On Leave

Thirteen

Thirteen

"I met Matthew in high school, sophomore year. We met through a mutual friend. I had a Boston father, so I had never dated before. I never had wanted to. Until I met him. He was a tall, handsome boy with pretty eyes. He had a smile that screamed charming, a personality to match. He was smooth, but a rough football player at the same time. Our group of friends ended up hanging out together every lunch, but he never really paid attention to me.

"One day my friends were being extra rowdy and ended up pushing me right into him. He barely kept us from falling but saved my face from the ground. I was so embarrassed and shy that my face turned bright red and I muttered my thanks before turning tail and running as fast as I could out of there.

"He ended up finding me the next day and charmed me into a date." Raelynn took a deep breath as she started remembering everything.

"Raelynn, sweetie, you're safe here, okay?" Ashley said. Both Sebastian and her were at the edges of their seats watching her intently.

"Thank you, Ashley," Raelynn said as she took in a deep breath.

"We dated for the rest of high school, but something changed when we became seniors." Her throat tightened as memories flooded back to her. She blinked quickly to get rid of the tears now filling her eyes.

"He would get so angry if I talked to another male. He would grab me and yank me away, yelling at me. He called me names when I didn't do something how he told me to. He would verbally and emotionally abuse me, telling me that no one would want someone as stupid as I was. But then I got a large scholarship for being valedictorian, and that summer I told him I wanted to go out of state. I told him that the relationship needed to end.

"He grabbed me and told me 'If you try to leave me I will kill you.' Then he started beating me, yelling at me, telling me that it was my fault. It then turned into 'You're leaving because you met someone else, aren't you?'

"It was like the more he beat me, the angrier he got. I couldn't do much then, I was weak, scared, and too worn out from the abuse. But then in his mumblings I heard him say 'If you want to be somebody's little whore, you can just be mine!' and he started ripping at my clothes. I had wanted to wait before I made love, and for some reason I knew that I wasn't ready for it no matter how hard he pushed." Raelynn started shaking, and she tightened her fists in order to hold herself together.

"RayRay, stop, it's okay." Ashley started, but she shook it off.

"I begged him not to, but he wouldn't stop. For some reason, even as tired and as scared as I was I found the strength to kick him between the legs. That gave me enough time to run. So, I ran, and I called the cops. They arrested him that night, and my family and I got a restraining order on him.

"He didn't know where I was, at least I thought he didn't. But the other day I found a note in my locker.

'Peek-a-boo, I see you'

And today...he was at the lake, I know it was him. I am sorry for pointing my weapon at you, I was scared, however I have been trained by the city police and certified to handle a handgun, I just had to get a private sale and certified."

There was a long silence, and it made Raelynn look up for a moment. Ashley was crying in silence, her hands covering her mouth as makeup ran down her face. Raelynn stood up and leaned over, wiping the tears from her face and eyes.

"Relax Ashley, it's okay I'm fine now, and I am going to have the office process the note for prints, if it turns out it's his, then he'll be arrested. Okay?" Ashley nodded before pulling Raelynn in for a hug.

"We'll protect you RayRay, I know!" she jumped excited as Raelynn pulled back.

"What?" Raelynn asked skeptically.

"You'll stay here with us!" Ashley clapped. Raelynn shook her head quickly.

"No, no I can't burden you with that, nor can I put you in danger if they don't catch him. I'm not going to pretend he couldn't hurt anyone else."

"Wise girl." Raelynn and Ashley jumped at the same time. Sebastian had become so quiet that for a moment she forgot he was there. He stood up, arms crossed, biceps bulging. His face was straight, not showing a sign of any emotion, but Raelynn could see the vein in his temple thumping, the slight flare in his nostrils, the tenseness in his body. He was furious, but his voice stayed calm.

"Until he is arrested, you'll stay here, it's much safer than your apartment, the neighborhood has security, and the house has alarms. If he shows up, it's best he shows up here." He said, his voice so dominant that Raelynn couldn't find herself denying it. He picked up his keys.

"Let's go." He said, leaving the room before either of the girls could respond.

Sebastian was furious. Furious that a man could treat a woman the way Raelynn had been treated. Furious with himself that he acted the way he did with her at the lake, knowing what he knows now. His hands were wrapped so tight around the wheel they were pure white.

"You know that was a stop sign right?" Ashley's voice broke through his trance. He sowed down the, forcing his grip to relax on the wheel.

"Sorry." He said as he parked in the complex.

Raelynn was the first to hop out, followed by Chip as she made her way calmly to the apartment. Ashley and Sebastian followed quietly behind. Of course, he understood her silence. Her privacy, her safety was threatened and now she was being moved away from her home.

Walking up the last staircase, Sebastian froze, mainly because Raelynn stood in front of her open doorway, shaking.

"RayRay, what's wr- oh my God!" Ashley dropped her bag as Sebastian looked inside.

His blood boiled.

Looks like this Matthew just crossed the breaking and entering line.

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Another one gone and another one gone and another one bites the dust!!!

J. Vas