Page 107 of Another Love, Another Time
“You think I’m talking about a prank? No. She is sick and twisted.”
“How do you know?” I ask.
“Because she was the reason I was attacked at your prom, and I have proof,” she responds.
The blood drains from my face.My ears ring. She says she has proof. River wouldn’t say that unless she did. That means I’ve been friends with her attacker or someone who hurt her on purpose this whole time.
Bile rises in my throat. I run to the bathroom and throw up. This can’t be happening.
I lean my forehead against the toilet seat. When I feel like I’m done, I rinse out my mouth and walk back into the living room.
“You said she was behind the attack,” I start. “She couldn’t have been the attacker, so who is he? And if you have proof, why are they both not behind bars?”
“Sit down. It’s my turn to tell you what I’ve been holding back.”
Chapter 35
River
Auggie sits in the recliner. When we spoke about my attack before, I didn’t go into detail. I had assumed he had read the report. There was no need to explain, and he wasn’t ready for what I really wanted to tell him at the time.
“I knew who my attacker ,” I start. His eyes widen. I know he’s about to say something, but he stops when I give him a look. “The statement I gave the police gave the details about the attack, but I left out one important detail. As you know, I didn’t tell them I knew who the attacker was. To be honest, I’m not sure why I didn’t tell them at the time. As I was lying in my hospital bed, I just kept going over and over something that he had said to me during the attack.”
“What did he say?” Auggie asks.
“He said, ‘Iknow you want this too; she told me you wanted this. She told me you would try to fight, but you like it rough.’ It kept repeating in my head. It just didn’t make any sense. ‘She’ could only mean Melissa, especially considering their relationship. Who else would have done something like that?
“At first, like you, I was convinced that Melissa wouldn’t have done something like that. We are family. We grew up together. Yeah, she did shit to piss me off, but would she really have someone attack me? But she’s the only person who would want that to happen to me. I needed evidence that I could show everyone; I was afraid nobody would believe me.”
“You could have just told the police. They would have followed up. They both could have been put behind bars.”, he says.
“I know this sounds stupid because I’m a detective now, but I also wanted to find the guy and beat the shit out of him like he did to me. I wanted him to feel like I did: helpless, weak. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that if I turned him in. I wanted to be the one to make him pay. I also wanted to know whoshewas and see if my instinct was correct. What if it wasn’t her?
“So, when I joined the Army, I soaked up all the training on hand-to-hand combat. I asked my drill sergeants and sergeants to spend more time with me because I wanted to be the best. And they did. They trained me well, so well that I was able to overpower a man twice my size. And then, I planned my attack.”
Auggie remains silent, so I continue.
River, 4 years earlier
A year after I left, I had leave I could use from the Army. During that year in my downtime, all I did was research him online, looking at his social media accounts. I noticed that after my attack, he didn’t post very often. It was mostly him being tagged in pictures with his family. He was smiling, but his eyes looked sad. I didn’t want to read too much into it. I just wanted him to pay for what he did to me. I wanted him to hurt like he hurt me.
By stalking him online, I found out where he went to college and that he played football, so when I found him on the roster for a college, I came up with my plan. I would go to one of his games, wait until he came out, and follow him. I was hoping to get him alone.
As soon as I had all the details put together, I put in my request for leave, hoping it would be approved. I started to look for airplane tickets and places to stay that were close to the college.And I planned on renting a crotch rocket. I would be able to follow him better. I know this is crazy and not the smartest decision I’ve ever made. I could go to jail. Will I turn him after I attack him? I feel like I’m going crazy. What if he attacks me again, and this time, he succeeds in raping me?
I can’t think like that. I’m prepared. I’ve trained for this. As soon as I receive approval, I’ll get everything booked for my trip.
When I arrive at the game, I find my seat near the tunnel where I know the team will be running out. I want to get a good look at him.
How am I going to get him alone? As I watch the game, I think about all the different scenarios that could play out. I want to be prepared for anything. I’ve tried to think of everything, but because I haven’t had a lot of time to observe him and his habits, anything could happen.
After the game, I wait outside the west exit door. I heard that the players come out here when they leave the facility. I can feel my adrenaline spike when I see him and a few other guys come out of the door. I quickly make my way to my bike and wait for him to pull out. I am feeling “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” vibes right now. As he walks to his vehicle, he separates from the other guys. I continue to wait until he pulls out, and then I follow him.
I assumed he would be going to some party to celebrate their win, but instead, I follow him back to an empty house. I sit outside and wait for what feels like hours, but it’s probably only minutes.
I notice a light on the first floor switch on, so I walk closer to the lit window. He’s sitting on his bed, reading a book. It looks like he might be studying. Something about studying reminds me of everything that changed when he attacked me. It angers me.He’s living the life I was supposed to. I was supposed to go to college to play sports, but he ruined that for me.
I don’t know how long I’ve been standing outside when I hear his phone ping. He picks it up, looks at it, walks over to his dresser, and grabs some car keys. This might be my only chance to confront him when he’s alone. I approach the door and wait.
