Page 43 of Amethyst

I close my eyes, still bawling, and I try not to feel the rest of what he does.

* * *

Jenna!Jenna! Are you okay?

I’m curled into a fetal position, crying.

I’m on a hard surface. Not sure where I am.

Please no more. Don’t cut me again. Please.

“Jenna, baby.”

I’m moving then. Am I walking? I’m not sure. Then…a soft surface.

“What can I do for you? Please. Talk to me.”

The voice.

The voice is comforting. But I need to get out of here.

I scramble off the bed.

The man. I recognize him. It’s Max.

But then it’s not Max.

It’s Mr. Brown with his hateful and cold blue eyes.

I scream, lunge at him, and he grips me.

“It’s okay, Jenna. It’s okay.”

But I pull away, push him onto the bed, and run out. Out of the bedroom and out of the apartment.

Once outside, I breathe deeply.

And I remember.

This is Max’s place. My car is here. It’s downstairs in the parking lot. I race down, get into my car, turn on the engine, and scream out of the lot.

Need to get home.

Need to get home.

Need to get home.

15

MAX

Icalled Jenna, and I stopped by. Both times Susanna told me she wasn’t seeing anyone.

My fault. I should have known Jenna wasn’t ready to get physical. I should have thought of her instead of myself. But I must move on. I have no other choice. Despite the mixed signals she gave me, I must accept the fact that Jenna doesn’t feel the same way I do, and she never will.

So I throw myself into my work, a week goes by, and I do something ill-advised.

I call Mimi and ask if we can talk. To my astonishment, she agrees.

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