Basketball Baby

• Chapter Eighteen •

He's Not The Sun, You Are

     I sat in my bed one late night at my computer and was scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook. I don't usually go on social media too much because people aren't very kind to me since I'm famous, so I was only on there to change my relationship status from single to in a relationship with Colton Bryant. It was a few moments after I changed it to see some ignorant comments start to pop up on my relationship status. I decided to read it to see what it was about and knew I shouldn't have done that. It read:

Funny how she accuses Kevin of 'raping' her and yet, here she is already with a NEW boyfriend. What a liar lol.

I took in a ragged breath as I shook my head at how stupid that person was. Just because I had a new boyfriend doesn't mean what Kevin had done was okay or that I was a liar. I know I didn't need a boyfriend, but I wanted Colton. I was falling in love with him. I sighed as I continued to read another:

God, poor Colton. She already has one guy in prison on 'rape' charges and now she's got another victim. Good luck, dude.

     I bit the inside of my cheek angrily and knew that that was a dumb idea to continue on. I rolled my eyes as I slammed my laptop shut and climbed off my bed. I was thankful high school was over because I didn't have to face the rude glares from my peers over sending their precious basketball star, Kevin Vincent, to prison.

      It angered me that they were on his side and it hurt to know that they thought I was making it up. I read many comments from strangers who I don't even know on posts from news articles about how Kevin dumped me and this was my way for getting back at him. Another one was that I was using my Father's money to plant 'fake' evidence about Kevin raping me and I just couldn't wrap my head around how rude and ignorant people are in this world. I shook my head and exited my room then jogged downstairs. "Hey Diana." My little brother, Theo, called from the living room. I turned over to look at him and he looked so guilty. I stared at him confused and walked over to him.

"Hey Theo, what's wrong?" I asked gently. He looked down at the floor like he had done something very wrong and my eyebrows knotted together in confusion as he began to frown. "Theo, whatever's wrong you can tell me. I promise I won't tell Mom or Dad." I assured him. He looked back up at me sadly and I began to frown at seeing him so upset.

"I'm not worried about them, I'm worried that you'll get mad at me." He sighed and I shook my head quickly as I knelt down on front him.

"Theo, I promise I won't get mad. Just tell me what's wrong." He stared at me for a few moments of silence as he began to believe my promise.

"One day, back when you were still dating Kevin. You were in the basement arguing..." He trailed off slowly and I suddenly knew what day he was talking about. That was day that my Mother found out about what Kevin was doing to me. I had gotten a new number that day and blocked him from every social media site and was told by my Mom to never speak to him again.

But Kevin decided to sneak over to my house and break into my basement. I went downstairs to investigate the noise when I froze all of a sudden and saw Kevin glaring at me furiously and it terrified the crap out of me.

"I was about to follow after you, but I was too scared so I ran into my closet and listened to what was going on through the vent. I heard you demand what that person was doing there and then I heard Kevin's voice and I thought you two were just being sneaky. So, I started to go back to bed but then I heard a loud slapping sound come up through the vent and I heard you grunt and then a thud," I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head as I felt the bile start to rise up in my throat because I couldn't believe my little brother heard Kevin rape me. "And then he-he hurt you really bad that night... didn't he, Diana?" He asked and I slowly nodded my head. That was the last time he raped me and broke into our house. We hired four security guards to watch the house at night and during the day.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear that, Theo." I apologized as I stared at him with tears in my eyes and he suddenly hugged me tightly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell, Diana. I love you." He whispered and I clutched him tightly to me and never wanted to let go.

"It's okay, Theo. I love you, too." I said gently and squeezed him tightly to me before releasing him. "Now, you have to promise me that when the lawyer's ask you if you have ever seen or heard anything about Kevin abusing me, you have to tell them what you just told me, okay? I promise you won't get in trouble." I said gently and he nodded his head.

"I promise, I'll tell them." He promised and I gave him a small smile as I ruffled his hair.

  "C'mon Theo, let's go play some video games." I sighed and he start to slowly grin at me as he nodded his head and jogged into the living room.