Don't Give Up On Me - Unedited

Chapter 17

"I knew you would think differently of me! This is why I didn't want to tell you!" I scream at him.

I knew this would happen, the look on his face speaks volumes. The tears flowing from my eyes blurs my vision for a moment, making Hunters stature barely possible to be seen.

Walking up and down the living room to calm myself a little does nothing. The impending silence doesn't help whatsoever. My thoughts are all jumbled in a whirl of pessimistic thoughts.

"The look of disgust on your face but the pity in your eyes doesn't help Hunter. I'm deflated! I genuinely thought you would not judge, not only me, but the situation I'm currently screwed in!"

I continue my pacing, keeping a steady lookout from the corner of my eye on Hunters form. His face hidden in his hands, arms rested on his knees, leaves no room to view any facial expressions for myself to deter what he is feeling. That ONE escaped look of disgust showed the very thing I was most truly frightened of. And now the judgement is the second. The silence unbearable. Why won't he speak?

"God damn it Hunter say something! Anything! My thoughts are running wild as it is! You can't even bare to look at me. Am I so disgusting now that you know that you can no longer look at me? Face me? Speak to me? Can you even bare to be in my presence? Or is that too much for you to handle? Because if it is, I can leave. Remember that. I don't need to be here!"

The fury running through my body sets off the adrenaline rush rolling through my veins.

"You know what? Screw you!" I hiss, my voice quaking with the crying mixed with fury.

I march out of the room to the stairs, taking them two by two at a time. He can wallow where he is. Storming into the guest room I make my way into the closet where I grab my suitcase and start flinging my belongings into it. In my fit of rage I didn't hear Hunter make his way into the bedroom.

Yanking my arm, he spins my body to come face to face with his. His eyes are clouded with grief, sadness and the linger of pity.

"I'm not disgusted with you Charley."

"Yeah? Well you could've fooled me. Now get your hands off me asswipe."

"Really Charley?"

I pull my arm to wriggle free from his grasp with no use. The strength from his body is no match to my frail form.

"Yes really. Now let go off me and move."

"No."

"What do you mean no?" I use my free arm to throw some rather feeble punches. He stands unaffected.

"I told you I will think no different of you and so I don't."

"Bullshit Hunter." His grip loosens momentarily on my arm allowing myself to free it from his grasp.

"You and I both know its bullshit Hunter."

He takes a step back, squaring his chest to appear intimidating.

"Puff your chest out and bate on it like King Kong for all I care. Your an ass."

With the blink of an eye, Hunter yanks me to his body and envelopes me in a hug. My arms pinned to my sides leave no room to free myself.

"I mean it angel. I don't feel any different towards you. Except awe."

"Awe?"

"Yes."

"Care to explain?"

"What that bastard did to you and here you are able to stand tall, strong and confident but you don't see that. You've had your weak moments but you've been less broken than anyone else would in your circumstance."

"Are you serious? Can you not remember just yesterday when you came to my apartment and I was hungover after drinking myself into what I hoped was oblivion?"

"But that was mainly due to me." His forehead rests along mine. "I am sorry for how I acted then."

"We've been through that already. That look you showed when I told you every minor detail of the rape, was the one look I couldn't bare to see. It screamed disgust!"

"Not at you Charley! At Paul! I'm disgusted how my own flesh and blood could be capable of such a thing! From one human being to another! I hope when the police get him they lock him up and throw away the key!"

"Maybe he'll become a victim of soap dodging when he's inside?" I send a small timid smile which he returns with a light chuckle.

"Even now, your making light jokes."

"If you can't laugh through the challenges through life what else can you do?" He allows my arms free in which I circle them around him, returning the hug.

"Most definitely true. You have a good outlook on life."

"You wouldn't say that on my worse days. I'm a lot to handle." I step out of the hug and make my way to the bed. Patting the space beside me, Hunter takes a seat and wipes the last of my tears away.

"I need to ask you what happened when you went to Paul yesterday. And I want all the gory details."

"I don't think you really want to know."

"I need to know. Please tell me."

"I made an unexpected visit to his home and I could tell he was not expecting to see me. He was startled by my reaction."

"Your reaction?"

"Yes. When he opened the door, I said two words to him and that was enough for him."

"What did you say?" I ask eagerly.

"I just said 'I know' and that was it. The next moment I punched him and after a small scuttle I left."

"Please Hunter, I know from the marks on your hand that there was more too it than a 'small scuttle' as you put it."

"Fine. I punched him over and over. Before I gave him a final punch he asked me to tell you something."

"Which was?"

"He said, 'I told you along time ago that I was going to have my wicked way with you. I did. Not once but twice.' Which I sort of gathered what he meant. But the not once but twice part left me completely confused. You already told me he said those words to you before you passed out. I made sure those were his last words before I gave him his last punch which effectively knocked him out." He states a little smug. "What did he mean by 'not once but twice?'"

Shit.

"There are some things you don't know about me Hunter. Something's I would rather keep in the past. Demons I'm not ready to face yet. I have spent many years keeping them at bay. I didn't recognise Paul when I first thought I met him back at the hotel. You didn't know this but I knew him from my past. He was one of the many faces I'd tried to forget which actually was forgotten. But that came back to bite me. Can I ask though when you went to see Paul did he tell you anything else?"

"No that was the only thing he told me. Why does it matter?"

"There are some nightmares I am not ready to face yet. Theres a lot more I will tell you if I will ever be ready to face the music. But that wasn't the first time."

"The first time what Charley?" He asks.

"The first time Paul raped me."