Page 305 of Breaking the Rules

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"It was."

"You lived next to him all this time?"

"He traveled a lot for work. And I… I told myself it was a bad date. Bad sex. It was easier believing that than believing I'd been raped."

"Did it help?"

"For a while. But one day… I was in the laundry room alone. And he came down. I froze. I couldn't move. Couldn't say anything. Couldn't even think to grab my cell and call for help. I thought it was going to happen again."

"Did he—"

"No. He… He doesn't care or maybe he doesn't realize what he did. I don't know. Or care. I just had to be away from him."

"I'm sorry you went through that."

I don't know what to say, so I nod.

"It is obnoxious that I want to kill him?"

"Only if you go out and do it."

"Fuck, I would. If I was there. If I saw that."

"I think that's legal. Right. Defense of a third-party?"

"You been watchingLaw and Order?"

"Yeah. Especially theSVUone. There's something soothing about it. Like pressing on a bruise."

"I can see that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I watch stuff about addicts sometimes. Remind myself other people go through this shit too."

I nod.

"You are strong. Dealing with all that alone."

I shake my head.

"And telling me." He pulls me closer. "Your trust means the world to me."

"Me too. I means yours does. I mean… Will you say it again?"

"What?"

"All the good things."

"I don't think you're broken." He presses his lips to mine. "But even if you were, I'd still love you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"It would be so perfect if we had sex right now."

He chuckles. "Yeah. But I'm not that easy."

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