Sabrina ; The next generation

25

When I got back to my room, I put her down before I just stood and watched her.

She was already falling asleep. She was in her swaddle, but she was still kicking her legs a little.

I leaned down and I brushed my fingers over her head, then straightened up again.

I turned to walk to my bed, but then my heart stopped when I someone, and I fell back, landing on my arse.

I looked again, and I realised what I saw. Some type of shadow on the wall.

Scared, tears started falling down my face, and I hurried to crawl across the floor to turn on the lights.

When I looked now, the shadow was gone.

Then I got to my feet and hurried over to where my phone laid. I found Naomi's new phone number, and I called her, pressing the phone to my ear.

I got onto the bed, making sure to sit close to the crib.

"Are you okay?" Was the first thing Naomi said. "Did something happen?"

"There was a shadow." I cried, tugging at my hair. "I can't sleep here alone, Omi. I can't do it."

"Take a deep breath. I'll be right over, okay?"

"Okay..." I breathed. "...okay."

"It won't take me more than five minutes. I'll just tell Nan, and then I'll be over."

"Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. I'll see you in a minute, yeah?"

"Yeah."

She hung up and I threw my phone in front of me before running both hands over my face. I stared at my sleeping baby in her crib, while I scratched my arm.

I sat there until Naomi walked through my bedroom door, shutting it behind her.

"Hey..." she offered a faint smile, joining me on the bed.

"It was right there." I said, pointing to where I saw the shadow. "I swear, Omi."

"I know, love." She slid her arms around me and I leaned into her embrace. "And I know it seemed real, but it's your brain reacting to what happened."

I looked up at her.

"Have you seen shadows?" I whispered.

"Not shadows, but I have nightmares." She told me. "About being beaten up. About seeing you get killed."

She brushed her fingers through my hair and pressed a kiss to my temple.

"I love you, Omi."

"I love you too, Breena." She chuckled softly, wiping my cheeks. "Can I meet your baby?"

I nodded and pulled away from the hug before getting off the bed.

"She's asleep so you can hold her in the morning, but come..." I said, grabbing Naomi's hand and pulling her off the bed.

I led her to the crib, slipping my arm around her waist as we looked down at the sleeping baby.

"Naomi, meet Willow."

"You've named her?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was burping her and I asked my uncle what he thought about the name. Now I can't let it go. Saying the name felt right."

Naomi hummed, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched Willow sleep.

"It suits her." She said. "What more than Willow? Willow Weasley? Or do you want the Silverberry too?"

"Oh, definitely the Silverberry." I nodded. "I don't know. Willow Emma Silverberry-Weasley."

"Yeah? That's a great name." Naomi smiled, leaning her head on my shoulder.

I ran a hand along her jaw, and she looked at me, smiling.

I leaned in and kissed her. I pulled away to look at her, and then kissed her again, this time harder.

Naomi ran a hand to the nape of my neck, holding me close, but then I started getting flashbacks, taking me right back to Tomas forcing himself on me.

I pushed myself away from Naomi, gasping for air.

"What did he do to you..." Naomi muttered as she wrapped her arms around me from the back, pulling me against her.

"It wasn't his fault." I shook my head, as Naomi guided me to the bed, and forced me to sit down.

"No, I'm pretty sure it was."

"No. He didn't want to do it. He was beaten constantly by Emmanuel. He didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice." Naomi spoke, crouching in front of me. "Whether it's dying or suffering. He could easily have chosen that instead of..."

She looked away, shaking her head.

"Would you choose death instead of raping someone?" I asked. "Would you actually choose to die?"

"Yes!" Naomi snapped. "Wouldn't you?!"

I bit down on my tongue.

"Of course I would." I muttered. "But it still wasn't his fault, okay?"

"...okay." She said quietly. "He really fucked you up, huh? What— are you like in love with him or something?"

I looked at her, and she stood up, walking away from me.

"I'm sorry, but being held captive for ten months didn't turn me. I'm still fucking gay!"

"Don't shout." She said, gesturing towards Willow. "You're gonna wake her."

I laughed, running both of my hands over my face out of frustration.

"You've got fucking Stockholm syndrome or something."

I shook my head.

"Then why are you defending him? He raped you." She said. "He forced you to become a mother."

I shook my head, gripping onto the edge of the bed.

"And that wasn't the only time he raped you. So many times."

I stood up.

"That's not true." I said, shaking my head. "Who told you that?!"

Naomi walked closer to me.

"Emmanuel did." She told me, her eyes scanning over my face. "Every time they did something new to you, he told me. How many times did he have sex with you before you knew you were pregnant? Three, five times? And then afterwards, in the months while you were pregnant. How many times did Tomas force himself on you?"

"You're a bitch." I said through gritted teeth. "You know shit."

"What? So you're telling me you had consensual sex with Tomas? That you had sex with him because you wanted to?"

"I am saying that it got pretty fucking lonely in there."

"No shit? You don't think it got lonely in that room with the mattresses? Yet you don't see me humping your brother who by the way was my only company in all that time!"

I stared at her until I felt my eyes sting with tears. Naomi sighed, her face softened and she took a step towards me, but I shook my head at her.

"I'm sorry, Breena."

"It's fine." I sobbed, shrugging. "I don't care. I just want to go to sleep. You're welcome to stay."