The Older Man Part II

Chapter 14

No More Secrets

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CHEYENNE'S POINT OF VIEW

I blew my nose into another tissue, hoping it would clear away the stuffiness that could be heard in my voice.

My nose was full of the collected tears I had sniffled from my upper lip. My face was red with irritation. My eyes were beginning to dry out from how much moisture abandoned them with every tear drop I let cascade down my cheek.

Visibly, I looked as awful as I felt on the inside.

I had been so conflicted. I wanted to tell Vincent the day that it happened, but I was too frozen by the horror of it. And every day since then that I didn't tell him was because I felt that saying it would actually make it real.

I tried to block it from my mind, but I couldn't do it.

It was a constant thought on my mind that I wasn't able to shake. I thought by not talking about it, it would somehow make it magically disappear, but I was dead wrong.

When only I was affected by the horrific memories of what happened, I felt like it was fine. Vincent wasn't hurting and he wasn't affected because he didn't know, so I didn't seem any real harm.

It wasn't until it started to interfere with my relationship with Vincent that I realized I had to come clean.

The other day when I was washing the dishes and he tried to touch me, I panicked.

I had successfully avoided any intimacy with Vincent since that day with Adrian. I could tell the lack of affection was getting to him and I couldn't put Vincent through that any longer. That's why I let him kiss me and hold me in his arms.

Honestly, I liked the feeling of his arms around me. I felt safe and at home, as cliche as it was. It was like a security blanket.

And when I felt his lips on my neck, it felt like Adrian was the one kissing me and I wanted nothing more than to be away from it.

I knew what happened at work caused problems with Vincent and I. I didn't know how to tell him but I knew I had to.

That's why I called in for some help.

I couldn't live like this any longer. Vincent and I had a great relationship before this and I wasn't going to allow Adrian to mess that up, and if it meant facing the demons that followed me around since that day, then so be it.

The sound of the doorbell ringing pulled me out of my reverie.

With the sleeve of my sweatshirt, I wiped my face of any wetness my constant crying may have caused.

I got up from the bed and walked over to the front door. When I opened the door, I was greeted with the familiar, and comforting, face of Thalia.

We haven't seen each other in a little while, but we frequented contact over the phone. Seeing her in person after all this time was a reassurance.

She immediately noticed how disheveled I looked and went in for a hug.

I couldn't help but begin to sob into her shoulder. The tears I felt had all been emptied out of me seemed to be restocked in an instant.