The Next Best Thing: Part II

Nineteen

I writhed in pain on a cold floor. My head was aching and I could feel the painful blistering of the soles of my feet, constricted by the many straps of my sandals.

My eyes were slowly adjusting to the bright light being shone into them, a soft spoken medic checking if I was okay. To my left stood Min and Lily, both of them in their pyjamas with their hair done up for the night. Min looked exhausted and Lily had a concerned look on her face. She held on tightly to her sister. I saw the tears.

"She's going to be okay," the man assured my friends as he steadied my head. "Make sure she has a lot of rest tonight and takes her prescribed medication."

A few police officers stood by the door notepads in tow. They were waiting to get my statement, and to ask if I was going to press any charges against my assailant. I remembered being held against my will in Sebastian's car. I could still smell the foul odour escaping his mouth.

My wrists bore the marks of my attacker, grabbing me against my will. My lips were throbbing - he had bit my bottom lip violently trying to kiss me. I shuddered at the horror of my encounter with him. I tried to close my eyes to stop thinking about it but that didn't seem to work.

Tears fell down the side of my face, stinging my lips and landing on the floor. The officers approached with caution and asked if I was up to talking to them. Min acted as my spokeswoman, politely asking them to come back tomorrow morning when I would be feeling better.

"Everything is okay now, Zoe. You're okay. You're okay." She came to my side and squeezed my hand. Her face mirrored my fright, although she tried to be strong for the both of us.

My hero doorman helped carry me to the apartment and I heard Min thanking him for being there for me, tremendous gratitude in her voice. He was happy to have saved me. As per his words, it was his job to watch over his tenants. I resolved to pay him my thanks as well, as soon as I got better.

Before long, I was drifting to sleep after my aspirin kicked in. Lily was right there next to me - no-one was ever going to leave my side again.

...

His hands were pinning me down on the seat, his lips attacking mine with what he would call passionate kisses.

I was repulsed by his smell, my stomach churning each moment he shoved his tongue down my throat; it was hoarse from screaming for help, which I had given up and accepted my fate.

He had ripped off my skirt and parted my bound legs for him, forcefully inserting a part of himself inside of me. My tears were cascading down my cheeks, my eyes closed, unable to watch what was happening to me.

It was excruciating, physically and emotionally, and I wished he would just end my life then and there. The sadistic sociopath was pleasuring himself, taking comfort at how much pain I was feeling, moaning in extreme delight, going faster and faster.

He lasted for a few minutes, spilling his vile semen into my mouth when he was done and laughing as I spat and cried, throwing up in my mouth. "I'm so fucking great!" he yelled, pounding his chest like a gorilla.

The seat was damp with blood, seeping into the threads and damaging Joss's expensive, ruined dress. He turned more violent when he saw how I had soiled his precious Jaguar's backseat, kicking me in the gut and my groin.

He choked me for crying in agony, telling me I had done it to myself. I had no fight left in me, no voice left to cry out for help. I felt my last breath escape from my mouth and I thanked God for ending my life.

I woke up in a sweaty daze, my body shuddering from my terrifying nightmare. I started to sob, rolling onto the floor and hugging myself.

My body rocked in relief and terror. I was too horrified to close my eyes so I let them glaze over and blind me. Lily was breathing softly in a light sleep any small noise would rouse.
I crawled into the bathroom and locked myself up where I could cry some more without her hearing me. I held onto my phone protectively against my skin. I was going to call him and ask him to sing me to sleep like he used to do if I had a bad dream or when I couldn't sleep.

I dialled his phone and I hoped he would pick up soon. I prayed that he would still be able to put me out of my misery.

"Zoe?"

"Mitchell," I sobbed, all my tears engulfing my body, my emotions taking over.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Zoe, talk to me? What's wrong?"

I mumbled what had happened to me and my dream, not caring about where we stood. He was my best friend once upon a time and he knew exactly what to do.

"Don't cry, Zoe. The strong person I fell in love with shouldn't be crying right now. He's never going to hurt you again," he soothed. "You're safe now, baby. I'm here, okay?"

I sobbed some more and he listened, trying his best to make me feel better. He sang my favourite lullaby, humming it in an almost whisper which eventually made me stop crying.

I fell asleep to the lull of his warm voice, leaving it to him to end the call. I could feel his warm embrace protecting me from all the evils of the world, covering me with his love and affection. I was safe now.