Speak Up... (Sequel to Can't Say...)

Chapter 15

⚠Mentions of Rape attempted rape, abuse, panic attacks etc. Viewer discretion is advised.⚠
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Some time had passed since the after-party, the name of the man had been released and they soon were able to discover that not only was he a well-known attacker but also had ties to none other than Daniel Rindler. Avi was curled up in a ball on his and Kevin's bed rocking back and forth. Kevin came in with two cups of hot tea and sat next to the panicked man.

"everywhere i go, he somehow follows me and tries to lure me back in."

"It never works though does it?"

i don't wanna continue living like this, kev. i'm always scared, watching over my shoulder in case he's there. he isn't but his people are and i never see them coming. it's only when they make their move do i see it and then i can't fend them off and someone has to step in for me cause i'm too weak and helpless to do it myself."

"Hey, you're not weak. You're strong and you're not helpless... You're brave as well. Smart... should I go on."

"you don't have to."

Kevin turned to face the younger man on the bed.

"You know... calling out isn't a sign of weakness... you didn't call for help you told him to get off, you even fought him. I just ran in."

"yeah but you broke it up. if you weren't there then... t-then..."

The younger male bowed his head in shame. The elder wrapped him up in a hug as he sobbed into his shoulder.

"i-i don't wanna be a-afraid anymore... i just wanna... live... a normal life...a-and not be scared of every middle-aged man that walks up to me."

"i know i know... but i'll do all i can to protect you. i can't protect you from everything, i wish i could but..."

"i know... it's not your fault. don't beat yourself up over it. Daniel is... persistent... if he doesn't get what he wants the first time he's gonna keep on trying until he gets it. It's a trait of his I picked up when we were 'together'. And right now, he wants me. He didn't get me last time so he's gonna keep on trying. He won't stop and he'll keep going to all these different tactics and keep going to all these different levels until he has me. He wants me to be his. He wants to own me and our child that he wants us to have together. I'm not letting him. I won't let him do what he did to me all those years ago."

"what did he do."

It was then Avi realised that he had not told the majority of the band of what had happened to him when he was 13.

"uhhh... i... i met him in a coffee shop when i was 13 and he seemed so nice, he got me gifts, took me on dates, he remembered our anniversary dates, he called me everyday to ask me how I am and talk to me about my day, he called me sweet names and he even gave me a promise ring. I fell for it and one day, on my birthday, he took me to his and he led me to his room and... you can imagine what he did to me... i was too scared to leave him because he threatened to hurt my family, i couldn't try and tell because he threatened to tell anyone about what we did. the underaged partying and drinking, the smoking, the drugs... the sex... i hated it but i never understood why... he said to 'give it some time, you'll grow to love it' but i didn't. he became more possessive and abusive. he would make me stay over to his and stay with him in his room. we did the same things all the time and i would just go back home and lie that 'we had a great time.' he left me alone for a bit. i went on vacation with my family and he moved to his new home. a few days before we came back, he told me to come over and stay with him, he promised it would've been different than the last time but i didn't expect what he was about to do. i didn't expect to become his little boy toy for him and his friends and everyone he let use the poor people in his trade. he forced me to become a part of it. i was there for ages until i had the courage to stand up to him and walk out and back to my family. i didn't tell them anything because i was scared of what they'd think of me... i thought they would've been disappointed in me because i let daniel do all that to me...i didn't want them to be ashamed of me so i kept it in. believe it or not, the first person i told about this was--"

"esther?"

"...mitch. a few weeks ago when he went over to esther's to talk to me. to apologise" (I was gonna break the fourth wall here but decided not to. Save you guy's sanity😀)

"so... i'm the second."

"yeah... this is... a hard thing for me to talk about... i just don't bring it up... my friends from high school, mira, jackson and avery didn't even know that anything was wrong. i never told them anything. i didn't want them to be disappointed and think that i was stupid because i knew it was my fault i fell into his trap, i thought he was different from all others... he would give me anything and everything i saw in a man and all i would need. he was just..."

"you don't need to continue."

"i do... he used me for his own personal, sexual gain. he even let his friends and these random people get what they wanted... his friends would come over and he'd show me off like i was some sort of property. i wasn't allowed to speak to them and he' make me dress in these... slutty clothes that showed off nearly my entire body and i hated it. he'd make me go back and forth between them and the kitchen getting them beers and chips... they always became drunk and that ended in a sleepover and a night full of sex for me. he didn't believe in asexuality and said that 'it's just a phase and you'll get over it.' i didn't... i kept telling him and he just called me disobedient and that's when he introduced punishments..."

He chocked up on the last line and began to cry into his hands. Kevin looked over and pulled him into a hug, letting him sob into his shirt.

"avi, baby, you can stop."

"i know but...i just wanted to tell you. i thought i should because... i love you... and i trust you more than anything and everyone i'll ever know... besides esther of course... she's never given up on me."

He chuckled and Kevin felt his heart melt. He hadn't heard that in months.

"you trust me? after what i did?"

"with my entire being. and yes i do. so stop beating yourself up about it. it doesn't matter now. not to me, so it shouldn't matter to you either ok?"

The younger held onto his boyfriend's shirt and looked into his eyes and smiled.

"ok... fine... i'll stop... i just wish i wasn't so ignorant and actually--"

"stop. you shouldn't dwell on the past. what's happened has happened and we can't do anything about it... yeah i wish my little girl was still with me and that daniel would leave me the hell alone but there are somethings that we can't do anything about. we just need to accept it and... move on."

They sat in silence before Kevin looked up at his boyfriend and gave him a sad smile.

"ok. if we move forward."

He grabbed his hand.

"We'll do it together. As a couple, cause that's what we are."

Avi felt a smile creep onto his face. He was pulled into a warm embrace by his boyfriend. The two stayed in that same position for what seemed to be forever before Avi had built up the courage to kiss him, which turned into a fierce makeout session with them both laying on the bed. Kevin, coming to realisation with his boyfriend's sexuality, stopped them before it went too far. He stood and went to the kitchen to start breakfast for the both of them. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausages and some coffee. It was gonna be a good day.

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The end is near!