I turn on the sink and cup my hands beneath the lukewarm water, splashing my face and gasping at the sting when it hits my bruises. I use the coarse paper towels to clean myself as best I can, then pull a clean T-shirt from my bag to change into.
As I lift my shirt over my head, I catch sight of my torso in the mirror and stop, staring in horror at the bruises. My ribs are a canvas of violent colors—deep purple fading to blue-green at the edges, yellowed patches from older incidents. The boot print is unmistakable, its treaded outline stamped into my flesh like a brand.
Something breaks inside me at the sight. Some last thread of denial I'd been clinging to. A sob escapes my lips, then another, until I'm crying so hard I can barely breathe through the pain in my ribs.
I slide down the wall to the filthy floor, knees pulled to my chest despite the agony and let myself fall apart completely. Every suppressed tear, every swallowed scream, every moment of terror and humiliation… It all pours out of me in the harsh fluorescent light of a public restroom.
I don't know how long I sit there, rocking myself through the storm of emotions. Eventually, the sobs subside into hiccupping breaths, and a strange calm settles over me. I feel emptied out, hollowed. But somehow clearer.
"Never again," I whisper to the empty restroom. "Never again."
I finish changing my shirt, then splash more water on my face to erase the evidence of my breakdown. There's no way I'm spending the night on this disgusting floor. I'll find somewhere else: an unlocked car, an apartment building laundry room, anywhere but here.
I pick up my bag, check my appearance once more in the cracked mirror, and unlock the door. The park is still empty, now shrouded in near-darkness as night claims Blackwater Falls. I step outside, shivering as the cool air hits my tear-dampened face.
The sound of another motorcycle breaks the silence. Closer this time, and slowing. I dart behind the restroom building, heart pounding against my injured ribs. The engine cuts off nearby.
Heavy boots crunch on gravel. A flashlight beam sweeps the playground, then moves toward the restrooms.
I press myself against the concrete wall, hardly daring to breathe. The footsteps circle the building. The beam of light finds me, blinding after the darkness.
"Well," says a gravelly voice. "What do we have here?"
I raise my hand to shield my eyes from the light, unable to see the man behind it. Fight or flight instinct kicks in, but my battered body offers little hope for either option.
"Just passing through," I say, aiming for casual but hearing the tremor in my voice. "Using the restroom."
"Public restrooms closed at sunset," the voice replies. "Park too."
The light lowers slightly, enough that I can make out a tall silhouette. Male, broad-shouldered, intimidating. My pulse races faster.
"I'm leaving," I say, clutching my bag tighter. "Right now."
I take a step sideways, intending to circle around him, but my foot catches on an exposed tree root. I stumble, gasping as pain shoots through my ribs, and nearly fall.
The man moves with unexpected speed, catching my arm before I hit the ground. The sudden movement pulls at my injuries, and I can't suppress a cry of pain.
"You're hurt," he says, his voice changing from suspicious to something more alert.
"I'm fine," I insist, trying to pull away. "Please, just let me go."
Instead, he raises the flashlight again, this time directing it at my face rather than my eyes. I know what he sees. The poorly concealed bruise on my cheekbone, the fear in my bloodshot eyes, the evidence of recent tears.
"Who did that to you?" he asks, his voice hardening.
"No one," I answer automatically. "I fell."
He makes a sound somewhere between a snort and a growl. "Try again."
"It doesn't matter," I say, desperation creeping into my voice. "Please, I need to go before—"
I cut myself off, but it's too late. His posture changes.
"Before what?" he presses. "Before who?"
I shake my head, unwilling to say more. The man sighs and lowers the flashlight completely, clicking it off. In the sudden darkness, I can finally see him clearly in the faint moonlight.
He's even more imposing than his silhouette suggested. Tall, muscular, with short dark hair and what appears to be tattoos creeping up his neck from beneath his collar. But it's his eyes that catch me, a startling shade of green, watchful and intelligent.
