Finding Luciana

3: Pretty Little Bruises

.:Luciana:.

It's been a few weeks now since the incident with Noah. He's been texting me and calling me several times during the day and even more at night. I can't bring myself to block him and delete his number. 

"Mama! I'm gonna go out, I'll be back later today!" I called as I pulled on my shoes at the door. 

"Okay, let me know when you're heading home!" She called back. I grabbed my keys and phone and jogged down the steps. As I walked to my car I felt someone's eyes on me. I looked around and saw Pablo leaning on his car as his buddy got in the passenger side. 

I scoffed and got in my car, setting down my bag and plugging in the aux. I played my heavy metal playlist and carefully pulled out of the driveway. When I was out on the street and well on my way to the mall I turned up my music and rolled the windows down a little bit. I sang out loud as I drove down the highway.

I pulled off on the exit to the mall and turned my music down as I turned and entered the lot. I hopped out of my car and grabbed my stuff from the passenger side and began walking to the entrance. I hummed the song I had been listening to and wandered through the mall. 

The nightmares and showers haven't been as bad lately, I've been distracting myself and avoiding Noah. Sometimes he called me bad things then 2 minutes later he'd apologize and try to butter me up again and convince me to talk to him. 

I found myself in Hot Topic, and I was wandering through the men's shirts. I found a few cool ones and a super cute dinosaur crop top in the women's section. I cast a glance at the really cool skateboards hung on the wall, the boards that were painted and the bright wheels.

"They're pretty dope, aren't they." I heard someone say from behind me. I spun around, shocked to see Pablo standing behind me. 

"Oh, um yeah. I don't know how to ride one though.." I said, fear of being touched crept up my neck, down my spine and I tried to push away the feelings of hands on me. 

I swallowed, about to grab my bag and make a mad dash for the door, but then Pablo spoke again, this time much softer, "What did he do to you?" Instantly my eyes watered and my throat tightened up.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I tried to say confidently, but my voice wavered and a tear dropped from my eye. 

"Let's take a walk, Luci." He offered, carefully holding out his hand. I swallowed the suffocating feeling, like my face was buried in my sheets again. 

"Hey, its okay." He whispered as he grabbed my hesitant hand. When we were out of the store into the bustling mall I heard him say something that made my stomach drop right to my feet. 

"Luciana, my friend Jason saw the video. He didn't show me, but he told me what Noah did to you." Pablo said, outright. His eyes averted and his hand began to slip from mine. Something in me said that Pablo wasn't going to hurt me, despite the tattoos, drug lord background, temper, despite everything, he wasn't going to hurt me. I took a deep breath and held his hand a little tighter. 

"Promise me, you won't h-...hurt me.." I started, but my voice faded and cracked as I thought of being hurt. 

"Oh, no no no Luci, it's okay. I would never wish that kind of pain, much less on top of the trauma you're dealing with." He gave my hand a comforting squeeze. 

"Hey let's go do something, I bet you want to take your mind off of.. of what happened." He offered, with a crooked smile. I nodded and offered one back. He did a girly little jump and pulled me through the mall, until we were standing outside of a build-a-bear workshop. I laughed, out of breath from running past shops and dodging people as Pablo laughed and pulled me along.