My fists tighten. I took too much time before.
Hours turned to days.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks turned to months.
Before I knew it, I hadn’t spoken to Saint in almost six months before he left for good.
I don’t want to make the same mistakes again. I have so much to say, so much to apologise for.
I thought time would stand no bounds for a love like ours, but I’m scared it really has for him.
Afraid there’s too many cracks for us to ever mend together.
That night ruined my life.
But it wasn’t just a night. It wasn’tjustan assault.
I was raped. Drugged.
The lasting impacts cost me who I was, cost me my future.
The whole ordeal made me think I no longer deserved him, and I shattered my own heart letting him go.
24
Indie
Not About Angels - Birdy
Age Twenty-Two
“Andarethetwoindividuals known to you?” the officer asks, and I force a swallow down my throat.
“Conrad and George Montgomery,” I answer, my mouth tasting bitter, finally saying their full names out loud after months of blocking them out.
The officer’s pen stops, hovering over the ‘C’ of Conrad’s name.
He drags his gaze up at me, brows pinched together. Before I can even ask what’s wrong, he shoots to his feet.
“Just give me a moment. I’ll be right back.” He rushes out the room, face drained of colour as the door clicks closed behind him.
Jenna pops her head through the wide-open door, looking back down the corridor the officer practically ran through.
“Everything okay?” she asks, her face etched with concern.
“I’m not sure. I think so?”
I don’t know what the hell that was. He asked me to start from the beginning, and didn’t ask for the names until the end.
Regina’s a few rooms down from me, and Jenna has been waiting for us outside until we’re ready to leave.
She walks inside and hands me a bottle of unopened water, seeing as I nervously kept sipping at mine between every detail.
It’s almost been six months since that night.
I’ve been working in therapy the same as Regina; we’ve both decided to take professional martial arts classes, anything combining self-defence. Jenna, too.
