Mom's family no longer talked to us. I tried to tell myself I didn't care, but I lied. It did...hurt. Even though there had been a witness, even though I'd been covered in bruises from that last time ...
"Michelle!"
The half-frenzied sound of Jake's voice jerked me back to the present. Dazed, I looked up at him. "Can I get some more water ?"
A moment later, he pushed the glass into my hand and I drained it .
"Do you need more?" he asked softly .
"No." I gave him the glass back, then looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "It was my uncle – my mother's brother. Parker. I was fifteen ."
Taking a deep breath, I closed my hands into fists then slowly unclenched them. "He started...touching me a few months before that, then it...got worse." Rubbing the back of my hand over my mouth, I looked up. "Do you want to hear this ?"
"No. But I need you to tell me anyway," he said honestly. "That probably doesn't make sense ."
"Yeah." To my surprise, I was able to smile. "It makes more sense than you realize." So...I started to talk .
And once I was done talking, I started to cry .
He held me until I fell asleep .