𝒪𝓅𝒽ℯ𝓁𝒾𝒶 𝒦𝒶𝓉ℯ 𝒜𝓃𝒹𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓈：
Ophelia Kate Andreas is the new girl at Milton Groves High School. She looks happy. Always smiling. Sure, she has her secrets.
But what happens when she meets the guy that might finally save her from her secret...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
This is it, I'm finally confronting her.
I give her a pointed look, telling her to answer the question.
She looks like she might be sick, her skin deathly pale. My expression softened. I can't help it.
"Please," I say quietly, giving her a pleading look. When she says nothing, I sigh. "I know... you don't want to say it, but it's tearing me apart not knowing who's hurting you."
"Nobody's hurting me," she says almost inaudibly.
"See that right there? That's a lie, baby," I brush her hair behind her ear.
"Please," she whispers. "Just let it go." Her eyes are... so sad.
"Let me help-"
"No. Just...I'm fine. I know what I'm doing. If anyone gets involved, it could mess the whole thing up." She's rambling.
"Who did it? Please. You don't owe anything to me, but I'm asking before it tears me apart."
She stays silent.
"Goddamnit, Ophelia!" I raised my voice. I wish I didn't because the look on her face makes me want to throw up.
She had flinched. Because I raised my voice, she had flinched. Fear painted her face.
"I'm sorry, baby," I held my hand out in front of me to show her I wont do anything. It hurts.
I watch her compose herself, taking a deep breath. The wariness is still on her face, but slightly better now. She takes my hand, and that's the only confirmation I need to pull her to me.
I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close to me. She may think this hug is for her, and that may be true, but I needed this too.
I'm trying to run over every possible solution, and everything seems to lead me back to... "It's your parents, isn't it?"
She stiffens in my hold. Got you.
"I can help you. Let me get you away from here."
"I leave, and where does that put Olivia? Say it. You know," Her voice is shaking.
"The system," I said as I realized. A shiver rolls down my spine.
There may be many nice families willing to adopt a sweet little girl, but there's also rapists and bad, bad people willing to take a sweet child and break them.
"I can't separate from Liv. I don't think I could do it, and if I'm being honest, neither can she. If anyone says anything, I'll be eighteen soon. Liv will go, and there is nothing we can do."
She's shaking so hard I'm keeping her from collapsing. I slowly brought us to the ground letting her cry into my shoulder.
"It's fine, baby, it's all gonna be okay. I promise," I will make sure it's fine. But I won't say that to her.
