T.W
Prepare yourselves for this dramatic chapter.
I sat in my room and glared at the pictures on my wall. I hate my family, why did I have to be born in it? I'd trade all the money in the world, for just a nice family.
At least I can try my best not to turn out like them, so I have to do this for Erin.
I have to tell myself that one day, I'll find the perfect guy, and find the perfect place to live with them happily. And we'll be really good people, with some kind of charity. And lots of animals. And fields. And green grass.
That's what I used to imagine, back in California, I told myself that I'd get out of this mess, that he wouldn't end up killing me, and I'd find someone who was gentle, who wanted to be beside me, and didn't mind if I didn't give them anything else apart from my love and company.
I sighed before standing up and walking out of my room, planning to wonder around for a bit.
I jumped when I bumped into Alex, and he sniffled before looking up at me. Has he been crying?
"Are you okay?" I asked and he forced a chuckle.
"Uh, yeah..." He frowned. "I mean, no... it doesn't matter though."
"Seriously? Tell me what's wrong, did something happen?"
"No, it's just, well I was arguing with Nate and Hunter, and it got a bit heated, and personal."
"Oh, they made you cry, that's harsh."
"Well, they didn't know I was upset, but it all kind of built up you know." He took in a breath. "We've been a bit distant from each other lately, we used to be good friends."
"What happened?"
"Um...nothing."
"Alex?"
"...You did, sorry." His words stung like a snake bite, and I gulped.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault! We've all been a bit snappy with each other, change is hard, you know?"
I looked down at my feet guiltily.
"Don't be angry or anything, I started the argument so it's my fault. I just wasn't ready to finish it. I've kind of been hanging around you a lot, so I guess I just got a bit...how do I put this, possessive." He blushed and I raised a brow. "They didn't like that very much, so now I've fallen out with them, and I feel like shit. I miss how it used to be."
I sighed and looked at him sadly.
"I'm sorry Riley, it isn't your fault at all, my problems are nothing compared to yours, but, it still hurts, and I still want to do something about it." He looked behind him when he heard a door shutting. "I think it's best if I don't fan the flames, so..." He just walked off and I blinked after him.
What, does that mean he's going to avoid me now? Are you serious?
Okay, fine.
Whatever.
I sighed in frustration and just carried on walking, heading downstairs and outside.
I went and sat on the fence to Patty's pasture, watching Caleb as he was sitting among the horses feeding them grass.
Can I seriously not be around any of them without them getting jealous? If I go talk to Caleb right now, will that just make things worse for him?
I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose.
I almost fell off of the fence when my phone started ringing loudly.
I bit my lip as I looked down at the caller, Erin.
I took in a deep breath before accepting the call.
"Hey there." I said, forcing a smile even though he couldn't see me.
"Are you okay?" Was his first question, his voice was groggy.
"Fine, are you?"
"Yes, I'm about the same, well, kind of."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, just some side effects of treatment are starting to show, nothing big. Are you coming back soon?"
I gulped and stared down at the grass.
"Yes, I hope to. I should have that money by tonight."
"Riley, if you find it too difficult, I'd rather just have you with me than in a difficult situation over there, I don't need the money."
"Yes, you kinda do, and I'm getting it."
He sighed and I bit my lip.
"Okay...well...How's England?"
"Just great, it rains a lot, and its busy. How is home? Do anything recently?
"Not really...oh, I met this girl, Delilah, she comes to the hospital a lot, so I meet her often."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, she's really friendly, kinda odd sometimes though, but I guess everyone is." He explained and I chuckled.
"Does she go through your treatment too?" I asked curiously.
"Oh, no, she has spine problems, in a wheelchair right now."
"Oh, I see. Well, do you like her?"
"Yah of course I do...oh, you mean like like? Why are you asking?"
"Hmm, no reason." I teased and he just sighed.
"None of your business."
I knew I was pushing him.
"Ohh damn, I ship it." I forced myself to say and he made a sound of irritation.
"You're an asshole, you know that?"
"Yep."
"No, like seriously? You don't ship somebody who likes you with somebody else, it makes them feel bad."
Yeah, I know.
"She sounds nice though." Nicer than me.
"Okay whatever, she is, so. I have to go now..."
"Bye."
The line quickly went dead and I sighed.
It's a really good idea for him to start to be around somebody else, because I'm no good for him.
I stared at the grass as the sky darkened, before getting a text notification
Erin: don't push me away.
I stared at the text for a while.
He's a good person, and I really need to help him whatever way I can.
-
I spotted hunter and Aaron just sitting together in silence when i walked back inside through one of the sitting rooms. Hunter was playing on his phone and Aaron was just looking at pictures of squirrels in a magazine. Okay...
I sat next to Aaron because he was the only one on a sofa and smiled at him as he looked up. He immediately blushed and smiled back.
Why is a big guy like him so awkward and shy? I love it.
"Hey sunshine." He greeted me with that odd little nickname he gave me and I chuckled.
Hunter looked up from his phone as he sat on the floor and smiled at me too.
"Why are you looking at squirrels? I mean they are cute and everything, but, there is limited entertainment involved in staring at their pictures." I commented and he laughed.
"It's not just about squirrels, just nature." He explained as he flicked the page, and showed me a picture of another squirrel. I raised a brow at him and he chuckled. He turned it over to the cover and there were pictures of squirrels, bunnies, chipmunks and other small fluffy creatures.
"That's cute, that you read magazines about fluffy creatures."
"It was just on the table okay! Blame your father." He defended and I chuckled at him.
I obviously made him self conscious by being here, because he put the magazine down and just stared around the room, keeping me in the corner of his eye.
"When's the next hearing?" Hunter suddenly asked and I frowned, looking to Aaron for an answer.
"I don't know, I stopped listening to them all when they started arguing, so I don't know any details anymore." Aaron answered him and he looked to me.
"No clue." I answered too and he sighed.
"Kind of want to go home." He complained and I gave him a sympathetic smile.
"We'll all be going home soon." Aaron reassured and I smirked.
"I hope you're right."
His smile fell slightly and he looked down at his hands.
"I'm sorry, about what happened to you, if that makes a difference." He said quietly and I tilted my head at him.
"It's long in the past now, don't think about it." I reassured him and he just smiled at me sadly.
"If we lose the custody battle, are you really going to move out?"
"I'd try, but I wouldn't be able to get back into America so easily, so I'd be stuck here for a while."
"We'd help you out, don't worry about that." Hunter commented and I smiled.
"You guys don't owe me anything." I replied and Aaron snorted.
"That doesn't mean anything, to me at least."
"I don't know why you all care so much." I said with a shrug and Aaron smirked.
"A mysterious thing isn't it." He smiled and I raised a brow at him. "Anyway. I'm really tired, so I'm off to bed, see you tomorrow." He quickly stood up, giving me one last smile before walking out of the room.
"Um, okay, I guess I will too." I said, and Hunter glanced up from his phone.
"Oh, right, goodnight."
-
I set a quiet alarm to get me up at 1 AM, but in the end I didn't even go to sleep. I lust lay there staring up at my ceiling with just my briefs and a hoodie on.
I thought about all of the drawings I had up there, and how I was such an oblivious child, thinking everything was normal with my family. I was content with just the people who were hired to raise me. Man, I want to be a child again.
I want to go back in time, maybe I would have done things differently. I wouldn't have let people walk over me, and I would have found a way to fend Finn off, and all the other people who've spat in my face.
Ugh.
I sat upright and turned the annoying vibration off on my phone. I looked out into my dark room with a sigh before shuffling to the end of my bed and stepping onto the warm carpet.
The hallway outside was dead silent as I opened my door, and I quickly closed it again before padding across the hall and towards the stairs.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
If someone is still in the office I'm going to flip. Will probably run in there anyway and knock em' out with a lamp.
I studded my toe in the darkness several time before I reached the bottom floor, and I stared into the dark living room in deep thought for a few moments before carrying on my journey.
Luckily it looked completely dark inside the office, but I still listened for any noise.
If I were them, I'd be suspicious about me trying to steal the money, so I should be really careful.
Everything remained silent, so I quietly made my way towards the door.
I looked back into the dark hallway for a few moments before slipping in.
If they were waiting to catch me, they would have already shown themselves, so I think I'm okay for now.
I wasted no time in waking the sleeping laptop up. The password was still the number I had been so proud of stealing when I was younger. What an idiot.
Of course, he had his bank site saved in his bookmarks. Wow.
I bit my lip, thinking on where he put his passwords. I looked underneath the laptop, nothing.
I then opened the first draw, and there it was on a sticky note.
Is he asking for someone to steal from him?
How arrogant, to leave his office so vulnerable like this.
Well, I'm not complaining.
I typed in his details, quickly navigating to the transferal options and typing in my own details for my bank account.
I don't want the possibility of them finding Erin, so I'll just transfer it to him later from a different location.
I hesitated for a few seconds, before clicking complete.
I did it.
"Oh dear, what a naughty boy." A deep, amused voice from behind me made me jump out of my skin, and I spun around to see Matias there, standing in the open doorway with his arms crossed.
Was he just watching me?!?
"Fucking hell." I said as I quickly backed further away from him.
He just smiled as he walked in casually, his face lit up by the glow of the computer screen. I tried to calm my breathing as he shut the door, chuckling to himself.
"Why did you let me do that?" I asked him as I pulled my hoodie closed and crossed my arms.
"It's not my money. Well, I still have a duty to report it being stolen though, right? And a case of stolen money is a lot more...fun, than a case of attempted stealing." He teased with a smile as he walked closer to me. "Hmm, I wonder how long you'd last in prison."
I glared at him and clenched my fist.
FUCK.
....FUCK!!
I have no idea how to get out of this situation?!
"Please...don't." I settled for some kind of half assed plead and wanted to slap myself.
He just raised a brow at me before looking down at the computer screen.
"So you sent it to yourself huh? Not interested in your friend anymore?" He questioned, and I just remained silent. "Hmm, you don't seem like the type, perhaps you'll send it to him later? It'll be a shame if you were arrested, then you could never help him, maybe he'll even die, and it'll be your fault? Pity."
I resisted the urge to just snap at him, biting my lip harshly.
Why is he doing this? Does he just enjoy dragging things out, or does he want something from me?
"Hey, maybe you'll become someone's bitch, I bet you'd love that." He commented and I sneered at him.
"What the fuck do you want?"
"Ouch, a bit feisty for someone in your situation aren't we? Perhaps I should just call the police now." He said as he got out his phone, and I jumped forward.
"No wait!" I exclaimed as I grabbed the hand that was holding the phone and he paused.
"Hmm, that desperate huh?" He said with a sly grin before taking my hand and pulling it closer to him. "How about, we make a deal?" He suggested, bringing his mouth to my wrist with a smile, and making a shiver travel along my skin.
"W-what is the deal?" I gulped, starting to sweat from anxiety.
"I'll keep your secret, if you keep mine." He explained, before running his tongue along my skin, making me cringe in discomfort.
"What secret?" I asked with a frown, and he just smirked at me.
"This one." He said before pushing me backwards. I grimaced as my back hit the desk harshly before tensing up when he stepped forwards, trapping me against the side, before pushing all of the items on the desk onto the floor.
He just stared down at me in amusement as I breathed heavily, before trailing his hand across my chest.
No way, no FUCKING WAY!!
"Get the fuck off of me, fucking paedophile!" I shouted at him furiously as I tried to struggle free and he laughed.
"I don't think that is the correct word." He commented and I glared at him before spitting in his face.
He grabbed my hair and slammed the back of my head onto the desk.
I was dazed for a few moments before quickly managing to knee him in the face when he grabbed the waist of my briefs.
"FUCK OFF!!" I shouted loudly and he quickly clasped his hand over my mouth.
"Okay okay, you can struggle a little bit, but not that much, you don't want us to get caught do you, because then you'll get caught. This is hell of a lot better than what you'd experience in prison I can tell you that."
My father wouldn't even press charges!
Oh god, what do I even know.
I didn't stop struggling however and bit the palm of his hand.
"Ow! Hey, think of your friend, you can't help him if you're arrested can you? You can keep the money, I don't give a shit." He tried to reason and I froze.
Fuck, Erin...
He took his hand away from my mouth when I remained still and then smiled.
"Great, I'm glad we could come to an agreement."
I closed my eyes and grimaced as he moved his hand down to my briefs, pausing a moment to see signs of me retaliating before pulling them down.
I felt light headed from my erratic breathing, and could feel my heart beating ecstatically in my chest.
Not again, I thought my days of suffering through this was over...
You know how to deal with this, just breathe. Relax, don't make it hurt more than it has to.
I laid my head down on the surface of the desk and just stared up at the ceiling, trying my best to relax and block everything out.
I closed my eyes and winced as he lifted my legs up, and I tensed up when I suddenly felt him push a finger inside of me.
Right, he's not like Finn, he's not doing this with the purpose of causing you pain, he's just someone fulfilling their sexual desires. You'll be fine, you'll get through this.
And for fuck's sake don't panic, you are pathetic when you start panicking, and crying, oh god.
All my repressed memories came back to me as I lay there, making my chest rise and fall rapidly.
"Calm down, I seriously doubt this is your first experience." Matias's voice brought my mind back into reality slightly and I hissed in frustration.
His fingers were rough inside of me, inpatient. He's going to go in dry, with no condom. And he's much stronger than usual, and larger, and a lot less considerate.
Oh fucking hell this is not going to be fine!
He pushed my chest back down onto the desk harshly when I made another aggressive struggle.
"Hey, whoa there, don't do that!" He complained as he struggled to keep me still, but I grabbed his arm and dug my nails into his skin.
"Hey hey hey, think of your friend." He persuaded and I hesitated slightly. He used these moments to quickly remove his fingers from inside and replace it with something much more painful.
He put his hand over my mouth to muffle my cries as he buried himself within me, and I closed my eyes as a tear travelled down the side of my face.
"Now if you had just behaved, then I wouldn't have had to of done that." He defended himself and I opened my eyes to glare at him aggressively.
The pain was almost unbearable, and came with an unwelcome stinging sensation, from an open wound, he must have torn something.
His hand remained covering my mouth as he began to move, and I whimpered from the pain as he thrusted relentlessly, seemingly past the point of being gentle.
"Hmm, you're much different to your father." He commented and I grimaced.
Ew, FUCK.
I forced myself to look up at the ceiling again, thinking of random things, anything to distract me.
I imagined a safe place, with lots of grass, and animals, and someone who loved me by my side.
And we'd read books as we sat under a tree in the field with the animals, and I wouldn't have to go anywhere, or even have to talk, we'd be satisfied sitting in silence.
I thought about that over and over for what felt like a long while, just like I did back in California. This was a lot more bearable compared to then, so I used that to calm myself down.
You're not uncertain whether you'll live or not right now, you aren't being scolded by a hot knife, or drowned in a sink, you're not tied up and you're not being beaten up. He has no reason to do anything other than this, he's not a psychopath, he shows too much emotion for that.
Damn it, it feels like the minutes are turning into hours of pain.
I felt him shiver before the wound inside me began to sting even more as he released, and I refused to stare at anything other than the ceiling as he panted.
He smirked when he noticed my expression, before moving closer down to my face.
"£19,000 is a bit much for that in my opinion, you might have to behave a bit more next time." He whispered in my ear and I shivered as he pulled away and took a few steps backwards.
I took a few moments to catch my breath before struggling to sit up. A wave of pain rushed all the way up my back making me groan quietly.
I watched him cautiously as he pulled his own briefs up before gently lowering my feet onto the ground.
I hissed in disgust over the fact I had an erection as I pulled my briefs back on, before awkwardly stumbling towards the door. I knew it wasn't my fault however, your body reacts to stimulus is all, it's not about if you enjoyed it or not.
I looked back at him, waiting for confirmation that I could leave.
"Go on, I'll deal with everything here." He said, before moving over to the computer and exiting the window. "A deal's a deal." He said, and I just turned away instead of responding.
Step one, move away from the aggressor, complete.
Step two, check if you're injured or not.
I don't need to check, I can feel it.
Step three, if not injured, take a shower and go to bed. If injured, get changed, into outdoor clothing.
I awkwardly limped my way up to my bedroom, breathing heavily as I walked over to my drawers.
I hissed and complained to myself as I got changed, then put on a thicker jumper hoody and made my way downstairs again.
Step four, call a taxi.
I should probably wait for them outside of the gates.
I looked back at the large house as I stood outside of it, everything was dark, everyone was asleep. I then made my way down the gravel driveway before managing to slip out of the gates and stand there waiting for the car to arrive.
Step five, find the nearest private hospital or anywhere that specializes in sexual assault, try to avoid public hospitals as they nearly always file reports.
It took a few minutes of searching to find out about SARC's (Sexual Assault Referral Clinic) that are a part of the UK. Annoyingly I couldn't find one that wasn't a little bit connected to a hospital, but I eventually got the postcode and address of a close one up on my phone screen.
I forced a polite smile at the driver as she pulled up. She was a larger old lady wearing a dark hijab, with deep bags under her eyes. I guess you'd have to have bags to work this late.
"Hey, sorry for the trouble, could you take me to this address please?" I asked and gave her my phone, she studied it for few seconds before looking up at me in concern.
"Sure thing, are you alright?"
"I'll be fine, thanks." I said before getting in the back seat and hissing in pain.
She kept on glancing back at me as she drove, and I had to keep a relaxed expression on my face, despite the amount of pain I was in. I felt hot and dizzy, and I was unsure if it was the physical or psychological pain that was causing that.
"We're here, honey." The lady spoke after a few moments of waiting for me to respond after she parked.
"Ah, sorry." I apologised before scrambling out of the door and fumbling around trying to find some money.
"Hey, it's alright, on the house, and you can call me when you want picking up again, alright?" She said as she smiled sympathetically at me and I smiled back.
"Um, thanks, really."
She just nodded at me before driving off, and I waited for her to turn the corner before making a sour expression.
I hate it when people take pity on me in these situations, so embarrassing.
I turned my head to stare at the clinic, there were only a few lights on, but I knew they'd be open, as night time is the most busy time for these types of things.
Ugh, the world is a disgusting place.
I don't want to go in there, I just want to die in a corner.
Maybe I should just go transfer the money instead...
I could see the lady at the reception desk was watching me curiously, and took in a deep breath before walking in.
"Hey dear, can I help?" She smiled and I just looked around anxiously.
"Um..."
"Would you like to see someone regarding an incident?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess."
"Recent or in the past?"
"Um, recent..."
"Okay honey, you don't have to tell me anything else, I'll get someone to see you soon." She smiled before writing a few things down and getting up.
I crossed my arms in discomfort as she walked out of the room.
Ugh, fuck this.
I just want to go to sleep and hope for the best, but I know that's not a good idea, from past experience.
Look, you're used to this, stop shaking.
You're stronger than this.
I took in a deep breath before smiling at the rather intimidating lady in a blue shirt and trousers as she walked briskly up to me.
"Hello, would you like to follow me?" She smiled and pointed her hand out in the direction of door.
Um, no I wouldn't .
I nodded slightly and she started walking in that direction.
I looked around the room she led me into and sighed. I hate how familiar this set up is. It was like a normal doctor's room, but with sexual health posters up on the wall, and less equipment.
"So, have you been through this situation before?" She asked after motioning me to sit down on the examination table.
"Yeah..." I replied without sitting down and she nodded.
"You'd like to have some medical treatment I'm guessing?" She asked and I gulped.
"Uh, yes..."
"Would you like a forensic investigation as well? The evidence will be recorded."
"Oh, I don't think I want to go to the police..."
"That is your choice, but if we record the evidence we can then store it, so you can have it if you change your mind later? I really suggest it."
"Oh, ok then..."
"Well, I'll sort you out first, and then we can have a little chat about this okay?" She smiled and I nodded. "So your injures were obtained due to forced penetration from another male?" She asked seriously making me wince.
"Uh, yeah."
I wish she could be a bit more subtle than that.
"Okay, you know what comes next right?" She asked and I sighed.
"Yeah.."
"Can you please take off your trousers and underwear and lie front down on the examination table." She asked and I bit my lip.
"Ok."
-
It felt like years before she was done checking me over and treating my injuries. I felt like she was dragging it out, being extra slow to make me suffer more or something. But, that probably wasn't the case, she was just treating me like a scared animal. No sudden movements or you'll spook it.
She stored all of the evidence she could find, and it made me uncomfortable, but she kept on promising it would never be used if i didn't want it to, no one had permission to get it but me and family members with my permission.
This was similiar to what I've been told before, but back in America they made no such promise to keep the evidence for up to seven years. They also didn't promise that they wouldn't involve the police like this clinic did. Which worried me, would the investigators find something if they dug far enough?
The lady explained that legally she couldn't give me too much painkillers, but I felt better after the treatment she gave me. I sat in her office quietly as she wrote my details down.
"This conversation will be recorded for evidence, is that alright with you?" She suddenly asked and I blinked.
"Oh, okay."
She pushed a button on a rectangular recording device before looking down at her papers.
"Your name is Riley Carson Stevens correct?"
"...Yes."
"You were recently involved in an act of sexual assault."
"Yes I was."
"Do you know your attacker?"
"Yes."
"What is their name and relation to you?"
I remaned silent and bit my lip.
"This does not have to go any further then this room if you do not want it to." She reassured me and I sighed.
"Matias Marston, my step father."
"Is this the first time they have assaulted you?"
"Yes."
"Does anyone else know of this?"
"No."
"Do you think he showed signs of his intent before the incident?"
"Um, slightly, I guess."
"Did anyone else pick up on this?"
"No, I don't think so, no one knew anything."
"Do you know their reasoning for this?"
"Um, well I guess we made a deal, and that was my end of it."
"Okay, would you yourself, consider that as consent?"
"....No. It wasn't my idea...I guess you could call it blackmail."
"Okay. Would you at this time like to press charges?"
"No." I looked down at my hand as it started to shake and she paused.
"I think that's enough for now." She stopped the recording.
"This blackmail, is the reason you don't want to go to the police?"
"Part of it, I guess."
"Was it family issues, or legal issues?"
"Both I guess, I stole some money from my father and he caught me, and made a deal that I don't tell anyone about what he did and he won't tell anyone about what I did."
"Your father? Oh, are they in a homosexual relationship?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Did you have a good relationship with them originally?"
"No, I just met Matias a week ago, my father I didn't really talk to, I usually live in America, so..."
"Do you have any reasoning for stealing the money?"
"Not any that would make it any less illegal. I just, wanted to help out a friend, and my father wouldn't give me the money himself..." She smiled at me sadly and looked at her wristwatch.
"You must be tired, I've got your number, so I'll be calling you later with your STI test results okay? Are you also interested in any specialist support? Although, if you live in America usually it might be a bit complicated."
"No that's fine." I said and sat upright in anticipation of being let go.
"Those previous assaults, they have nothing to do with this case?"
"No, they don't."
"Okay then, that's all for now. Please take care of yourself, and leave your phone on for when we contact you." She smiled at me and I smiled as I got up.
"Thank you." I said before quickly making my way out. I looked back into the office once to see her sadly staring down at her notes. Hmm, tough job.
I quickly made my way out of the building, not taking a breath until I was out in the early morning air.
Finally its over.
I sighed before standing up straight and surveying my surroundings.
Where is the nearest bank I wonder...
It took a lot of wondering and incorrectly following maps, but I eventually made it to a usable ATM. How the fuck do I do this again?
Firstly I made sure to check my balance. £23,000, what? I guess I had 4,000 in there that I had forgotten about.
It took a while of fiddling with everything and I got frustrated that the bank itself was closed, but I found a way to transfer all of the money into Erin's mother's account. The bank might be little suspicious of this large withdrawal, but hopefully when they investigate my name they'll assume I'm just some rich kid with a lot of money and leave it at that. The most they'll do is call me, and I can tell them that nothing is wrong.
I slowly made my way through the streets until I got a call from Erin.
"23,000 pounds?! Are you insane?!" Was the first thing he said and I chuckled.
"There might be a large conversion rate into dollars, but it shouldn't be too bad." I replied and he scoffed.
"Riley, I don't need 23,000 pounds! What is that like 30,000 dollars?"
"Not quite I don't think."
"RILEY!!"
"Just accept it you stubborn lil' shit, besides you need it, at least you deserve it, your parents deserve it."
There was just heavy breathing for a few moments.
"How did you get that much money?"
"It was tough. Well, not really considering, it was actually pretty easy."
"Riley, I hope it wasn't too much trouble.
"Not at all. Really I could have done it with my eyes closed."
"Wow. Okay maybe you should become a business man or something then if you're that good at it."
Hah, maybe a thief would suit better.
"Ew, boring." I commented and he laughed.
"Well, I've got to go explain this to my mum, she's freaking out thinking some illegal money laundering business is trying to use her bank account to move money or something like that." He chuckled happily and I smiled.
"Yeah, you should go do that, talk to you later.
"WAIT. You're coming back soon right?"
Probably not.
"I hope to."
"Alright, bye. And thank you Riley, I don't know what to say, I love you..." he said quietly and I bit down on my lip hard. He hung up before I could say anything and I sighed.
I stared out into the street for a few seconds as it sank in.
I did it, I finally did it. I'm a good person now, right?
My eyes began to sting as they filled with tears, and I finally let myself feel the effects of what happened.
I sank down onto the pavement ground and just sobbed for a while. I just let everything out. Luckily no one was around at 5 AM, apart from a few workers in cars that didn't give me a second glance.
My throat began to become sore from sobbing after a while, and I forced myself to calm down.
I sat back against the metal railing on the pavement and breathed calmly.
And then I just remained silent, staring up at the dark morning sky as I sat there.
Damn, I'm tired.
I continued to sit there, not wanting to do anything.
I winced as I looked down at the floor, my neck and nearly every other part of my body aching from the slightest movement.
I want to go to sleep...
I opened my eyes at the sound of a car door slamming, and soon found myself staring at a familiar pair of boots.
I looked up to see Aaron and Luca standing there, looking seriously stressed.
I just sighed and looked back down again.
"Do you make a habit out of tracking people?" I asked as Luca crouched down to my level.
"Yes I tracked your phone, I'm sorry, get over it." He said and I gave him a look.
"Why are you up at like, 5?"
"It's 6.30 actually, and I've been up since 2, because I got the notification that you were away from the house."
"You're a class A stalker, you know?" I commented and he sighed.
"Riley, what happened?" Aaron asked and I looked up at him.
"I went for a morning walk, duh."
The two of them shared a concerned look before Luca moved forward and grabbed my arm, making my anxiety increase.
"Come on, we're going." He encouraged and I just moaned at him.
"Nooo. I'm not done."
"Done what?"
"Done not being a part of the world okay, I'm tired, just five more minutes, then I'll go back into society okay."
"Does he need to go to the hospital?" Aaron asked Luca quietly and I gave him a look.
"I'M FINEEEEEE."
"Is he drunk?"
"HOW would I know?" Luca spat and I chuckled.
"You're funny. I think it's just past my bed time." I explained with a sigh.
"Okay sunshine, we're getting you out of here." Aaron said as he leaned down, and I complained as he picked me up.
"I don't want go back." I mumbled half heartedly and he gave me a concerned look after he made me sit in the back seat. I just held my hand up and watched it shake, not paying attention when Luca sat next to me.
I jumped and pulled away when he grabbed my hand gently making him frown at me.
"Sorry, you made me jump." I excused and he continued to frown at me.
"Stop making that face." I complained before pushing his face away with my hand.
"Ow."
He put the back of his hand on my forehead and I raised a brow at him.
"I'm not a child with a temperature if that is what you're thinking." I commented and he just grabbed onto my hand.
"Why are you shaking?"
"It's cold out."
"Why were you out here in the first place then?"
"A walk."
"You're sticking to that story huh?" He complained and Aaron glanced back at us as he drove.
"Yup."
"I can easily see where you've been on my laptop" He threatened and I glared at him, daring him to say anything else. He just glanced to Aaron in the front seat and sighed. "We can talk about this later."
I just sighed and leaned against him, letting myself slowly fall into a shallow asleep.
-
"Come on, not many people will be up right now." Aaron's voice brought me back into reality and I opened my eyes. I looked outside to see we were back at the manor. That's trippy, I swear I'd only had my eyes closed for like a minute.
I sighed before stepping out of the car and looking back to the other two.
"You really don't looks so good." Aaron commented and I rolled my eyes.
"I'm...fine." I said quietly, not looking him in the eye. Why was that so hard to say this time, I always say that.
I walked inside ahead of them, not stopping until I got into my room.
I took my shoes off and just sat on the edge of the bed, staring out of the window at the sunrise.
"I know you're there." I said after a while of feeling their presences at the door to my room.
"You ran away from home Riley, we're a bit concerned." Luca defended and I blinked, turning to face them.
"Uh, I was going to come back." I explained and Aaron frowned.
"Then why did you go in the first place?" Luca pushed again and I just groaned in irritation before wincing from a sharp head ache.
"A walk." I said before flopping backwards into the bed.
"Riley seriously-"
"Just leave it alone okay, leave it to me..." Aaron ordered him quietly and I heard Luca sigh before walking out.
I didn't turn to face Aaron as I listened to him walking over, just stared at the wall.
I felt the mattress sink as he sat on the side of the bed, and he rested his hand above my head as he leaned over me.
"Riley are you sure you don't want to talk to me? I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened." He persuaded with a gentle voice and I smirked.
Is he going all parenty on me?
"I can deal with it by myself." I mumbled and he sighed before getting up.
I thought he was going to leave but he just walked round the other side of the bed, lying so he was facing me.
"You may be able to, but the point is you don't have to, okay? I'm your family now, and I care about you, alright?" He reassured and smiled warmly at me, making me smile back.
"I know, it's not that I don't trust you, or like you, it's just...I don't want to burden you with it."
Besides I don't know if he'll choose to be all parenty and punish me for stealing or be my friend in this situation.
He sighed before gently running his hand through my hair.
"I'd be willing to shoulder any burden for you, alright?" He reassured and I chuckled.
"You're cute." I commented as I closed my eyes, feeling extremely sleepy.
"Not my intention." He retorted as he continued to run his fingers through my hair, and I took in a deep relaxed breath.
He remained silent for a while, and I even felt myself stop shaking as I began to calm down.
"Where did you go last night Riley?" I heard his voice in my ear just as I was about to fall asleep.
"Mmm, the bank." I answered sleepily, not wanting him to talk anymore.
"To get money out?"
"No..."
"To give someone money?"
"Yeah..."
"Your friend?" He asked again and I gave a big sigh before snuggling against his warm body.
"Yeah..."
He stayed quiet for a while, just continuosly stroking my hair.
"Why did you take so long then?" He asked and I frowned.
"Uh...went somewhere else...as well..."
Will he be quiet, trying to sleep here.
"Where was that?"
"Ugh, just some sexual assault place..." I said in frustration and then immediately opened my eyes. I lifted my head up, knocking myself out of my drowsy state.
Aaron's warm brown eyes just stared back at me, showing no emotion. No anger, no shock, he just calmly watched me.
"I didn't- I'm sorry." I tried think of something to say but he just shook his head.
"It's alright, just, tell me why." He suggested and I sighed, remaining tense. "You've already told me sunshine, it doesn't matter anymore. You don't have to do this alone okay?" He said gently, smiling at me warmly and calmly.
I took a few seconds to process that before quickly putting a hand to my mouth when a sob escaped my lips.
I closed my eyes and tried to stop myself but they just kept on coming.
I felt him pull me closer and hug me in a tight embrace. He didn't say anything, just let me cry.
And I did, I just continued to cry for ages, pathetically sobbing and sniffling like a child.
He stroked my back and spoke soothing words that I didn't pay attention to, and I eventually managed to calm down a little.
I still gave an annoying little sob every now and again, but other than that everything was silent as I stared at the fabric of his shirt.
"Feeling better now?" He asked and I gave a little noise in reply.
"I'm okay, I'll be okay." I said after a few moments, lifting my head up slightly and smiling at him.
"Do you want to talk about it? It wasn't..." He paused, like he didn't know what to say.
"It wasn't one of the brothers, if that's what you wanted to know." I explained and he nodded.
"When?" He asked and I took in a deep breath.
"Last night, around 1."
"Where?"
"In my father's office..."
"Why were you in his office?"
I paused and just stared at him, hesitant.
"I won't say anything, I promise, you can tell me." He reassured, running his hand through my hair again, making me smile.
"You're not going to get that to work on me again." I commented and he chuckled.
He didn't push me further, but for some reason I felt compelled to confide in him.
"I was stealing money." I answered, wording it rather riskily, and he blinked at me.
I could practically see the cogs turning in his mind as he thought. He just nodded after a while, without even frowning once.
"Okay, why?"
"It was for Erin, he's ill, and I needed to get him some money to pay for the treatment. I asked my father for it, but he said no, cruelly said no, so I felt like he deserved it."
"So, you went into his office and stole the money, and Matias caught you?" He questioned, and I swear I missed the part where I told him it was Matias... I guess he just came to that conclusion by himself.
"Yes..." I looked down at my hand as I fiddled with his shirt. "He waited till I'd already done it, so he could threaten to get me arrested."
"And he blackmailed you to have sex with him?"
"...Yes."
"Did he hurt you?"
"A bit, I'm fine though, I got it treated."
It was then silent for a while as he processed it.
"Are you going to press charges?" He asked and I shook my head.
"No, he'll tell the police about the money."
He sighed and held me tighter against him.
"This won't happen to you again, alright, EVER. I'll make sure you're safe, alright?" He reassured and I blinked in surprise at his firm tone.
I moved my head so I was looking at him in the eyes, and he smiled. Our faces were so close, but he didn't seem awkward at all. A normal person would at least be uncomfortable right? He didn't react, he didn't blush, nor look at my lips once.
Was he asexual or something?
I then just sighed and relaxed against him, smiling as I closed my eyes.
"Alright."
FCK FCK DAMNsdsfafagjfkhlkhj
I never hated writing a chapter so much!
I've never hated a character so much!
This was an important part of the plot though, that's always been there.
I tried to make it a little less detailed than usual, any less detailed though and it seemed rushed and gappy. I also made the clinic scene go faster than it would have actually gone.
A really long chapter this time.
I wonder where luca went?
....I've been staring at the publish button for too long....