Page 2 of Twisted Fate

“I do. It’s what’s best forbothof us,” I emphasized. Resigned, he nodded, defeat filling his eyes. Stepping aside, he motioned for me to pass, and I rushed toward the stairs, taking them as quickly as I could without falling and busting my ass. Regardless of what he said, I had a feeling he didn’t respect my wishes at all.

“There you are,” Dani chimed once I returned. “Everything alright?” she asked when she took in my distress.

“Yeah, I just ran into Chad.”

“Oh,” she remarked, her eyes going wide.

“It’s fine. It was just awkward,” I assured her.

“I know what will cure that,” she announced with a wicked grin. I relaxed, a smile spreading over my lips. “Let’s get you a drink.” She grabbed my hand and led me back to the kitchen. I was still rattled by the run-in with my ex, but I was determined not to let that put a damper on my night.

By a stroke of luck, I found my favorite bottle of wine among the scattered bottles of booze. Only half of it was gone, so I grabbed the bottle and upended it into a plastic cup.

“You want some?” I asked Dani as I poured the deep, blood red wine into my cup.

She curled her nose as she checked out the label. “No thanks,” she replied, her voice tinged with disgust. “I hate cranberries.” The holidays were just around the corner, so the local winery had released their seasonal flavors, and this cranberry wine was my absolute favorite.

“Suit yourself,” I said with a shrug and emptied the bottle. Soon the alcohol coursing through my body began to take full effect. My vision blurred, and my head swam.

Damn, I hadn’t realized I’d drank that much.

It didn’t take long for the spirits to go to my head, and I soon began looking for somewhere to rest. There were no empty seats to be found, so I left Dani to dance with our friends and pushed through the crowd. I stumbled up the stairs to the second floor, looking for somewhere to lay my head for a few minutes. I just needed a moment to gather myself. A door at the end of the hall stood open, the soft glow of a lamp spilling a small cone of light out into the hallway. The room was empty, so I plopped down onto the bed and removed my heels.

I struggled to hold my eyes open as I rubbed my aching feet. Giving in to the fatigue, I fell back and focused on the ceiling fan as I fought to stay awake. I lost the battle, my lids falling closed as my mind grew foggier by the second. They popped open at the sound of the door clicking shut. Someone was in here with me.

They fell closed again. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hold them open for very long, nor could I find the strength to lift my head. A heavy weight settled over me and panic rose in my throat like a scream, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out.

“Shhh,” the intruder soothed. “It’s okay. It’s just me.” I relaxed momentarily at the sound of the familiar voice. Lips brushed my cheek and I sighed, floating somewhere between sleep and consciousness.

The weight lifted, and I turned my head at the sound of a drawer sliding open. A large, masculine hand riffled through the nightstand.

“Come on,” the voice muttered, frustration evident in his tone. “I know you gotta keep some in here.” My eyes were too unfocused to see if he’d found what he was looking for. I didn’t really care at that point. I just wanted sleep. I was floating, a corporeal being drifting from earth, untethered from my physical form.

“Fuck it,” he muttered and slammed the drawer closed.

I slipped in and out of consciousness as his hands gently caressed my skin. His touch felt wrong, and I shied away from it, but he shushed me again, smoothing my hair away from my face. Something ripped and there was pressure against the insides of my thighs. I pushed against the heavy weight pinning my body against the mattress, but it didn’t budge. My arms were too heavy and fell bonelessly to my sides. All the fight left me, and my muscles turned to Jell-O before everything faded to black, and I slipped into oblivion.

1

Delilah

Tears pooledat the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away before anyone could see. I prayed for the numbness I’d felt for the last several weeks to wash over me.

“All done,” the technician chirped, and I jumped at the sound of her snapping off her rubber gloves. White paper crinkled beneath me as I stood from the exam table. I couldn’t make myself look at the grainy black and white photo in my hand. If I did, I would lose my composure. I was barely hanging onto it as it was.

Dazed, I listened to the doctor tell me that everything looked great, that she’d prescribe me something for the nausea, and to make another appointment for a month from now. Mercifully the numbness I craved settled over me as I stepped into my shoes and tucked the picture into my purse.

How would I tell my mom?Whatwould I tell her? I couldn’t even remember how it happened. I’d been too far gone that night. But still, somehow Iknew.

I pinched my eyes closed, fighting off the panic that threatened to overtake me every time I thought about him. It was like I could still feel his weight on top of me and his hot breath on my neck. It was a small mercy that I’d blacked out before…

A wave of nausea rolled through me, and I gulped. Drawing in a deep breath through my nose, I blew it out slowly with pursed lips, just like the nurse showed me. Part of me was relieved I didn’t have any memory of what happened, but the other part was consumed with shame. If I’d been conscious—if I’d been stronger—I would have fought. I would have kicked and screamed and clawed my way out. But I didn’t. He’d waited in the shadows, watching me like a predator stalking its prey, and pounced when I was at my weakest.

Suspicion niggled at the back of my mind. Had he somehow found a way to slip something into my drink? I wouldn’t put it past him, and it would explain how inebriated I was. I hadn’t drunk any more than usual, and I didn’t remember ever being that wasted.

Shaking away those thoughts, I cleared my head and focused on what I would tell my mom. I couldn’t tell her the truth. She would be devastated. She’d want to go to the cops. I couldn’t do that, though. I didn’t come forward when it happened, and I had no proof. They would never believe me, anyway. His family had money. I already knew how this would play out. They’d simply paint me as the poor, trashy party girl. He would claim that he broke up with me, and I was trying to get back at him or I was after his money. Guys like him never paid for what they did to people like me. I’d be blamed for it, ridiculed by my peers after his defense attorneys tore me to shreds. It was best to simply pretend like it had been a one-night stand or some rando at a party.

My hands shook as I tried to unlock our front door. Dropping my keys, I cursed as tears sprang to my eyes. My entire body vibrated as a cascade of warring emotions overwhelmed me. I finally managed to get the door open and pushed through it, closing it silently behind me. Maybe if I was quiet enough, I could make it to my room without my mom noticing. I skirted around the Christmas tree, its jolly blinking lights a cruel reminder that all my joy had been stolen by a monster who decided if a woman was unconscious, she couldn’t say no. And now I was pregnant with his child.

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