city.”
“No...I...umm… Stay with me tonight, please? Then take me to the airport and I will go back home. But please you can’t tell anyone about this. I will not see Thayer again. I will tell him it’s over. Just hold me tonight Evan, I need you.”
I couldn’t tell her no, I drove for a couple hours then we stopped over and got a hotel room. He had been calling her phone and she never answered it. I tried to make her eat but she wouldn’t. Her lip was swollen and her cheek was bruised badly.
“Do you need to go to the hospital, Ta?” She just looked at me like I was crazy.
She placed her hand on my leg and said, “Evan it has been worse, I will be just fine.”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe when she said those words, I felt my fist ball up and my body cringe. I wanted to break every bone in that mother fucker’s body. I got a blanket and pillow and laid on the sofa. How the hell can he hurt her like that?
“No, Evan, I want you to hold me please.” She cried. I wanted to hold her, but I also wanted to find Thayer and beat the shit out of him. I wanted him to look as bad as she did.
“Okay, baby I will do whatever you want.” I said as I placed a finger under her chin, bringing her face up to look in mine. She turned away from me at first, but then she turned to me and I could see the hurt and tears in her eyes.
“Ta, promise me you will leave him! You can’t keep doing this. You said the last time was the last time, you can’t marry this man. He may kill you, babe.” I said as I wiped tears from her face. Yeah, I couldn’t hold my tears back, seeing her like that hurt me, I felt like someone had beat the hell out of me. I had no bruises on the outside but the inside was full of them.
I kissed her bruised cheek and held her in my arms. I laid down and she wrapped her fragile body into mine. I snuggled as close to her as I could. I noticed the blood on the back of her pants.
“Tatum, why is there blood on your pants back there? Did he force himself on you?” I asked her, I was so pissed I jumped up and was holding both of her arms with my hands. She wouldn’t look me in my eyes. She just shook her head.
“I didn’t want to have sex, it’s that time of the month. He insisted that we did anyways. Well he did, I begged him not to and he did anyways. It’s not the first time, I’m used to it,” She said as she choked out a sob.
“That motherfucker raped you, Tatum! He took advantage of you when you asked him not too.” I yelled, I tried to lower my voice but I was so mad. I was ready to find him and shove my foot so far up his ass.
“No, he didn’t rape me. I’m his girlfriend, and I told him I couldn’t but he wanted to anyways.”
“That’s fucking rape, Ta!! You said no, and he did it anyways.”
“No, it’s, just never mind. Let’s get some sleep. I won’t go back to him, just hold me.”
“You better not go back to him! If I ever see him, he won’t be able to walk again.” I said as I kissed her cheek.
“Evan, thank you. You will never know how much I love and appreciate you.” She said as she kissed my lips.
“Ta, you do not have to thank me. I will always be here for you and you know that. I love you, too.” I said, only if she knew how I really felt about her. I think that’s why I was so attracted to Lila, she looked a little like Tatum.
I loved Tatum more than she would ever know. I would do anything for her. I held her in my arms all night. I listened to her cry and shake all fucking night. I wrapped my legs around her and held onto her as tight as I could, placing small kisses on her head, face, and, hair all night. He raped her and she wouldn’t admit it. I was so close to just telling Zander so we could find this motherfucker and make him pay. She was crying and moaning in her sleep, I wonder how often he did this to her. Where the hell did she find that piece of shit?
“Good morning,” I said looking at a swollen faced Tatum.
“Morning,
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