Page 54 of Afflicted

She sniffles and nods.

“Good.” I stroke my hand over hers. “You’re safe. Always. I promise.”

“Thank you.”

I give her slim fingers one last squeeze before I rise to my feet.

“I’ve got to go, but I’ll be back to check on you soon.” I move towards the door reluctantly.

“Silas.” Every time she says my name it sends the best kind of chills down my spine.

“Yes?” I pause at the door, her grey eyes fixed on me.

“I just wanted you to know that I’m happy I’m not nothing to you.” She shrugs, smiling a little shyly. “I don’t know, it kind of felt important to say it. And I wanted you to know that you’re not nothing to me. I’m glad you’re my friend.”

CHAPTER18

JULIET

“Honey, are you alright?”Gina asks as we hang our freshly washed clothes on the line.

I nod, fighting the energetic breeze as it threatens to tear my tank top from my hands. “Yeah, I am.” I bend to pick up a pair of shorts from my basket, and when I stand back up, Gina is still frowning at me. “I promise, I am, really.”

“Something happened with Matt, didn’t it?” Her eyes flicker over the bruises on my neck and chest that are still clearing up. “Did he do that?”

Sure, in a way. “No, that matter was dealt with.” I avoid her eyes, continuing hanging up my clothes.

“So why are you and Matt not together anymore?” She asks, moving to my side. “I hate to pry, but you’re so pale, you’re barely eating, and I’m so worried about you sweetheart.” She raises a hand to my face, cupping it gently, just like my Mom would have done. “Please talk to me.”

My lip trembles, and I don’t want to give in to the feeling, to the grief that keeps snapping at my heels everywhere I go. I blacked out when he raped me. I should be glad that happened, right? I should be glad I wasn’t conscious for it. But somehow not knowing what he did, how he did it, just waking up knowing that hehad…

I sniffle, trying to hold back my tears. “One of the vamps attacked me,” I say quietly, and Gina inhales sharply. “He dragged me into a storage room, and… He…” I swallow hard, and Gina strokes my cheek.

“Oh my god, honey.” She looks like she’s going to cry. “Did they catch him? Did someone stop him?”

I nod, a sort of warm feeling breaking out as I think of Silas sitting next to me in the clinic all night, holding my hand and stroking my hair. “One of the other vamps, the tall one with the dark hair, and all the tattoos? He, well, he found… Us. And he killed the vamp that was…” I trail off, shaking my head.

Gina exhales heavily and gathers me in her arms. “Oh my god. Sweetheart. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I’ll be OK. Eventually.” I laugh, a little bitterly. “I guess time heals all wounds, right?”

Gina draws back from me, her face twisted with anguish. “How did this even happen? None of the other feeders noticed?”

The lump in my throat stops me from answering. I just push myself into Gina’s arms and let her hug me, and she soothes me with kind words as she strokes my hair. I just want my mom. I want my mom so bad. I try hard not to cry because crying is exhausting and I’ve done too much of it, but a few tears run down my cheeks.

“It’s alright, sweetheart,” Gina says softly. “We’ll get you through this.”

Suddenly she tenses, and turns us, pushing me behind her. She starts swearing in Spanish, and I look over her shoulder to see Matt crossing the yard towards us.

“You stay away from us!” Gina holds out an accusing finger. She has no idea what he did, but she obviously suspects enough to know that I don’t want him anywhere near me. Matt’s face is twisted with sadness, and he holds both hands up as gets closer.

“Please, I just want to talk to her.” He looks past Gina, at me as I cling on to Gina’s shoulders. “Juliet, babe, I’m sorry. Please, please talk to me.”

I dig my face into Gina’s back, and she waves her hands. “You fuck off.” She turns to put an arm around me. “You leave her alone, the poor girl has been through enough.”

“Please, I just want to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to you!” My voice is shaking, my whole body trembling. I can’t look at him. I can’t look at the face of the man I thought cared about me, who let that feeder dothatto me. “Just leave me alone!”

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