One Last Whisper

Chapter 6

Isabel's POV

I woke up with a pounding headache and and ache in my chest. Where am I?, I mentally thought to myself. As I gathered my surroundings, memories from the party came flooding back. Some guy ripping my clothes off my body and punching me in my face. Spencer coming to my rescue, too late.

I sit up quickly and notice someone sitting in a chair beside my bed sleeping. It's Spencer. He looks as if he hasn't shaved or showered in a few days, but he still looks as handsome as ever. He looks like, he's having a bad dream, by the way his face was scrunched up in a scowl. I slip out of the bed quietly, careful not to wake him. I step into the bathroom connected to my room, and flick on the light. I stand face to face with a girl who has a large bruise over her eye and a small cut on her lip. After my initial shock, I realize that this girl, with the unrecognizable face, is me. There is an ache in the lower region of my body that I also don't recognize. Did I get...raped? The astounding realization that I had indeed been raped, caused me to sink the floor, with tears threatening to spill over the brim of my eyes.

The sketchy memories of, pain and suffering that evaded my consciousness were shocking. I was in the dark, immobilized by a death grip on my wrists, that pinned my arms above my head. My tortured screams, drowned out by the loud, deafening music of a stereo system. Someone's chapped lips and alcohol coated tongue, forcing its way into my mouth, muffling my screams. My futile attempts to call Spencer, anyone to save me from the agonizing pain. I couldn't hold in the piercing scream that ripped its way out of my lips. The physical pain, was tolerable compared to the emotional pain I felt. I felt hopeless, lost, confused, dirty, and broken. Strong arms suddenly wrapped around me and a familiar calm seeped into my soul. Spencer held me as as the trembles of anger wracked through my body. I was definitely losing my mind, but I didn't care. If screaming was the only outlet of my pain, I sure as hell was going to take it. As the tears started to subside, I breathed in Spencer's earthy scent. I reminisced on our moments before my incident. Us cuddled awkwardly on the love seat, our bodies grinding against one another on the dance floor, and me screaming Spencer's name for help. This thought made me instantly pull away from him. I looked up at his confused expression, suddenly angry.

"You weren't there." I whispered angrily, through clenched teeth.

I wasn't even genuinely mad at him, just the situation I found myself in. The fact that I could have been spared of this torture if Spencer would have just come to my rescue, caused my temper to flare.

"I know, Isa I'm sorry." He whispered, hanging his head.

This sad and hurt expression, tore my heart apart. I just wanted to wrap in in his arms and take away all his pain. But I couldn't because I could barely bear mines.

"Isabel, I'm so sorry. It was stupid of me to let you go alone. I wasn't thinking. I'm just...just sorry." he says, with a few tears escaping his green eyes.

I sit there, stock still. Spencer is crying? Spencer has never cried, at least not in front me, and I'm glad he hasn't up until now, because I swear my whole heart just shattered into a million pieces. Not being able to take it anymore, I rush to where he is and wrap my arms around his neck. I hold on for dear life because if i let go everything will seem real again. I need a cloak and drowning in Spencer's warmth and scent is just that. Spencer holds me tight, like if he doesn't I might disappear. He mumbles apologies, as tears continue to fall down both of our faces. Even though we both know our relationship, is and will never be the same again, we soak up this moment into the deep corridors of our memories. I will never be the same and neither will he. I'm broken and irreparable and it's definitely going to put a strain on our friendship, or whatever this has become.

As we continue to hold each other, cuddled on the bathroom floor of my hospital room, I hear someone call my name in the other room. I'm shocked to see my mother standing in the doorway of the bathroom a few seconds later. Her face looks as if she has been crying, due to the puffiness of her eyes and red blotches on her cheeks. Spencer gives me a kiss on my forehead and stands up.

"I'll leave you two alone." he says while scratching the back of his head.

He goes up to my mother and gives her a big hug. He lets her go and gives her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before unwillingly walking out the room. I stand up, and my mother just stare at each other for a moment. Under her mask of tears I can see the dark circles under her eyes, letting me know that she has been deprived of sleep. Her usually silky brown curls, a color we both share, are a tangled mess on top of her head. Her usually shining blue eyes are drowned with worry. After a moment of hesitation, I break down and rush into her warm embrace. She holds on to me tight, while I relish in her rare show of affection, due to her absence in my life. As she murmurs reassurances and kisses my head repeatedly, I breathe in her signature lavender scented perfume. This is what I need, this is home. She suddenly pulls back and looks into my eyes.

"I'm so sorry honey." she says, a new wave of fresh tears threatening to spill over and out of her eyes. "Mom, I was so scared, an-and I felt so helpless." I say shaking with sadness and regret.

"Oh baby, I know. I know" she says wrapping me into another hug.

Even though some people think that me and my mother's relationship should be broken it's far from that. My mother may not always be there, but that's only because she wants me to have a better life than she had.

I don't know how much time passes, as we embrace each other in the door way that seperates my room from my own private bathroom, nor do I care. My mother is here now and I need her more than ever. When my legs start to ache from standing up so long, my mother leads me back into my room and we sit down on my bed. When we are settled comfortably onto the bed, my mom turns to face me where she lays beside me on the bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asks me as she grazes my cheek with the tips of her fingers soothingly.

I shake my head.

"No, not now" I say solemnly.

I don't know if I'm ready to face the truth right now. If I let myself believe that what happened really did happen, I'll never be able to come to terms with it. Ignoring the little voice in my head telling me that keeping things bottled up will have a worse outcome, I snuggle into my Mom. I just want to sleep cuddled into my Mom's arms like I use to do when I was little, and couldn't sleep during storms. So I do just that, only this storm is inside of me. I drift soundly off to sleep, ignorant to what awaited me in the world of the unconscious.