Used

𝑁𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑎ℎ

I don't know what made me ask the man to stay at his place. Maybe it was the fact that anywhere but my apartment was the safest place right now. Dorian knew where I lived and I didn't want to be there in case he decided to come back.

I was fully expecting the boy to say no. He looked exhausted and nervous. I was exhausted and nervous. I knew I was putting him in an awkward position, with the screaming at him earlier and the fact that I still had his jacket wrapped around my shoulders.

He didn't probe me with questions. He asked if I could remember my name. I said yes and gave it to him. He gave me his in return. Ezra Emerson. His name was familiar, he must've graduated two years before me. Which meant he was probably a senior in college. I had just started my sophomore year.

I swallowed.

We eventually pulled into an apartment complex right off the edge of campus. Ezra asked if I needed help getting inside. I shook my head. I knew he didn't mean anything by it but male physical touch wasn't something I wanted right now.

"Sorry for the mess." Ezra blushed as he opened the door to a surprisingly clean apartment. He had pages of paper taped or nailed to just about every available surface. Newspaper clippings and posters were laying on the table and on top of that, a Rick and Morty bong.

"It's okay." I almost giggled but covered it up with a fake hiccup.

Ezra led me to a couch and demanded I sit while he ran a hot bath. That was very nice of him, considering.

"I think a bath would help calm your nerves. You can stay in my bedroom and I'll sleep out here." He said pulling a joint out of his hoodie. "You don't mind if I smoke? I'm just really stressed out."

That made me laugh. His honesty. I nodded. "I mean it is your home, I'm intruding."

Ezra let out a sigh of release and lit the tip. Before long the smell of weed filled the room.
"Do you want a hit?" He held out the joint while holding in a cough.

I hadn't smoked in a long time. I was taking a T-Break as Latoya called it. But tonight was traumatic, maybe a hit or two wouldn't hurt.

"Yeah sure." I stood up and took a few steps forward when I felt something cold and wet run down my leg. I gasped. I had changed out of my pink shorts and thrown them away but the black shorts I had on were still some what short.

Ezra must've noticed. I heard him gasp as well. "Did you start your period?" He asked, not in a grossed out, condescending way but as if he was genuinely concerned.

No no no no no. I could feel tears in my eyes. I shook my head. It wasn't my period, it was something much worse. Oh God. I wanted to throw up, I felt so sick.

"I-I." I couldn't find the right words to say. I didn't want to tell him I had been raped, no one wants to admit that. The blood wasn't dark enough for it to be period blood. Fuck, I'm probably bleeding into his floor.

Moments later, Ezra had a warm towel pressed against my skin, cleaning up the blood. My blood. The blood from the assault.

"Thankyou." I whispered. He gave me a nod in return.

"Okay. Let's get you in the bath. I swear I'll give you all the privacy you want but if you need help I'm just a shout away." He led me to the back of the apartment to the bathroom.

The bath water was warm a tad too cold but it would have to do. Ezra quickly ducked out leaving me alone. I stripped out my clothes and stepped into the water. And I cried. Again.

I must've been in there a while when I heard the knock on the door. "Nokiah, are you alright in there?" His voice rang from the other side of the door. "I have some clothes you can sleep in."

"Yeah give me one second." I stepped out and wrapped the rather large towel around my chest. I opened the door to find Ezra with a pair of shorts and a shirt twice my size.

I felt his eyes travel down my body. I shuffled my feet uncomfortably. He must've noticed my discomfort because he cleared his throat and held the clothes out to me.

"These are for you. They're clean I swear." I couldn't help but smile. That made him smile. He had a beautiful smile, crooked, one side of his mouth showing teeth before the other. I saw the flash of a diamond on his tooth.

"Thankyou." I smiled and took the clothes before looking back down at my feet.

"Yupp." He said curtly before turning around. He made it a few steps before turning back. "Just come to the kitchen when you're dressed, I made some food. I don't know if you're hungry at all I just...food always helps me." There was that crooked smile again.

"I'll be there in two minutes." Ezra nodded again and disappeared around the corner.

I quickly realized the shorts were not only too long for me but the waist didn't have draw strings to keep them from falling. I sighed and pulled my black shorts back on. The oversized ghostemane shirt was warm like it had just come out of the dryer.

After quickly pulling my bonnet back over my hair I stepped out.

"Um...so I didn't know if you were a pancakes or waffles kinda girl so I just went with my favorite." Ezra smiled proudly as he placed a plate with three rather large chocolate chip pancakes in front of me.

They smelled heavenly. I didn't realize how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten anything since my lunch break which was 8 hours ago.

"They're perfect. Thankyou." I smiled before shoving a large forkful into my mouth. I let out a slight moan as a swallowed. Jesus, behave yourself Kiah. "These are really fucking good." I laughed into the back of my hand.

Ezra smiled proudly before sitting on a stool two stools down from me. He was still giving me my space. I couldn't help but smile again.

After a few minutes of silence he looked at me, his eyes questioning. I dreaded the words that were going to come from his mouth next.

"So.."

"So..."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" He placed down his fork and looked at me. I dropped my eyes down to my hands that were now shaking. The flashbacks were starting to hit like a truck.

Dorian's hot breath on my neck. His hands on my body.
"Just relax." "Stop moving."

I blinked back tears. "I uh...there was an incident." Was all I could manage. I couldn't help but pick at the skin around my cuticles. It was a bad habit I had picked up within the last year or so.

"What kind of incident?" Ezra asked. I could tell he didn't want to keep asking but he deserved to know what happened.

I took a deep breath and readjusted my shoulders. "I was sexually assaulted." My voice was just above a whisper. "No, I was raped."