“Would it help if I stayed?”
Mia thought about it. “Yeah. I tink it would.”
Gage helped her get back in bed then settled on the floor with his back resting against the side of her bed. “Den I'll stay right here.” If anyone in her family came in, he'd come up with an explanation for his presence.
“Okay.” She curled up on her side. At first she wasn't sure it was going to do any good, but then her eyes started to feel heavy and before she knew it she was asleep.
Gage
Gage wasn't exactly sure when he fell asleep or for how long he'd slept. He was awakened when a hand gripped his shoulder and shook it.
“Gage Delacroix, what on earth are you doin' in here?”
It took a moment for Gage's brain to wake up enough to realize Mia's mother was shaking him awake. Her whispered words confused him for a moment before his mind cleared of the cobwebs and he was able to respond. “I came to check on her earlier and she asked me to stay.”
Eliza glanced at her sleeping daughter before she motioned for him to follow her. She wasn't going to let him brush off her concern now.
Gage knew what was coming. He followed Mia's mother into the hall and then to the living room. When she turned to him he wasn't prepared for the fear he saw in her eyes.
“What happened at da prom? Don't give me anymore of dis 'It's not my place' business. Someting bad must have happened for me to find you asleep in her room.”
Gage hoped Mia would forgive him for telling her mother what he knew. “Her date to da prom drugged her. When I got to his car...I'm not sure what he did, how far he got, but I heard her tell him no and to stop and...I lost it. If Remy hadn't shown up when he did, I probably woulda killed him. When I came to check on her, she'd been cryin'. She said she was afraid to go to sleep because ever'time she closed her eyes she saw what he did to her, and what he'd planned on doin'. I offered to stay, if it would help her sleep.”
It wasn't as bad as she'd feared but it was still bad enough. Her daughter was sexually assaulted. “We had dat boy in our home and all dat time he was plannin' on hurtin' her?”
“Mia's prom date hurt her?”
They both turned to look at Julius. Neither of them had heard him come down the hall.
“Tell me you beat da shit outta him for it?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Good. Is Mia gonna press charges?”
“I dunno.” Gage wondered about that himself.
“What good would it do? He'll get off and I'll have to deal wit' all da threats and nasty looks from others.”
All three turned at Mia's voice. “Mia, cher, he needs to pay for...whatever he did to you.” Eliza couldn't force her daughter to do it but she could strongly encourage her.
“But don't you get it, mama? He wouldn't pay for anyting. We see it on da news all da time. Women are sexually assaulted, abused, raped, and da men who do it get away wit' it. Dey turn it all around and make it all da woman's fault.” Mia shook her head. “I can't go through dat.”
Gage went to her and carefully took her hands in his. “Den you won't have to. No one is goin' to make you do anyting you don't want to do, Mia. Not now, not ever.” The look on his face said if her family tried to push her into it he'd go off on them.
“Thank you.” She smiled faintly at Gage. “You look like you didn't get much sleep, go home and get some. I'm fine.”
He eyed her. “You sure?” At her nod he let go of her hands. “Okay. You know if you need anyting, I'm here, right?”
“I know, Gage.”
He nodded one last time and left. He wasn't so sure she really was okay but he had to give her space. It went against his every instinct but he walked out the front door and headed home.
Caroline Delacroix was sitting at the kitchen table when her son came in. She'd been awake since her husband was brought home half dead and she was exhausted, but she couldn't rest just yet. “I'm glad you're home. We need to talk.”
Gage wasn't expecting to find anyone awake but he resigned himself to whatever his mother had to say and took a seat across from her. “What's on your mind, mama? It's not papa, is it? He didn't get worse, did he?”
“No, no, it's got no'ting to do wit' your papa. It's about you and Mia Lafluer.”
