The Man In The Woods (Virgin Killer #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Sitting up from my bed and stretching, I realized it was the middle of the day. Sunlight peeked through my curtains. I glanced to my side, not seeing Damon next to me. He must have tired me out, for I don't remember much of anything after our physical encounter that occurred this morning...

I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, lifting up my cami in search of love marks. I then pulled my shorts down and checked there, too. There was nothing that I could see. It surprised me that there wasn't any visible hickies on my neck. I grabbed a washrag and scrubbed my neck, under the assumption that I'd covered them up with my concealer. Nothing again.

Huh?

Puzzled, I stripped down and looked over every crevice of my naked body. Still nothing! How was that possible?! I turned on the shower, briefly waiting for the water to get hot.

When it was where I wanted it to be, I stepped into the shower, closing the glass door behind me. I ran my hand through my knotted hair, and grabbed the bottle of combined shampoo and conditioner with my other. It had the scent of my favorite flower: lilacs. I always wanted to put a pot of lilacs in my room. It was something I had planned to do since I was thirteen, but never got around to it. I can never remember why...

The heat of the water still reminded me of Damon. It felt like he was here now, washing me with his warm and gentle hands...

***

Finishing up with my shower, I wrapped one of the white towels that I hung up on the hook of my closet door. I towel-dried my hair before getting dressed. I wore a camouflage hoodie that Christian had bought for me, along with a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. I didn't think I was gonna go anywhere, so I just threw on my comfy black slippers and strolled downstairs, feeling refreshed already.

I greeted Momma in the kitchen, which slightly surprised me, for she never arrived home until 4:00. She must have taken the day off, I thought to myself, but then I recalled what Damon had told me this morning before... I shooed that thought away as I sat down at the table.

"How are you feeling?" Momma asked me, her eyes peering at me with concern. "Physically or mentally?" I responded, a little confused. "Both," momma simply replied.

I shrugged my shoulders, glancing at Momma before staring at my hands on the table. "I don't feel as groggy like I was this morning. For the first time in a long time, I actually feel refreshed," I paused and looked up at Momma. "Is that a bad thing?"

Momma shook her head no. "It's a great thing to feel, given everything you've been through," she said with a smile. I smiled back, but I didn't feel it reach my eyes. "Have you received any more contact from him?" Damn, I knew this question was gonna resurface...

"No, I haven't. Not since... Well, whenever I was on the phone with him that day, when I freaked out. When​ was that again?"

"Three days ago."

"Wow. I'm sorry for what I put you and everyone through."

"Skyler," Momma said tenderly as she reached across the table and took my hands in hers. "Don't be sorry for something that wasn't your fault. It was out of your control."

"I've noticed a lot of things have been out of my control as of recently..."

"Like what?"

"I can't remember everything that he did to me. After two months, I seem to have blackouts! And whenever I try to remember it, I can't tell what's real and what isn't! It's driving me insane!"

Momma sighed. "Baby, it's absolutely normal to experience what you're telling me. This man, he traumatized you. And usually, when a person experiences things like that —and even worse— mentally, they can't handle that it happened to them, so they blotch those memories out of their mind. Obviously, you didn't intentionally do that. Your mind did that for you. So don't sweat it. You'll remember everything when the time comes."

I sat there silently, slowly digesting her speech. I noticed there was an undertone to her last sentence, as if she wasn't just talking the man anymore.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" I asked, a sudden boldness overcoming my tone.

I will say, looking back at this, I had not intended to inquire this aloud. But still, to this day, I never expected this reaction.

I watched the blood drain from Momma's face. Her skin turned whiter than a bedsheet. She appeared as if she was about to cry. Abruptly rising from her chair, she uttered something about having to run an errand. She didn't give me time to react as she grabbed her keys and rushed out the door as fast as her legs would allow. When I reached the porch, she'd already backed out of the driveway and drove away at a high speed.

Sighing in defeat, I walked back into the house, slamming the door as I went. I sat down on the floor and pressed my back against the door.

I shoved my hands inside my hoodie's pocket, feeling for my phone. I pulled it out and checked for messages. Nothing. I rested my head against the door and closed my eyes.

There was something Momma needed to tell me. I just know it. But why couldn't she just come out and say it?

I was interrupted by my phone ringing.

And right away, I regretted even answering.

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~S.M.