Tame me (18+)

Chapter 23: Bruised

(TRIGGER WARNING. CHAPTER CONTAINS TOPICS SUCH AS RAPE, ASSAULT.)

Luca's face morphed into shock as he continued to stare at me after those three words had left my mouth. I was ashamed of my past. It was not something I wanted to tell everyone about. Especially this incident. My little 13 year old self had been strong enough to bury it and live on. But even so, I still regret every motherfucking day that I didn't stand up for myself. I didn't go against Diane that time because I was scared.

I resorted to keeping quiet for the two months that followed the event after which Diane and Richard divorced over some property related issue. She didn't divorce him for me. She didn't care about me. She didn't divorce him so that I would feel safe. She was more worried about her money.

"Eleoner..." Luca interrupted my day dreaming. A few more tears rolled down my cheeks and I wiped them off hastily.

"What happened to you, El?" Luca whispered, holding my face, his thumbs wiping at my cheeks. He looked all over my face as if searching for answers. A sob escaped my lips as more images of that night flashed before my eyes. My heart ached and sweat dribbled down my back.

Luca then pulled me close and I placed my head on his shoulder. He placed a hand on my back and rubbed it soothingly, trying to provide comfort.

A few minutes passed and my sobs had reduced to small hiccups.

"It happened when I was thirteen. It was during my summer break. Mom had just gotten married again the previous month to some pompous old guy, Richard Quinn. I never liked him. He would always give me perverse glances and touch me inappropriately. My stupid fucking 13 year old mind didn't think much of it. If anything, I didn't care at all. He wasn't the first creepy Stepdad to look at me like that."

"Why didn't you talk to Diane about it?"

A sad laugh escaped me as I looked down and twiddled my thumbs. "She didn't care, Luc. She would marry a fucking criminal if it meant she was getting cash from it. So do you really think, she would give a fuck if I told her about my issues?"

Luca looked away from me, his face void of any sort of emotion. His hand never stopped it's circling motion on my back.

I took his silence as his answer and went on "One night, I was sleeping in my room, not having the slightest clue about what was to happen. Diane's and Richard's room was right next to mine. Suddenly, Richard storms in my room." A vivid image of him, walking into my room with that creepy loathful smile ran through my mind and I shivered. How had I not defended myself that night? This question haunts me evrytime I think about this.

" I sat up. He ripped the sheets from my body and climbed on me..." a sob escaped me again and a loud cry passed my lips. Luca pulled me even closer and placed his lips on my forehead. For a few minutes, I cried loudly on his neck.

"You don't need to tell me, baby. It's fine. You need to rest n-"

"No! I can't go back now."

Luca looked at me, a frenzy of emotions in his golden gaze.

He placed his lips on my forehead again and I continued. "He started touching me everywhere. I screamed, Luca. I yelled for mom. I yelled for dad.  Even though he wasn't there, I knew that if he was, he'd come running. But he wasn't. Richard  then started touching me there. I screamed again, thrashing against him, screaming for mother. She was in the next room, Luca. She didn't show up."

" Somewhere in the middle, I fainted, not being able to fight anymore. The next morning I woke up, I was lying down on sheets stained red and my dignity and innocence gone. It didn't take long for me to understand what happened. When I saw Diane after that, she smirked at me, Luca. She knew about it all. She didn't care what happened to me. If anything, Richard must've given her a fat sum to fuck me. "