We drove and drove until we got to my house. "I'll go with you," JJ said as we got out of the car. We walked inside and went upstairs. He stood in the doorway while I packed a bag. Then we got back in the car and drove to John B's house. "You can stay in my room, Lexi. Alright?" JJ asked. "You live here? I thought this was John B's house." I questioned. "It is. JJ stays here with me." John B said. "It was better than living at home," JJ said. I nodded. JJ took me to a small room with a bed and a dresser. "I'll let you get cleaned up, We'll be outside." he said. "Thank you," I said quietly. He nodded and walked out. I changed my clothes and cleaned myself up.
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Then I went outside and JJ was sitting on the porch. "Hey," he said with a smile. "Hi," I said. "John B and Kiara went to pick up Pope and get dinner. They should be back in an hour or so." he said. I nodded and sat down next to him. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Lexi-" he started. "I know what you are going to say. What you are going to ask," I said. "What?" he said. "You are going to ask why I stayed with him for so long, and why I'm leaving now." I said. He sighed and nodded. "He was nice to me, in the beginning. My parents are always out of town and I was alone. Rafe paid attention to me, and he cared about me. I thought he was a good guy." I said. "Then what happened?" JJ asked. "He changed. Or maybe he was always like this and he hid it. I don't know. But he started to get angry. All the time. Not just at me, at everything." I said. "Then he started to hit you?" JJ asked. I nodded. "The first time he did it, he felt so bad after. He apologized and promised it would never happen again." I said. "But it did?" JJ said. "Yeah, it did. More and more often. He would get angry and he would hit me or grab my throat, anything to hurt me. To prove that he was in control," I said. "Why didn't you leave then?" he asked. "I tried. I tried to end things. That's when he broke my wrist and my collarbone. He said I deserved what I was getting. So he said he was trying to teach me a lesson and make me better." I said. "And you believed him?" he asked. I shrugged. "I guess. I thought maybe I did deserve it. Maybe when I screwed up, I should be punished." I said. "So when you went to the party without his permission and he choked you, you thought you deserved that?" he asked. I nodded. "That's why you went home with him," he said. I nodded again. "When was the first time that he-that he raped you?" JJ asked quietly. I looked down. "I don't remember." I said. He nodded. "I'm not sure it was always that. Sometimes he would start and I would tell him to stop and he said I owed him or that he would hurt me if I said no. So I just let him do it so that he wouldn't hurt me." I said. "Fucking hell. Lexi, that's rape. If you didn't want to and you said no and he threatened you, that is rape." he said. I nodded. Then we were quiet. "It wasn't just physical violence. Rafe has this way with words. He always knows exactly what to say and how to say it. It's like I know what he is doing is wrong but he made it feel right." I said. "He manipulated you." JJ said. I nodded. "Maybe," I said. I looked at JJ. "What happened to your mom? Where is she?" I asked. He shrugged. "Once she escaped my dad, she was gone. I don't know where she went." he said. My heart sank. "I don't want to leave. I want to stay in the Outer Banks." I said. "You can, we'll figure it out," he said. I nodded. "I don't want to leave you," I said softly. He looked at me and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Then my phone started to ring. I looked at it and it was Rafe. My face fell. "It's him." I said. "Don't answer it," he said. I nodded. But it rang again. Rafe called me over and over and over. We ignored all the calls. John B, Kiara and Pope got here and we ate dinner. I had a really good time with them. Then I went to my room and JJ stood there. "You'll be safe here. Rafe will never hurt you again, ok." he said. I smiled and nodded. He turned to leave and I spoke. "JJ-" I said. He turned around and looked at me. "Yeah?" he said. "Can you- will you stay with me?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah," he said. I laid down on the bed and he laid next to me. I stared up at the ceiling in the dark and listened to the sound of his breathing. A few minutes later, our hands found each other and they were entangled. I could feel his calloused, worn hands but they made me feel safe. He makes me feel safe.
