One Smile

6: Hotgirl Summer Tricked Me

Content Warning: Sexual Assault Discussed

Jake POV

After getting our food and heading to her house I couldn't stop feeling worried and angry. That guy, Benjamin I think his name was, must have done something for her to react that way. She kept mumbling how she couldn't believe it was him and how there was people around, she must have been really panicked. I don't understand what was him but I plan on finding out. I should talk to Ethan and see if he knows anything. I don't want to overstep, but anyone who saw the way she came undone would do the same thing.

I convince her to let me stay and I wait downstairs for her to change. Her phone keeps buzzing on the counter and it is getting annoying. I decide to let her know and she asks me to check who it is. When I look at the message I instantly pick up her phone.

Unknown: Seems the virgin is now a slut. Getting one in before you finally off yourself?

Unknown: Too busy fucking your boyfriend to text me back? Can't believe it took you this long to figure out who it was. You really are dumb.

Unknown: Does he know how damaged you are or did you lie to him too? What did you promise him to get him to be around your pathetic ass.

I hear her enter the kitchen but I don't know what to say. Who the fuck says stuff like this. I look up at her and try to calm down before I talk. I don't want to take my anger out on her. I hear something about dramatic which just makes me angrier.

I snap. "What the fuck are these messages."

"What messages. Give me my phone." She tries to reach for her phone but I pull it back and just look at her.

"Sam, I am serious. Is this that Benjamin guy. This is not okay." She just stares at me. And then she cries.

"Please don't tell anyone. My parents can't know. I can't go back to therapy again. Please. I don't want to bother them anymore. I will delete the messages. I always block them and I have reported them to the police. I messed up. Fuck." And then she just cries harder. I don't know what to do. So, I set her phone down and pull her into a hug. She wraps her arms around me and cries harder and I just hold her. This is not what I thought my Friday with a girl would be.

After a lot of crying and begging she finally calms down. I lead her to the living room and we both sit on the couch. "Look. I want to respect your privacy but those messages were really fucked up. Do you want to talk about it?" I phrase it as a question but it is not a question. I am getting answers. This is ending. Some of those messages were threats and way too graphic. She just stares at me again. She seems to do that a lot.

"I barely know you. Isn't this weird?"

"I don't have to know you to know that you don't deserve those messages. Don't think about what I think. Just tell me what's going on." I say.

She takes a deep breath and then starts to tell me what happened. "My freshman year summer my ex-best friend Nathalie made me get Tinder. Tinder was a mess. But, there was one guy who seemed nice. His name was Brandon. I was 14 and he was 18. It should have been a red flag." I feel myself tense. I don't like where this is going. "Brandon and I met for coffee and he seemed normal. We went out on a few dates and everything seemed fine. One night in his car while we were parked in his driveway, he kissed me and got a little aggressive. I told him that I wasn't comfortable going there and he slapped me and called me a tease. He um, he then. He dragged me out of his car into his house. I was kicking and screaming for help but he lived alone. I ended up escaping and went straight to the police. They didn't do anything because I didn't have proof and it was his word against mine. I also was a minor but I didn't want to get my parents involved so I dropped it. I knew no one would believe me. He left town.