Happenstance by M. J. Abraham

list?” I know that he is upset and using
words out of anger but they hurt.
    “There’s no fucking list!
If you would just let me explain—”
    He runs his hand through
his head and cuts me off, “You know what? This is bullshit. I have to go.”
    “Jared, wait.” I jump out
of bed, grab a t-shirt, and put it on as I walk after him. My heart is caught
in my throat. Is he really leaving? How can I stop him?
    “Please, just listen to
me. This was before us,” I tell him.
    “This was before we met?
Before we had sex? Before what ,
Victoria?”
    I don’t answer him for a
second and he takes that to mean Steven is a recent fling. “Just
fucking great. Bye Victoria.”
    “No Jared, please,” I try
to grab his arm but he pushes my hand aside.
    This can’t be happening!
I had finally just let us be intimate again. I suddenly know the moment I have to tell
him the truth is now, regardless of what he will think of me. “I tried to stop
him,” I whisper. Jared stops dead in his tracks. He turns his head slightly but
doesn’t answer me as if unsure of what to make of my statement. I take this
opportunity to walk right up to him and put my hand lightly on his back. Will
this be the last time I get to touch him?
    “I told him no. It was
just that I was drunk. Everything was a blur.” I’m not sure what else to say. I
can feel my face pink with embarrassment and my whole body is trembling with
nerves. God, what is he going to think of
me ? “I’m sorry,” I say and lower my head. He slowly turns around and walks
over to me.
    Lifting up my chin he
looks me dead in the eyes. “Victoria. I want the fucking truth. Did you tell
him no?”
    I nod my head and my eyes
fill up with tears. “Yes. I’m sorry. We had been drinking--”
    “When was this?” Jared
interrupts.
    “The
week I got Lucky.” I try
to avoid the weight of his stare and look down. He lifts my chin with his
finger. “So this fucktard took you out on a date, got
you drunk, and then took you to his place and raped you? Now is when you are telling me this?”
    “I didn’t know what to do.”
I can’t stop the tears that are flowing freely down my cheeks.
    He pinches the bridge of
his nose and closes his eyes, exhaling. “Victoria, where is he now? Where does
he live? Do you remember where he took you?”
    I let out a breath. “I
don’t know. We came here.”
    Jared looks up at me once
again, glaring. “To this house?” He asks with clenched teeth. I can only nod, not sure what to
say. I knew he would be upset but not like this. What was he thinking? Was he just angry at what Steven did or did he
find me disgusting?
    “Tell me what happened exactly, Victoria.” Oh, God. Why was he asking me to do this? But I tell him of course,
while he paces. Well, not everything exactly, not details of
the actual act but where he took me and what we drank—the drinks I could
remember anyway. Stopping to answer the questions he threw at me: Did he buy you every drink? Yes. Did he
drive you home? Yes. Where was his car? His friend drove it for him. Where was his
friend during all of this? Fuck.
    Jared stops pacing and
narrows his eyes. “Victoria. Where. Was. His. Friend?”
    I swallow hard and avoid
his gaze. “Look at me,” he says.
    I glance up and run my
sweaty palms on my thighs. “His friend came inside the house too.”
    Jared lets out a curse
and bangs his fist into the wall breaking through the drywall.
    My mind is circling a
million thoughts not sure what will happen next. I feel dizzy and like I’m about
to be sick. I run to the bathroom just in time to gag but nothing comes up
since we didn’t end up having dinner last night and my stomach is empty. I put
down the lid and place my forehead against the cool cover until I feel strong
arms wrap around my waist, gently lifting me up.
    “Do you understand that
you were raped and I’m going to fucking kill him?” He asks.
    “Jared, I’m sorry, I wish
it was you that was there with me that