Dimitri
SAVINA DOESN’T GOto ballet class that night. I would know since I snuck in the back to watch her like I always do. Fuck, I’m borderline stalking her now, but I decide I don’t care. She’s like a drug to me, and I’m beyond addicted. I haven’t seen her in over a week, and the high has already worn off. I feel like I’m going through withdrawal. My father has been keeping me extra busy with work, which has kept me from her. But I decide enough is enough. I need to taste Savina on my tongue again. I need to hear her moaning my name as she squirms under my hand and my mouth.
After a quick perusal of the camera footage from inside her apartment determines Savina is not home, I walk to places that she frequently visits — the library, the coffee shop down the street, the park. I’ve run out of places, and still, Savina is nowhere to be found. Grumbling under my breath, I make a mental note to put a tracker app on her phone. I don’t know why I need to know where she is allthe time. Call it peace of mind or whatever the fuck you want to call it. I don’t care. I justneedto know.
I’m rounding the corner back towards her apartment, and that’s when I spot her. She’s bundled up with a cup of coffee and a brown paper bag in her hands. She’s walking slowly with her head down, so unlike the confident and effervescent Savina I’ve come to know.
Curiosity gets the best of me, and I rush after her. When I finally catch up with her, I spot AirPods in her ears. She’s oblivious to her surroundings and doesn’t hear me when I come up from behind and touch her shoulder.
Jumping like I just shocked her with electricity, she whips around quickly, the coffee cup and paper bag falling out of her hands and onto the dirty sidewalk. Her hand goes to her heart as if it’s trying to escape her chest. “What the hell is wrong with you?” she hisses as she takes out her earbuds and pockets them inside her coat.
“Why weren’t you at ballet class?” I blurt out.
She hesitates, her eyes finally meeting mine. I can see that they’re bloodshot, and she has dark circles under them like she hasn’t slept in days. “I…I didn’t feel like going,” she finally says before staring down at the sidewalk at her discarded food. “Damn, I really wanted that cream cheese bagel,” she says quietly, more to herself, I think. Tears quickly fill her eyes. At first, I think she’s crying over the wasted food; but then it’s like the dam breaks, and she’s openly sobbing right in the middle of the sidewalk as people stare, judging the hell out of us, while they walk past.
Growling, I pull Savina into a nearby alley away from prying eyes and put my finger under her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. “What’s wrong, Savina? And don’t tell me you’re losing it over a fucking bagel,” I insist.
Her chin trembles in my grip as she tries to compose herself, only to fall apart a second later. I’ve never seen her like this before, and it’s scaring the hell out of me. Something happened.Something bad.
Savina turns to run away, but I can’t let her go without knowing the truth. So, I grab her arm in a bruising grip and spin her back toface me. “Savina, tell me what happened,” I demand, refusing to release her until I get some answers.
“I…I went…” she starts but then stops before blowing out a shaky breath.
Her pretty green eyes finally meet mine, and I can see the pain swimming inside those watery emerald orbs. I don’t know why, but the need to ask this next question presses in on me like a thousand-pound weight on my chest. “Who hurt you?” I ask, barely containing my anger. I swear if it’s her stepmother again, I’ll kill her with my goddamn bare hands and worry about the repercussions later.
“Why don’t you ask your father?” Savina lashes out, leaving me completely and utterly stunned. “He’s the one who hired that stupid doctor!” She tugs out of my grip, and I reluctantly release her.
“What? What doctor?” I shake my head in confusion. Internally, I think about the last several conversations with my father, and he never once mentioned any kind of physician to me.
“The doctor performed a test. A test for my…to see if I’m a…” Her voice trails off and her eyes fall to the floor.
She’s too embarrassed to finish that sentence, and it dawns on me what she’s actually saying. This man examined her.Touched her.My blood begins to boil in my veins at her words. My father wouldn’t actually set up that kind of examination, would he? But I already know the answer to that question, because Savina doesn’t lie. And she certainly wouldn’t lie about this. The only question swimming in my mind is why would my father do something so barbaric?
Savina trembles with fear, wrapping her arms around herself, and it reminds me of when she was younger. When I used to bully her to get my way. Grumbling, I swipe a hand down over my face. I’ll deal with my father later. Right now, I need to know what happened from Savina’s perspective. Obviously, I haven’t gotten the full picture here considering her current state. Grabbing her arm again, I pull her in closer. “What did the doctor do during the exam?” I demand, knowing there’s a lot more to this story.
“He…he t-t-took p-p-pictures of me,” she stammers. Iknow she only struggles to speak now when her anxiety is bad or if she’s nervous.
“Pictures?” I say in confusion, my voice coming out garbled over the sound of blood rushing through my ears.Why the hell would he take pictures of her?
“And he…t-t-t-touched me,” she whispers, curling in on herself and looking ashamed of that admission. “It wasn’t the normal kind of t-t-t-touching from a d-d-doctor. It was…intimate,” she says with a wince. And then I watch as she wraps her coat closer around her, shutting me and the rest of the world out.
My grip falters after her confession, and she uses the opportunity to escape, running away from me like I’m the goddamn boogey man. And at that moment, I can’t say I blame her. Anger seeps into every pore in my body until all I can see is red.This doctor took advantage of her. Touched her inappropriately. Took photos of her in a vulnerable state.
Turning, I slam my fist repeatedly into the brick wall behind me, my knuckles screaming in protest as they crack open and bleed. I need an outlet for the anger coursing through my veins right now, but I need to stay focused. There are more important matters to deal with first. Seething, I leave the alley and spot Savina’s discarded food lying on the sidewalk as people step over it. Carefully, I pick up the remnants and toss them in a nearby garbage can. No sense in littering. There’s enough of that shit in this city.
Then, I walk to her favorite coffee shop on the corner. I approach the counter quickly. “The woman that was just in here. Petite brunette with the prettiest green eyes you’ve ever seen in your life.”
The young, blonde teen behind the counter stares at me for a beat before she grins. “Oh, you mean Savina?”
“Yes.”
“I need you to remake her order.”
“Cream cheese bagel and vanilla latte,” she confirms.
“Yes. And add in a few sandwiches and cookies.” I can still remember how gaunt Savina’s face looked, like she hadn’t eaten indays. That’s probably the real reason why she was crying over the ruined food.
“Sure thing.” The girl rings me up as another worker gets started on the order. “Uh, your hand is bleeding,” she remarks, wrinkling her nose.
