The Ruels of My Heart

chapter twenty-nine - ruel's perspective

Leo is in my arms next to me, fast asleep. I never want to let her go. I can't get to sleep. I just stare at the ceiling. My cheeks are damp with tears, and I am in utter disbelief. I can't believe it. I can't believe him. Leo told me everything. She and Carson were dating a couple of years ago. It was her first serious relationship. It all started out fine but then he started to abuse her. She asked him to stop but he didn't, instead he told her to stop worrying and that it was normal. He made her think what he was doing happened to everyone, and made her think she was in love with him. But then things got worse. He started to drug her and let other guys pay to have half an hour alone with her to do whatever they wanted to do to her. When she tried to break up with him he would just hit her. He broke her collarbone. He dislocated her shoulder. Anyone ask what happened? Just a sports injury. Those are only two of the examples she told me. She never told anyone anything. I can't imagine what she was going through. After a while his family moved to Adelaide, so she thought that was the end of it all, that she would never see him again. But then this morning... That's just the simple version. The way she described it to me, I will never forget. The detail. I could feel the hurt, just from her words. The pain in her eyes, I will never forget. I can't describe it. She completely broke down when she was explaining it to me, letting go of all of the emotions she had bottled up for so long. What touches me most is that she trusted me. She trusted me to be with her when she was at her most vulnerable state. I never would have pressured her into telling me, but when I asked her what happened she told me. Everything. Meeting Carson today, he seemed like an average guy. I need to talk to Coco. And warn her.

"Coco," I whisper, nudging her, "I-"
"Go away Ruel. It's the middle of night," she replies, her tone full of annoyance. She weakly hits me, in a sibling way.
"It's-"
"Just go back to your room."
"Coco," I continue, turning on her bedside lamp, making her squint. Carson flinches beside her, but he's still asleep. God I can't bare to look at him. "I need to talk to you. It's super important. I was going to wait until the morning but I can't any longer. Will you come outside with me?" I ask.
"Oh fine, since you've woken me up now. But it better be super important."

We sit in our backyard, Coco resting her head on my shoulder, silent in disbelief. I told her. Not in detail like Leo told me because that aches too much to think about, but I told her what she needed to know. If Carson did or does anything almost a tiny bit like what he did to Leo, I wouldn't be able to bare it. He hurt the most important person in the world to me so much, I will not let him hurt my sister.
A few minutes later, I ask, "So what are you going to do?"
"Well," Coco says, taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes. I know that she loved Carson a lot and she trusted him. "I guess I am going to have to break up with him."