SKYE

Soren was writhing in pain, even though I held him close, stroking his hair. I could see this was the most difficult, most dreadful part. He whimpered quietly, his fingers clutching my chest.

"It hurts so much, Skye," he whispered.

What could I do but kiss his temple and hold him tighter, stroking his head? I closed my eyes, wishing I could take some of his pain. It was strange, but I felt a slight tugging in my own stomach, almost like I could feel what Soren was going through. The more the tugging intensified in me, the less tense Soren's body became, so I continued this odd act of 'taking away' his pain, even though it seemed so absurd and impossible, but bizarrely, it somewhat worked.

We stayed like that for a considerable time. Occasionally, I instinctively leaned down and kissed his temple, like we were boyfriends, not just fuckbuddies.

I had no idea how long it lasted. Maybe an hour. Eventually, he pulled his face away from my chest and said quietly, "The worst is over. I don't want to look."

I knew what he meant. I didn't want to look either, but I couldn't expect him to be strong in this situation. I wanted to be strong for both of us. I promised I'd stay and support him, and I couldn't back out now.

So, I sat up, pulled off the blanket, and briefly looked down, but just as quickly looked away. In a few hurried moves, I wrapped it up and went straight to the bathroom. There, I disposed of the bloody pad, grabbed a fresh one, some paper towels, and warm water, then returned to the room.

"Spread your legs."

He did it without protest, his hands pressed to his face, trembling slightly. I knew this was tough for him, but for some reason, he let me be there with him through this awful time.

I gently wiped his thighs and butt with slow, careful movements.

"I hate that bastard," I muttered. "Fucking rapist," I growled through clenched teeth, covering him with the blanket again. "I don't get why you still put up with him!"

He squeezed his eyes shut.

"You wouldn't understand. I normalize it this way. Maybe it's stupid, but sometimes I pretend it doesn't bother me, even though it does. I keep pretending—and it kinda works."

"He took advantage of you in your heat, in your vulnerable moment! That's unforgivable! It's a crime punishable by law, Soren! I will… correct it."

Soren almost roared.

"No! I forbid you! He doesn't know about this… I don't want it dredged up again!"

I cursed under my breath, taking the wet pad to the bathroom.

"Sorry, but he can't just walk away like nothing happened. I'll deal with him," I said firmly.

"Fuck no, Skye!" Soren groaned. "I told you that in confidence! Leave it alone. It's not your business. You're not my boyfriend. You have no say in this."

I sat next to him and looked at his face. He was still very pale, his lips trembling slightly, looking desperate, almost pleading.

"I know I have nothing to say, but what he did… it caused you so much pain. Everyone would take interest. As a concerned citizen who has information about a crime that has been committed—"

"Skye, stop! I get that, okay? But please—leave it alone. It doesn't matter. We're almost done with college. I don't want to make a big deal out of it."

I stared at my hands.

Well, I thought it was a big deal.

There was zero tolerance for that kind of behavior in my family because of my dad's past. Things like that made my blood boil.

"You really expect me to do nothing?" I grumbled.

"Yes. Yes, Skye! Drop it. I forbid it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm closing this chapter."

He turned his head to the side, facing the wall. I adjusted the blanket, and slowly lay down next to him, feeling defeated. A plan arose in my mind, but I decided to drop the subject for now, seeing how stubborn he was.

"How do you feel? Does it still hurt?"

He sighed.

"Much less. Just residual cramps. It will pass slowly."

"I'll stay here, just in case."

He didn't say anything. I gently put my arms around him, and he let me do it.