other situation, I would have ran. But that bag had my last two weeks of pay inside it and I couldn't afford to give it away.
"Thank you, dear." Jason's eyes were soft, praising Tory for her generous act.
I focused on my breathing when Jason's hand guided my back out of the restaurant, falling lower once we were out of sight. Shit shit shit, I should have just told Tory the truth. I should have. But I didn't want to ruin her perception of a man she clearly looked up to, he was fatherly with her. I would feel guilty for shattering that, and even then, who's to say Tory would believe me?
"Sweetie," Jason's voice was deceptively soft, locking me in the car. "You know how I feel about you leaving the house without explanation."
He turned the keys in the ignition, driving in an unfamiliar direction.
"Yeah, I was busy with work and I just finished exams. So I forgot to tell you where I would be." I lied, even though it was pointless.
"Where was that?" He questioned. I looked to him in confusion, feigning innocence but the man's patience was thin to begin with. "Where you were, sweetie? I checked the homeless shelters, bus stops, playgrounds, bridges, and not once did I see you there."
I pressed my lips together in defiance. I wasn't going to tell Jason where I had been these past couple weeks. I would be putting Theron in harms way. We drove through a hidden trail that branched off into the forest, vehicle bumping with each divot beneath it.
"You know how worried I can get," he slowed the car, shifting the gear to park. I flinched back when the predator opened the compartment in front of my knees, revealing zip-ties. I stayed quiet because maybe he was going to fix something in his car with the tool or I don't know, anything but tie my wrists to the seat above my head. I was wrong. My arms tensed as he lifted them, clasping it tightly around my skin and the chair. He pulled a lever and my chair flung back, I nearly laid flat.
"I—I, Jason, I can't do this. I don't need to be tied up. Please." I panicked in a whisper, "We can go home and live together. But you can't keep... you can't keep touching me." My heart was thumping hard, blood vibrating in my veins as I tugged on the restraints.
"Sweetie," His voice was scornful, "I have never been unkind to you, don't give me a reason to start now. You know I care for you, you know that."
I kicked my legs as Jason's chalky fingers slid down my pants, then underwear, hastily.
"I haven't seen you fight like this since when we first met." His eyes sparked with sick amusement. Jason lifted my top, unclasping my bra and revealing my chest. My nipples hardened from the sudden temperature change. "You're not so innocent anymore. Someone else has been touching you." He belched a laugh, "Did you run away with a boy?"
I glanced down to see the purple hickeys Theron had recently given me. I didn't know why I indulged myself with the dream of love, of life. I would forever be under Jason's control.
"I planned to take you home, sweetie. But I have changed my mind, this should be fun." His crooked teeth grazed my abdomen, nipping at the flesh as I squirmed. The movement made it worse and he would simply bite harder. I fought the instinct to recoil from his touch when his hands slid down between my thighs.
"All these years, and I never thought to feel you."
He thought aloud, prodding his dry fingers into me without warning. A searing pang shot up from his fingers to my lower belly, knees squeezing together and clamping on Jason's hand. He painfully dug further.
"Stop," I breathed, unable to form a sentence against the unwanted act, "We can go back... to how it was. I can be the one who..." I couldn't say it. "Just please, please stop."
Jason didn't listen. I bled on his fingers but the pervert was unfazed. I could still feel his fingers even hours after the event. He had me tell him the address of Theron's home, leaving me on a few blocks away from it.
When I finally got to Theron's, I dropped my bag on the floor and limped to the couch. Stairs were not a comfortable option for me at the moment. I fell asleep on the cushions, and hadn't moved until I heard the slam of the front door.
"Alora," Theron rumbled, "Where the fuck were you? I told you I was going to pick you up after work but you weren't there. You scared the shit out of me."
My body heaved a long sigh, "I got off early and walked."
One look at my face had disarmed the worried man, "What happened?"
"What? Nothing."
Theron held an intense stare in my direction, but I just fell further against the couch, silent.
"Tell me what the fuck happened or, so help me god—"
I scoffed, "Are you going to hurt me, too?"
I saw the click behind his dark eyes, lips parting slightly, "what did he do?"
"I told you, nothing happened."
Theron groaned, marching toward me. "That fucker isn't gentle. If you don't tell me, I'm going to search your body for any sign of pain or misplacement. Do you understand?"
My eyes squinted shut, furious at myself. Why couldn't I just tell Theron? Why did he have to rip the answer from my mouth every time. I always made everything so difficult. My stupidity put him in danger and now I had to leave the one person who could ever love me... or at least tolerate me. I was horrible.
"I don't want to do this, baby." Theron whispered.
Despite his attempt, I remained quiet. Why did I do this to myself?
The man gently brushed the underside of my knee, pressing into a tendon. I bit my lips to hold back a wince. I didn't fight as his hands grazed across another point at my hips. This time, I couldn't contain a reaction.
In a swift movement, Theron had me on my back to search my bare stomach. His eyes glazed of fire as he saw the new teeth marks.
"When I meet this jackass, he's going to wish he were dead." He didn't say it to me, rather to himself. The man massaged my ribs, where the pain had been before adjusting them back to their rightful place. Next, he focused on kneading the higher area of my inner thighs through my pants. It didn't hurt nearly as much as last time.
"I know what happened." Theron spoke, after he finished analyzing my body.
I nodded, keeping my tears in. I was grateful I didn't have to talk about it, speaking out would be too much for me.
"Baby, I'm sorry how much this man has invaded you." He kissed my forehead. "What he's done to you, that's not how it's supposed to be. Understand? It's not meant to hurt so much or be forced. If you ever let me care for you in that way, that's not how it will be." He kissed my one blushing cheek, then the other. "With me, no matter what we might do, you will enjoy it and your consent will not be stolen or ignored. Understand?"
I didn't respond. Instead I hugged Theron, and he held me back tightly.