didn’t look up at him.
“I didn’t know he was going to be here,” Riley replied. “I swear, Lucy.”
“And you…you just talked to him, like nothing happened,” Lucy sobbed. “Like he…he didn’t do those things to me. Like he didn’t destroy my life.”
“Luc, please,” Riley said stepping closer to her. He took her hand, but she abruptly pulled it free.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” She screamed at him angrily, not caring that everyone was now watching them. “And my name is Lucy. Don’t you ever call me Luc again!”
Without saying another word, Lucy pushed past Riley. She didn’t stop until she was outside.
She had no idea where she was going to go or what she should do. The thought occurred to her that she could call Tucker, but she was too embarrassed to face him. He had warned her; he had begged her not to go out with Riley.
She just needed to get away from the bar as quickly as she possibly could.
Just then a cab pulled up outside the bar, dropping off two passengers. Lucy ran to the car and jumped inside.
“Where to?” The driver asked.
“J…just drive,” she managed to say.
As the car pulled away from the kerb, Riley came barrelling out the door of the bar.
“LUCY, PLEASE!” He cried out as he reached the cab, but it was too late. The car pulled away and left him standing helplessly in the street.
“Where to, ma’am?” The driver asked again, but Lucy couldn’t answer, she couldn’t catch her breath. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”
Still Lucy didn’t answer. Instead, she pinched her eyes closed and covered her ears, as once again she was the seventeen-year-old girl trying to make the world disappear.
Chapter 11
Lucy realised the car had stopped, but she had no idea where she was. She could hear the driver getting out of the cab, and walking away, but she made no attempt to move. She was frozen with fear.
Her mind was racing. How could Riley just sit there and let Trent touch her? How could he even talk to him knowing what he had done to her?
She couldn’t get the memory of his smell out of her mind. It made Lucy’s stomach heave.
A few minutes later, the door beside her opened, and someone leaned in and touched her arm. Lucy’s whole body stiffened up even tighter as she pulled away from whoever it was.
“Lucy,” a kind voice said to her. Lucy knew she recognised the voice, but couldn’t place it. “It’s April. Sweetie, what’s happened?”
Lucy slowly opened her eyes, and they were met with the kind, worried eyes of the girl she met in the drug store a couple of days earlier. She had no idea how she had got here, but she was happy to see a friendly face.
“Sweetie, why don’t you let me take you inside?” April said as once again she reached out for Lucy again.
“Please, don’t touch me,” Lucy whispered, as she silently cried.
“Okay, Lucy,” she said, her voice still calm and soft. “I promise, I won’t touch you, but please, come inside with me.”
Lucy nodded and tried to smile through her tears. She climbed out of the car and avoided eye contact with the driver.
“I need to pay,” she said to April, as her brain seemed to kick back in and she became aware of what was going on. She turned back to the driver, and he handed her back her handbag.
“It okay,” the driver said quickly, and he smiled at her. “I am just happy you’re okay.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, as the tears trickled down her face, but she was not okay. She was far from it. She felt like Trent had just raped her again, but this time, Riley sat there and let it happen.
Lucy followed April up the driveway to her house, but she hesitated before she followed her inside. She didn’t know why.
“It’s okay, Lucy,” April said, sensing her reluctance to follow her inside. “You’re safe here, I promise. You don’t have to be afraid.”
Lucy smiled and followed her into the house. When they were inside, April led her through to the living room, taking
“I didn’t know he was going to be here,” Riley replied. “I swear, Lucy.”
“And you…you just talked to him, like nothing happened,” Lucy sobbed. “Like he…he didn’t do those things to me. Like he didn’t destroy my life.”
“Luc, please,” Riley said stepping closer to her. He took her hand, but she abruptly pulled it free.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” She screamed at him angrily, not caring that everyone was now watching them. “And my name is Lucy. Don’t you ever call me Luc again!”
Without saying another word, Lucy pushed past Riley. She didn’t stop until she was outside.
She had no idea where she was going to go or what she should do. The thought occurred to her that she could call Tucker, but she was too embarrassed to face him. He had warned her; he had begged her not to go out with Riley.
She just needed to get away from the bar as quickly as she possibly could.
Just then a cab pulled up outside the bar, dropping off two passengers. Lucy ran to the car and jumped inside.
“Where to?” The driver asked.
“J…just drive,” she managed to say.
As the car pulled away from the kerb, Riley came barrelling out the door of the bar.
“LUCY, PLEASE!” He cried out as he reached the cab, but it was too late. The car pulled away and left him standing helplessly in the street.
“Where to, ma’am?” The driver asked again, but Lucy couldn’t answer, she couldn’t catch her breath. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”
Still Lucy didn’t answer. Instead, she pinched her eyes closed and covered her ears, as once again she was the seventeen-year-old girl trying to make the world disappear.
Chapter 11
Lucy realised the car had stopped, but she had no idea where she was. She could hear the driver getting out of the cab, and walking away, but she made no attempt to move. She was frozen with fear.
Her mind was racing. How could Riley just sit there and let Trent touch her? How could he even talk to him knowing what he had done to her?
She couldn’t get the memory of his smell out of her mind. It made Lucy’s stomach heave.
A few minutes later, the door beside her opened, and someone leaned in and touched her arm. Lucy’s whole body stiffened up even tighter as she pulled away from whoever it was.
“Lucy,” a kind voice said to her. Lucy knew she recognised the voice, but couldn’t place it. “It’s April. Sweetie, what’s happened?”
Lucy slowly opened her eyes, and they were met with the kind, worried eyes of the girl she met in the drug store a couple of days earlier. She had no idea how she had got here, but she was happy to see a friendly face.
“Sweetie, why don’t you let me take you inside?” April said as once again she reached out for Lucy again.
“Please, don’t touch me,” Lucy whispered, as she silently cried.
“Okay, Lucy,” she said, her voice still calm and soft. “I promise, I won’t touch you, but please, come inside with me.”
Lucy nodded and tried to smile through her tears. She climbed out of the car and avoided eye contact with the driver.
“I need to pay,” she said to April, as her brain seemed to kick back in and she became aware of what was going on. She turned back to the driver, and he handed her back her handbag.
“It okay,” the driver said quickly, and he smiled at her. “I am just happy you’re okay.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, as the tears trickled down her face, but she was not okay. She was far from it. She felt like Trent had just raped her again, but this time, Riley sat there and let it happen.
Lucy followed April up the driveway to her house, but she hesitated before she followed her inside. She didn’t know why.
“It’s okay, Lucy,” April said, sensing her reluctance to follow her inside. “You’re safe here, I promise. You don’t have to be afraid.”
Lucy smiled and followed her into the house. When they were inside, April led her through to the living room, taking
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