Don't Leave

Chapter 9

Nick's POV

The following day we went back to see if Amanda was up for talking. I had one question in particular that I wanted to ask.
"How did you get the burns on your hands and feet?" Fin and Liv kinda looked at me shocked.
This probably wasn't the best question, but unlike any other she actually answered.
"I tried to run away, Jeff put a stop to it. Can't really run with third degree burns on you feet. The hands, that was just a bonus." She answered.
"Look Amanda we have Jeff in custody you're gonna eventually tell us what happened." Liv told her.
"Maybe you should've listened when he told you to stay out of it." Her voice was harsh.
Liv surrendered and walked out of the room.
"You two should join her." Despite her harsh words there was still fear and desperation in her voice.

Amanda's POV

The truth is I didn't want them to leave. I felt like crying, breaking down and telling everything that happened. But I didn't. I didn't know what they'd say, what they'd think of me. I was disgusted with myself I can't imagine what others would think. It seemed better just to keep them out of my problems.
When they walked out I immediately felt like an idiot. Congratulations now you really have no one I thought. Eventually they were going to have enough of me. Maybe I should've just let Jeff kill me.

Nick's POV

At 9pm I returned to the hospital just to say goodnight. I was almost to her room when I heard a bloodcurdling scream. I rushed into her room and quickly realized she was dreaming.
"Hey, wake up" I shook her.
She opened her eyes, looked at me, and closed them again.
"Amanda you can't keep trying to block everyone out. I'm not leaving until you tell me what your dream was about."
She opened her eyes.
"You don't want to know, trust me." She was staring at me with a dead serious look.
"Yes I do. Please, I can't sleep knowing you're hiding something this terrible that you can't tell me."
"Fine" she started. "It wasn't a dream as much as it was a flashback. That day, that afternoon I called you from that house. I did it because I couldn't go on. My nightmare was what happened those 48 hours I was at that house." she began crying. Jeff forced me to be with a lot of guys, but this, this was different."
"Different how?" I asked.

Amanda's POV

I was just about to bring up Tucker when I stopped myself. If I accuse an IAB detective of rape there's not going to be a happy ending for anyone.
"Amanda what happened?" He asked again.
"I um, he decided to make it a foursome. Jeff and two other guys and some woman."
"I'm so sorry Amanda" he put his arm around me.
"It lasted for 6 hours. Maybe longer I don't know I passed out." now he was on the verge of tears.
He wrapped me in a hug. It was the first time I felt safe in a long time. My entire body hurt from moving, but I didn't care. I didn't want him to let go. When he did I told the rest.
"He threw a party the next night. There was a lot of people, a lot of drunks. I lost count how many people..." I couldn't continue. I just had to cry.
"That night I finally got to sleep only to have a nightmare of what just had taken place. I remember in the dream screaming for help." I was screaming for you I though, but didn't tell him.
"Someone woke me up, but he wasn't there to help me. He beat me then raped me saying if I don't shut up next time would be a lot worse. In the morning, when I woke up I couldn't move. I just wanted to lay there and die. I found the phone and called you just to give myself hope that this could be over."
He pulled me in for another hug. I felt myself give up on trying to remain strong and just broke down. He was whispering something but I couldn't hear over my sobbing.
"I'm sorry Nick, please don't leave me."

Nick's POV

"I'm not going to, I never will." I told her.
I felt so sick to my stomach, but I kept her in my arms. Pretty soon she had fallen asleep. Even then I didn't leave. She was holding on to me and had no intention on letting go and I was completely fine with that.