Page 13 of Evidence of Us

Chapter Seven

Mariska

I am shoving clothinginto baskets, but my mind is trapped in the idea that Mark raped me. If I really think about it… It makes sense. I need to call my therapist before Zeke gets here, so I abandon cleaning and call Dawson Thompson.

He is honestly a great guy. He’s never once questioned or doubted me, but he is blunt as fuck. If I am being a bitch, he will tell me. If I am self-sabotaging, he will tell me.

“Hey, Mariska,” Dawson answers. I absolutely should not have his personal number, but I do. I’d like to think he’s my friend, but I pay him to care about me, so…

“Hey. I have minimal time. I am about to dump a whole bunch on you,” I say.

“Alright. Hit me with it,” he laughs. I tell him about my entire day from start to finish as I try to keep cleaning up. I even include everything that Zeke told me about Meghan today, but end with the realization that it might be Mark who raped me. I turn from starting clothes and see someone leaning against the counter. My heart leaps into my throat, and I scream as I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Goddamnit, Zeke!” I yell, and he laughs heartily.

“You really should lock your door, Riss,” Zeke says with a smile.

“Hello? Are you alive?” Dawson says.

“Yeah. Sorry. Zeke is here and gave me a heart attack,” I sigh.

‘Who’s that?” Zeke asks me.

“Dawson,” I say. “He’s my therapist.”

“Get set up somewhere so we can all talk,” Dawson says.

“Dawson, no,” I argue.

“Mariska, yes. Go get set up, and we can do a video call,” he says firmly. He is worried about me, so he wants to actually see me.

“What if Zeke doesn’t want to talk to you?” I ask.

“What if Zeke does?” Zeke says, but I shush him.

“Mariska,” Dawson says.

“Fine!” I huff. “Come sit down. I’ll get my phone stand.”

We go and sit on my loveseat, and I set my phone up on the coffee table so he can see us both. When the call switches over to a video call, Dawson appears. “Evening,” Dawson says with a warm smile.

“You are annoying,” I frown at him, and he chuckles.

“Now, you were saying you think Mark was the one who raped you,” Dawson says. “Is there more to that theory?”

“It is not my place to say,” I say bluntly.

“Mark is my older brother,” Zeke says cautiously. “He raped me a handful of times when I was a kid. If Meghan has been sleeping with him since before… She didn’t outright admit she contributed to helping Riss get hurt, but she admitted she knew Riss was raped. I told her I’d find out, and she just looked at me.”

“Okay, so if he is the one, what then?” Dawson asks.

“I’ll make sure he goes to jail,” Zeke says. “No matter what I need to do, I will get her justice.”

“Even if she doesn’t want anything more than friendship?” Dawson asks.

“Even if she one day woke up hating my fucking guts,” Zeke says. “I feel guilty for it happening. Like… I feel like I could have done something to prevent it.”

“But Meghan drugged and raped you,” I remind him. “It doesn’t surprise me at all that she was able to manipulate her way into a whole-ass marriage with you.”