Page 20 (1/2)

When I finished speaking, I stared down at the floor, unable to look at Annabel It wasn’t that I was ashaht about me It was more the fact that I was physically and eht years old, and it had takensound finally drew my stare from the bloodstained tile I looked up to see Annabel slowly inching toward me Just as our bodies touched, she stopped "I don’t knohat to say," she whispered

With a shrug, I replied, "You don’t need to say anything"

She shook her head "How could I hear a story like yours and not have so to say?" She wet her dry, cracked lips "I would say I was sorry, but that sinificant"

More than anyone I knew, Annabel truly understood the uess so"

Tears welled in her sad eyes "You were so young Just a baby MeI was old enough to know better In soht into the lion’s den"

"Don’t you fucking say that!" I shouted,at my side My words and tone caused Annabel to shrink back She didn’t deserve to be yelled at, but at the sah to her And I didn’t kno ht It wasn’t like I had a whole lot of experience consoling broken women

Tentatively I reached my hand out to touch her cheek When she didn’t pull away, I brushedat you"

"It’s okay"

"Annabel, I want you to understand that you should never, ever think like that"

A h tu I’m twenty-four years old, not fourteen I knew better But still I asked a man I’d never met to take me on a motorcycle ride I allowed myself to becothat coffee when I kneasn’t supposed to have any I wasted soI deserved what happened to ht back hard enough That there was so to make Kurt want me over my brothers" I shookthose kinds of thoughts eat away at you won’t get you anywhere"

She remained silent for a few ht "After you were" She sed hard as she met my eyes

"Raped," I enunciated the word for her "I’ve been a fucking coward about the word long enough"

She gave a quick nod of her head "After you were raped, did you ever want to hurt yourself?"

Her innocent question sent the walls of the roo in on erously close to hyperventilating No, I can’t lose it Not here Not now