The Way Things Change

Chapter 16

“I know you cheated on me, slut!”

Jake was yelling at me. What was he talking about? I would NEVER cheat on him. I love him.

“What are you talking about?” I tried to keep my voice steady, covering up my fear. “You know I love you, so how can you even think I would do that?”

He laughed harshly. He had been drinking I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

“DON’T YOU DARE LIE TO ME, YOU WHORE! MARIA SAW YOU WITH THIM!” he shouted, punching the wall. Due to the impact, his hand left a hole. I had never seen him like this before. He was frightening me. I didn’t know what he was capable of doing, let alone what he was going to do with me.

“There has never been anything to see! There has never been anybody else. Why don’t you believe that?” I hissed at him. I was cursing in my head. I didn’t know what to do. Why would Maria say something like that when it wasn’t true? I thought she was my friend. Friends don’t do something like this.

“Don’t you dare call her a liar, bitch!” His voice was cold. He grabbed me by the arms, holing on tight. Too tight.

“STOP JAKE! You’re hurting me.” I cried out.

But he didn’t let go.

 “You are gonna pay for this. You are not allowed to speak to him again. You are not allowed to look at him ever again. AM I MAKING MYSELF CLEAR?” he was shaking me, his head very close to mine.

“Let go of me! You’re hurting me!” I tried to get out of his grip, but he was too strong.

“Nobody likes you, you know” he said, throwing me to the floor.

“Please Jake… Don’t!” I begged him, frightened of what I thought was about to happen. He had never done anything like this and I had believed that he would never hurt me. But right now, lying on the floor, while he was very angry, it made me second guess my judgement.

“SHUT UP! You’re just an UGLY. FILTHY. WHORE!”

For every hurting word he said, he kicked me. The pain was unbearable. I couldn’t breathe.

“Stop please” I begged…

“Kate? Wake up.”

Someone was softly shaking me. “You are just having a bad dream.”

My eyes shot open, it was dark. Where was I? Who was it? I could feel the tears running down my face. My whole body was shaking and I was covered in a cold sweat.

Then everything came back to me. I had been so scared. I was sobbing now. The light was turned on and I felt a pair of arms wrapping around my body.

“It’s okay. Just let it all out! I’m here for you!” The voice belonged to Danielle. I looked up at her, her eyes filled with pain and worry. She pulled me into her embrace again.

“Nobody is going to hurt you. Never again. I’m gonna make sure of that!” Her words and voice calmed me. The tears were still falling from my eyes. It felt like I had been crying forever. And I thought I was never going to stop crying again. My eyes were hurting.

After a while my sobbing stopped. I was completely empty. There were no more tears. I felt exhausted, again. It felt like I was never going to regain my strength. Was tired, but I was afraid, that if I went back to sleep the nightmare would return.

“Felling better?” Danielle asked me timidly. I nodded.

“Thank you.” I whispered.

Danielle started giggling. “You don’t have to thank me all the time, you know.”