Heart Strings

Chapter Fifteen

⚠️Mentions Of Rape/Mentions of Suicide

Kal's POV

- 3 Hours before The arrest -

It was 8:30 pm, and I was at the kitchen table with my parents and my sister. Kumani was talking about the winter ball, it was a huge gathering my parents held. I wasn't excited about it anymore, especially after how I ended things with Eva.

Yet, the winter ball was a huge event. So, I knew everyone would be there. My Mother was the mayor and my Dad was a police officer. So, their popularity combined was at a high level. They always get invited to a white-tie event, all types of events.

Kumani sat down on the wooden chair beside me. Her freshly dyed hair, chestnut brown, was pulled into a ponytail. Mom was cooking pasta, some recipe she found off a cooking show. Dad was filing reports while answering whatever questions were directed at him.

"Can I talk to you? In private?" Kumani asked, in a hushed whisper. Her eyes silently pleaded with me.

I nodded, closing my laptop. Kumani had kept her word, keeping our conversation between us. Nothing had changed, I liked it that way I followed my older sister outside. She sat down on the sofa that my mom had placed out here months ago. It was a brown sofa that fits three people. The patio was big enough for two sofas.

"I've been meaning to talk to you." Kumani said calmly patting the seat beside her. The flickers of dragonflies here and there.

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused I sat down beside her.

"It's about what you told me that night."

"What about it?" I asked looking behind her, hoping and praying my parents couldn't hear us.

"I think we should tell someone, Dad's a cop." Kumani started, turning her body towards me. Those brown eyes searching for agreement. Yet, I didn't want to do that. I wasn't going to agree to out myself. Admit that I was bitched? I would die with that secret and I expected Kumani to as well.

"Kumani, no." I said quickly, I began to stand up. I didn't want to entertain the conversation any longer. I wanted to bury that, why couldn't she let me do that? Before I could make it far, she pulled me back, forcing me to sit.

"Don't you want her to pay? She took advantage of you! You can't remember how much you had to drink, you can't remember if you were wearing a green or blue sweater. You remember her forcing her way onto you, you were saying no. Why wouldn't we go to the police station-"

"You don't understand." I whispered.

"Then make me understand, Kalian. Don't you want justice? Don't you want her to suffer?" Kumani said growing more annoyed and fierce. I noticed the sorrow in her tone.

"It wasn't her fault, I could've done something. Been more aware." I choked out, breaking eye contact as my chest began to tighten. It was a constant pain, no matter how many times I addressed it.

It went quiet for a while, I was thankful for it. My head was spinning, the memory came back. Her lips were close to my ear, and her tight grip was on my wrist. The drinks after drinks. It all began to feel real almost as if I was there again. I wished to take it all back, I wanted Eva, I needed her, her comfort but I had fucked that up.

I wanted this memory wiped out. Before I could stop myself, words were tumbling out.

"When I realized what had happened, I wanted to kill myself. Everything that I had known, and learned about myself had crumbled. I didn't feel strong enough to...push her away. I begged, I remember begging to be released. I wanted control, but she took that away...being forced to..." I trailed off, my face soaking with tears.