Page 62 of Ensnared By Silence
The adrenaline was wearing off, and I yawned. He kissed the top of my head and asked, “Would you like to smoke before bed, or do you think you can sleep?”
I rested my chin on his chest and smiled. “I would love to smoke before bed.”
“Let’s get comfortable,” he suggested and followed me into the bedroom.
The pain from Tucker’s assault grew from painful to dull and achy, and I reached for the bottle of pain reliever from the nightstand. Swallowing two tablets, I caught Hayden’s gaze, the anger was still visible in his amber eyes. Walking around to him, I placed my hand on his chest and whispered.
“Did what happen tonight change things between us? I’ll understand if you don’t feel the same way about me anymore, but . . .”
He gripped my cheeks between his hands and pulled me into a bruising kiss, licking the seam of my lips, and I gasped. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and tangled his with mine as I pushed closer to his hard body. His thick length was pressed against my hip and he pulled back, resting his forehead against mine.
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.” Hayden’s words were soft but full of lust. “Tonight showed me how strong you are. How much I love you. Nothing could change how I feel about you.”
I bit my lip, and he winked before we went to the back deck. Hayden started the propane heater and we snuggled under a thick blanket, the December air chilly as he fired up the joint. Passing it back and forth, we sat silently, staring into the backyard. The pool was covered for the winter and I leaned my head onto his shoulder as we finished the weed.
My head was swimming as Hayden stood, lifting me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he carried me into my bedroom. Laying me on the bed, he kissed my forehead and came around, placing the pillow in the center and crawling onto the other side.
I needed him close, hoping he would keep the demons at bay, so I lifted the pillow and tossed it to the floor. He raised his head in shock and asked, “Are you sure?”
“I want to fall asleep in your arms. It’s the safest place I could possibly be.”
He raised his arm, and I placed my head on his chest, draping my arm over his waist and lifting my leg over his. He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my back, and whispered into my hair with a kiss, “I love you, Aubrey.”
The warmth of his body against mine and the comforting feel of his arms wrapped around me, combined with the weed and the exhaustion of the day, lulled me into the dark edges of sleep. I was expecting nightmares of Tucker to haunt me, but an old memory from my years in the Flats trapped me.
Tiffany walked into my bedroom, smoking a cigarette and thumping the ashes into my room. I was sitting on my bed, reading a book I borrowed from the library, trying to stay away from her and my dad, and their unreasonable anger.
“Your father’s working until ten, and I need to take care of a few things. You need to stay inside and out of trouble until I get back later this evening.”
My dead eyes lifted to her and I nodded as she smirked. She walked into my room, kicking my backpack to the side as she leaned over and messed with her over-sprayed hair. Her butt was hanging out the back of her short skirt and her boobs were falling out of her low-cut tank top. When my dad worked late, she spent time at one of the bars in the Flats and usually came home drunk with her makeup smeared across her face.
“You did good last night. I’ve got another appointment for you day after tomorrow.” She cut her eyes to me and I shook my head. She walked up to me and slapped me hard across the face, my cheek stinging as tears flowed. “You’re only good for one thing, Aub-rey,” she mocked. “Now that we popped your cherry, you can start earning your keep around here.”
I buried my head into my knees, and she grasped my hair, yanking my head up. “You have no idea how much money I’m going to make off you because of last night. You have no idea who he even was.” With a sick laugh, she turned and left me alone, shaking and crying.
I gripped onto my arms, trying to push the memories of last night into the black pit I have deep inside me. I could hear a car pull up outside the trailer and I jumped from the bed, peeking out between the broken blinds. Tiffany climbed into the car and kissed the man behind the wheel before they backed out, leaving me alone.
I saw what she did last night during . . .
I slipped my too small shoes onto my feet and peeked down the hallway. Listening for any sounds, I moved against the wall and across the dirty living room. I tripped over a bottle and an overfull ashtray fell to the carpet, spreading cigarette butts and ashes all over.
I shook my hands, hoping to get the tingling out of my fingers as the anxiety and terror of getting caught overtook me. This was my one chance, so with a quickness, I slid the back door open and ran across the littered yard to the shed in the rear of the property.
I trembled from head to toe, and as I reached out to touch the door, vomit rushed up and I threw up on the dirt. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I wrenched the door open and hesitated before stepping inside. The sheets were piled in the corner and I tried not to look at the bloodstains, remembering the pain and humiliation that resulted in them.
There was a small box on the shelf facing the bed and I tracked the cord to a cabinet in the corner. Opening the small door, I saw a laptop and I grasped it tightly in my hands, pulling it from its hiding spot. I listened for anyone approaching, and with my head on a swivel, I ran back into the trailer.
Back in my room, I rested against the door and opened the device. Without a password, it was easy to get to the files, and I reached for my little stuffed bull, Wooley Bulley, and pushed my hand into the small tear near his stomach. I pulled out the thumb drive I borrowed from school last year and slid it into the computer. Without looking, I copied the files from the computer and hid the drive back inside my faithful stuffed animal.
I didn’t know much about computers, but I understood how to delete files and empty the trash. With a few simple clicks, I erased all the evidence of what happened in the shed, hiding my most painful secret in the process. After ensuring I was still alone, I ran across the yard and pushed the empty laptop back into the cabinet.
If Tiffany tried to make me come back out here, I would fight with everything I had inside me. Running back inside, I locked myself in my room, grasping my chest and fighting to catch my breath. The sun was going down, so I knew my father would be home in a few hours. I snacked on a granola bar for dinner, and when I got too tired to keep my eyes open, I curled under the covers and let sleep take me over.
A loud, screeching noise from the front of the house woke me and I sat up, rubbing my eyes.
I woke with a startled gasp, and Hayden gripped me tighter, whispering into my hair, “It’s okay, Aubrey. You’re safe.”
I sat up, tears flowing as I explained, “I know who he was.”
