The Victim (Book #1)

Chapter 10

I still spent a lot of time in my room, or wandering through the house alone, but it was nice that when I saw the boys, we could have a conversation, or they smiled.

Damon was still pretty firm in his meanness, but sometimes it waned. One week, after a particularly rough session of evading answers from his mom, I found Damon out in the pool. I had just placed my towel on a chair when I heard "Whatcha doin'?" from behind me.

I gasped and spun around to see him stepping out of the water, shaking loose droplets from his hair. I stepped out of the line of fire and said, "I was going to take a swim. I didn't know you were out here."

"Got to keep my abs." he said, gesturing proudly to his six pack. I rolled my eyes and began walking towards the water.

"Well, if you're leaving," I trailed off, dipping my toe into the warm water.

"Who said anything about me leaving?" he asked with a smirk.

"Me." I said, with a smile.

"The kid thinks she's in charge now, how cute." He said, coming over and grabbing my cheek. I pulled away and put another foot in the water, testing it out.

"How are you so annoying?" I asked.

"How are you so easily annoyed?" he replied quickly.

I sighed. "Smartass." I muttered under my breath.

Suddenly my feet flew out from under me and arms caught me just before I hit the concrete. The scream left my throat as quickly as it came and he laughed, holding me up.

"No cursing, baby." he said.

"You and Dominic just get to make all the rules? Says who!" I asked, trying to get out of his grip.

He smiled and said, "Says me." Before pushing me out of his arms and into the pool with a grin.

I jumped out of the water after a dramatic splash in, and spluttered "Damon!" But he was already walking away.

"Have a nice swim!" he said, swinging his towel over his shoulder and leaving.

I don't know if this is better than being completely ignored, but I guess I'll take it.

(A/N that one was just for my A Day In My Life fans ;) ) 

- - -

That night, I was tossing and turning endlessly in the dark. My mind was filled with panic-inducing thoughts, and I couldn't stop them no matter how hard I tried. It seemed the harder I tried to push them down, the harder they came back up.

Am I going to get hurt here? What is coming next? How much do they know?

Every shadow in the corner of my room became him, his back hunched over and sharp shoulders showing. Every scarf and T-shirt hanging loose from my drawers looked like his hands as they crept closer to my body. They were coming for me, I knew it.

Get away from me, I warned mentally.

I could hear his reply in my head. This is what happens to bad girls.

I didn't do anything, I wanted to say. But that wasn't what he meant.

I dropped to my knees mentally and let him hit me, knowing I deserved it. I deserved torture, I deserved mutilation, I deserved death. There was no other reason why this unspeakable bad could have been happening, or why I was forced to keep it a secret.

And as happy as I was that no other girl had to endure what I had, why had he chosen me?

He grabbed my chin and wrenched it up, to look into my eyes.

"What beautiful brown eyes you have, Maya. Such a beautiful grown up girl."

I covered my body as if I was naked and pulled my fingernails slowly down my arms in terror. I wanted to peel my skin off with disgust, so I could just be who I really was. I didn't want to be this girl anymore.

Get it off, get it off, get it off!

Suddenly, I felt a physical hand on my arm, and I screamed aloud, pushing away towards the corner of the bed in fear.

"Maya! My! It's me!" Brooklyn shouted, terrified. I pulled myself into his arms and sobbed freely into his shirt, letting myself go. I would be numb tomorrow. I would stop feeling tomorrow. I couldn't right now even if I tried.

"Brooks?" I whispered through my tears. Am I gonna be okay?

"It's okay, baby. You're safe." he said, breathing deeply and kissing the top of my head. I knew it was a gesture of kindness, so I didn't tell him that it disgusted me. If only he knew who I was, what I had done...

"What's wrong?" Damon asked in a scared and raspy voice, rushing into the room.

"I don't know!" Brooks answered. "I think she had a nightmare."

Damon took off as my tears slowly subsided. Brooklyn brushed a hand through my hair, whispering calming things to me that I couldn't quite make out.

I heard stomping in the hall and then saw Damon rush back in, with his mom in tow.

"Charlotte." I whimpered, pathetically. I didn't care anymore.

"Maya!" she replied in alarm, rushing over and wrapping me in her arms.

As I sat shaking in her arms and she didn't say a single word, I really thought about it all. I had been hurt, and it was time to start accepting that and working to get better. Not knowing where I was going to end up in a few months was scary, but I had to tell the Anders family the truth... about everything. I really did think they just wanted me to be happy.

And if not, and they should hurt me, let them hurt me now. I couldn't stand the waiting.

"I'm r-ready." I said sadly. She looked down at me with confusion. "To tell you the truth." I completed.

"Not tonight." She whispered, leaning back with me lying on her chest pathetically.

"But-" I tried.

"Not tonight." She repeated, waving the boys away and pulling the blanket up over us. I curled up close, wrapping a leg on top of hers and my arm around her waist with a nod. She took her hand slowly and lifted it to my face, brushing the hair back from my eyes. She continued the pattern slowly, breathing in and out like waves on a beach. This must be what having a mom is like.

"Shhhhh." She whispered, as I drifted back off to sleep. "It's all going to be okay."

And for that moment, it was.