Page 68 of Unraveling Rain
The tears come again, and Xander wraps his arms around me.
“This wasn’t on you, Rain,” he says, voice rough with emotion. “He’s a piece of shit who forced you to do something you didn’t want. I hope he’s in prison.”
“He’s not,” I whisper. “He stopped the truck at the orchard’s entrance and told me to get out. Said if I told anyone, he would kill me. That I was his whore now. Damaged goods. That no one else would ever want me.”
Xander goes still beside me. Tense. Quiet. Rage simmering beneath the surface.
I inhale deeply, trying to steady myself.
“I put my clothes back on as fast as I could. As I was getting out of the truck, River happened to be coming. He saw me—bruised, blood running down my thighs—and without a word, he got out of his truck and dragged Dennis out of his.”
Xander’s jaw flexes, but he says nothing.
“River didn’t let him speak. Just hit him. Over and over, until Dennis was barely conscious. Then he let him drop on the road. He gave me his jacket, told me to stay in his truck, and made a phone call.”
I swallow hard.
“A few minutes later, Dennis’s dad showed up. I couldn’t hear what they said—I was half-asleep by then—but they were yelling.”
My voice softens as the memory sharpens.
“The next morning, I woke up in my bed. Ruin and I shared a room back then, and I panicked. I didn’t know how I’d explain all this to her. But she wasn’t the first person I saw. It was River.”
I faint smile tugs at my lips.
“He hugged me. Told me Dennis and his family were leaving town. That I’d never have to worry about him again. I cried and cried, but my brother promised I was safe now.”
I look at Xander, bracing for judgment. For disappointment.
“Did you ever go to the police?” he asks gently.
I shake my head. “I didn’t want River to go to jail for hitting Dennis so bad. And… I thought it was my fault. I didn’t want Daddy or Mama to know. I was too embarrassed.”
I wait for him to tell me how dumb I was for letting Dennis get away with it.
But he just says, “I’m so fucking sorry that happened to you, Cherry.”
His voice is soft. His touch is gentle. He keeps holding me like I’m something precious, not broken.
“It was ten years ago,” I whisper. “And every time I tried to date someone after that… I couldn’t get past the horror of that night. So I stopped trying. I became the sassy twin. Built a wall between me and every man who came near me.”
He lets out a low breath. “I hate that what he did is the reason for your sass. But I gotta be honest—I fucking love all your sass.”
That makes me laugh, a true belly laugh.
Xander laughs too, loosening his hold as we both shake with it. I collapse onto the bed, still laughing, letting the last of the tears fall.
We just lie there next to each other, fully clothed. No expectations. Just quiet peace. And now that he knows my horror story, and didn’t judge me or run away, I know I can trust him. Maybe even be with him. Someday.
And for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel afraid of what comes next. I’m filled with a quiet, terrifying hope that love might still be possible.
Chapter 19
Xander
It’s been a couple of weeks since Rain shared her secret with me. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about it—relive her sadness, her anguish. Something shifted in me that night. It’s like, in some unspoken way, I carry that burden now too.
Since then, we’ve only grown closer. I love the rhythm we’ve settled into. We have breakfast together, then she leaves for work. At night, after she checks on her mom and Granny, she spendsnights in my bed, her head on my chest. Her soft snores are my new favorite sound to fall asleep to.
