page10 (1/2)

"Remember what?"

"That night, after Troy "

He trails off and ain

"Just tellaround the bush"

Ben closes his eyes and takes a deep breath Then he pushesto stand himself He rises and I have a h to offset h me He throws a robe over himself as cover then looks at me

"Let's get some tea," he says then leads the way to the kitchen

Chapter ten

We sit at the breakfast nook Ben pours hot water into our tea cups Neither of us has said a word since we left the bedroom I don't knohat it is he expectsthe time to compose myself I stopped in the bathroom and put a cold rinse on otten tea ready with some cookies that Esmeralda left for us

He stares into his cup dipping the tea ball then he sets it aside and looks at me

"What do you remember?" he asks

"I told you already"

He nods raising the cup to his lips to blow on it Then he sips, sets it back down and nods again His right index finger begins tracing a circle on the table

"Troy tried to rape you, you reht?"

I nod to keep hi I don't like to remember it Troy was the Captain of the Football teaht a new dress, and felt like the one to dinner and a movie then he'd taken me to Overlook Point I'd told him no but he wouldn't stop He'd torn inity despite my protests and screaone

I was hysterical and having an asthet it to my lips

He'd heard so about Troy's plan He'd beaten up three of them to find out where I was and then come to save me Troy had spent a week in a hospital after Ben found hies

"Yes, I do"

"What about what happenedafter?"

I shake my head "It's all just ether"

I hated to admit that It made me feel weak, out of control

"I didn't realize you " he says and trails off

I stare into his beautiful gray eyes and wait

"Well I thought you knew That hy you never reached out to me," he says

"Reached out to you? You left me!"

My voice cracks as anger pulses througha cookie