New Beginnings

Chp. 17

It's been a few weeks since my mom came home, and things have been.... interesting. She's been really bright and cheerful, despite crying buckets on that first day she got back. It's like she did a full 180, not that I'm complaining, but it just doesn't feel right.

'Maybe I'm overthinking things.'

With a sigh. I make my way to the kitchen, and I could hear my mom talking on the phone.

"Quit calling me... No, tell Mr. Yamashida that my daughter needs me and I'm not coming back to work until her situation is resolved..... I don't care about a promotion.... ARE YOU NOT LISTENING!!....."

I gasped at her tone, and she must of heard me because she turned around and caught me eavesdropping.

"I'll call you back."

She hung up the phone and sighed.

"How much did you hear?"

I looked away and shuffled my feet a little.

"I'll  take that as a 'most of it' type of response then."

'Is everything ok?'

"Sort of. They want me to go back to work, but I already told them I'm not going any where."

'Mom, go back to work. I'll be fine.'

"What? No, I'm not going end of discussion. Besides you need me most, and until who ever did this is arrested, I'm not going back to work."

I sighed heavily, and left the kitchen to look out the living room window.

'I feel like I'm causing more trouble than good by keeping my mouth shut.'

Ever since the incident, I haven't left the house much only to go to doctor appointments and once to the school to settle my courses. The bruises I had faded to mostly nothing and I'm able to walk around a little on my own, even though there's still some pain in my ankle, but not much. The doctor deemed my vocal cords healed last week, but I still haven't said a word. Everyday I kept wondering if staying quiet is really the best thing to do, but Shigeru's threat to harm Kiyoko would make me too paranoid to utter a single syllable. I would find myself thinking he was probably out there watching me. Suga would sometimes find me staring out the window, and despite my insistence that I was fine, he stayed around. He still went to school during the day, but always made sure my mom or my aunt was there while he was gone. When he comes back, along with the team, after practice, he tells me about his day and stays with me at night to hold me as I sleep.

'How much longer will it be like this? I don't  want to burden the others with my problems.'

While I was lost in thought, the front door opens, snapping me back into reality.

"Natsumi, I'm back! I brought the team with me!"

Putting on a brave face, I hurried over to hug him.

"Hey sweetheart, did you miss me?" He teased as he hugged me back.

I hit his arm as I pouted.

"They already act like they're married." Tsukishima said and the team laughed while we blushed.

We all moved to sit in the living room and I listened to them as they talked and joke around, until something caught my eye outside the window.

'What was that? It looked like a person... Shigeru?'

"Well guys I'm gonna head home." Kiyoko said getting up to leave.

'No! I can't let her go outside.'

Panicking I grab her hand to stop her from leaving. I can see her looking at me out of the corner of my eye, but I'm still staring out the window.

"Natsumi? What's wrong? Is someone out there?" Suga asked looking out the window too.

He, and the some of the guys, gets up and they walk out the door to see if anyone is outside. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary they come back in.

"There's nothing out there." Yamaguchi said.

"Lately, I've been feeling like someone is watching me. Not to mention that someone tried to follow me while I was on the way home the other night too. I had to call the police." Kiyoko said.

'That bastard lied!'

I look at her in shock. I open my mouth to say something, but I stop. In frustration, I grit my teeth and run upstairs. A few minutes later Suga comes in to find me sitting on the bed shaking.

"Hey, what's the matter?" He said pulling me into his arms.

'I can't do this any more. I'll go fucking insane trying to keep my mouth shut.'

"Will you still not talk to me?"

'I want to be able to TALK to you and I want to tell you the truth, but I'm scared. The minute I utter even a sound, it'll be hell all over again. I just know it.'

He reads it and sighs.

"Look at me."

With tearful eyes I look at him, he cups my face.

"I want to hear your beautiful voice too, but I will wait for you to speak on your own when your ready. I won't force you. However, I want you to know that I'm here and I will protect you. We all will. There's no need to be scared to tell me the truth."

I nodded my head, took deep breath, and with shaky hands, I typed.

'It was Shigeru, who did it and I didn't say anything because he threatened he would do the same thing to Kiyoko, but after what Kiyoko said and then seeing that shadow in the window earlier, I'm not so sure if he will keep his word.'

~Suga's POV~

I read her message and I instantly feel my blood boiling. Not wanting to scare her, I get up and walk to the door.

"I'll be right back I just want make sure someone walks Kiyoko home."

I look back at her with smile and she nods her head. I close the door and walk back downstairs into the living room.

"Uh, Suga, you ok bro?" Tanaka asked nervously.

"Yeah, you got a pretty scary look on your face man." Noya said.

"I'm going to kill that bastard!"

With all the rage I had in me, I punched the wall.

"Woah, woah, calm down Suga. What happened?" Daichi said coming over to me.

"It WAS her ex that raped her and he even threatened her with Kiyoko's safety in order to keep her quiet. And for all we know he could be watching the house right now. I feel so helpless, I can't even protect the woman I love." I said through clenched teeth as I punched the wall again.

"Wait how do you know all this?" Kiyoko asked.

"Because she told me." I said.

"She spoke." She asked and I shook my head.

"She was too afraid to say it verbally. That's why she hasn't said a single word in fucking weeks." I said punching the wall again.

"For now you need to  calm down, this won't help her." Daichi said trying to stop me.

"Damn it, stop asking me to calm down!"

I punched the wall as hard as I could causing my fist to go through it.