Diamond Tears

Chapter 17

Addison

It feels like my heart is breaking all over again, and this time it’s not even for me. Several months ago, this is how my room looked when the boys decided to have some “fun.” Clothes scattered everywhere, broken glass, the list goes on. I want to look away, but I can’t. I need to know what’s going on. If these boys hurt me, what the hell could they have done to Miami? She was in their inner circle. Could there be more girls?

I gingerly walk over to where Miami is slouched on the floor, shaking. I move some stuff aside and kneel in front of her, trying to smile. However, this is not a smiling situation.

“Hey, Miami,” I start off. Her grey eyes flicker to mine. “I’m guessing you’re ex payed you a visit.”

She nods, slightly. “He brought a couple of friends, too.”

I can literally feel my heart splitting into two. Gulping, I ask, “Which one’s?”

“Oh, Addison,” she sighs, “I think we both know the answer. They beat me up, trashed my room, and left, but Darren stayed behind. He raped me again, Addie. He raped me again.”

“When was the first time?”

“A month after they raped you.” She bows her head, but it’s too late, I can already see the tears streaming down her face. “And it continued, even after that. I’ve tried to break up with him so much times...but he wouldn’t let me leave. I was forced to run back to him, time after time. And it would just get worse. He controlled me, controlled who I was. I’m lost, I’m so, so lost.”

“Miami, I can promise you that we can find you before it’s too late. You have people who will love you everyday. Please don’t give up. Please.”

She sobs, and I hug her. “Addie, that’s not the only problem.”

I hear Sawyer make a noise, out of pain and anger. He has to hurt for his sister, and it must be killing him to hear this, but it’s something that we need to know. “What’s the other problem?”

She whispers it in my ear, and I swear I feel myself drop, even though I’m still in the same position. It’s like being struck by lightening.

“What?” I gasp, horror written all over my face. “Miami, please tell me this is you’re sick idea of a joke.”

Sawyer steps closer. “Addie, what’d she say?”

I meet Miami’s eye’s. She doesn’t break contact with me, and I know that she’s telling the truth. I can hear my heart racing. No, this can’t be happening. If this really is the case, then those boys are more than trouble. They are an immortal danger to every girl in the community. That feeling of drowning washes over me again, making me frozen. I look at Sawyer, and then his mother. “She’s pregnant.”

“WHAT?! That son of a gun got you pregnant? No, no way. Nobody messes with my baby sister. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to-”

“Sawyer!” Mrs. Johansson yells, and Sawyer stops pacing and looks at her. “Yes, mom? What do you want me to do? Sit here and painfully watch my sister suffer?”

She ignores him, and looks at Miami. “Did you plan anything?”

“Yes,” she mutters, “an abortion on Thursday.”

“Miami, please, don’t. I’ll help you take care of the baby. It’s going to be okay. You can make it.” She starts to cry. So much pain and agony in just one home. “Miami, please. I know it’s going to be hard, but there’s always a light. Sweetheart, there’s always a light.”

“Are you going to press charges?” Sawyer asks, running his hand through his hair.

“No,” Miami answers, tears streaming down her face. “They told me that they would kill me.”

I know she’s not lying, because that threat is nothing new in my life. In fact, I see it every single day when I go to school. Sawyer looks like he’s going to throw something. “What the hell do you mean you’re not pressing charges? You have to! ”

She snickers. “I don’t see Addison pressing charges.”

“It’s not like I don’t want to, Miami,” I snarl, my own anger rising. “Before I press charges, I have to get through my mother’s hatred, I have to take a beating from five girls in the bathroom, endure whispers in the hallway’s, and see threats on the bathroom walls. Every single day, my fingers itch to pick up the phone. Every. Single. Day. I’m scared, Miami. I’m so scared, and I don’t want my child to go through the stuff I went through because I didn’t put away the bad guys, but I don’t know what to do. If they wanted to kill me before, just think about what they’ll try to do when the baby is born. I’m scared, Miami. Not just for my life but for my daughter, too.”

She nods. “I know. Bloody hell, I know.”

Sawyer pulls me aside, just outside my bedroom. He gives me a small wrapped up box, and I look at him before ripping it to shreds. Slowly opening the box, I see the two most beautiful key necklaces in the world.

"Sawyer, I can't..." I start, but he cuts me off.

"Well, I can't take them back, Addie. One is for you," he says, picking up the bigger necklace, and putting it around my neck. "And the other one is for Reagan. So one day, she'll be just as strong as you."

I lean forward, and kiss him. He caresses my cheek, and bites my lower lip.

Jo groans as she passes us. "Guys, let's go. We don't want to wait on you two to open gifts."

I smile and squeeze his hands, that are always cold. "It's beautiful, Sawyer. Thank-you so much. I love it."

I lead Sawyer to the living room, where our families and friends are, and sit in the couch, watching everyone else open gifts.  Its Christmas Day, and even though for everyone else, it may seem like the perfect Christmas, but truthfully, it's not.

Ever since two days ago, when Miami came out of the closet, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I’m actually really paranoid, making sure the doors and windows are locked at night so that Zachary or one of his idiot friends don't invade my house and let hell break loose all over again. Miami and I have become closer, so half of the time she's hanging out with Jo and I, at my house. She reminds me how easily it is to hide. She's bigger than I was at five months, which she easily conceals under baggy sweaters and t-shirts.

I try to focus on everyone at the Christmas tree, but its hard to. I need fresh air. When Reagan is born, I don't want her to ask me why I didn't stand up for justice when I had the chance. I had a choice, and I was choosing wrong. If I had pressed charges several months ago, they wouldn't have had the power to hurt Miami.

"Addison." Tris voice cuts into my thoughts, and I can't hold it in anymore. Its now or never.

I dig my nails into my skin. "I want to press charges. I want them to go to jail. They hurt me, and they hurt Miami. I want them to pay."

"Addie..."

"No, you don't understand, Tris. Most nights I don't sleep because I'm plagued with nightmares and flashbacks. I start to get anxiety attacks when I'm in the same room as them. It hurts. Every day, Tris, it hurts."

Miami sits beside me, gingerly touching my arm. "If you press charges, so am I, Addison."

"And we won't leave you, Addison," Devon tells me.

"We'll stand by your side, " Sawyer confirms, Jo and Mark in agreement.

I shake my head and lean back, as Tris dials Detective Roland. This was it, and it was so totally worth it.

Sawyer

I wake up to Miami's arm in my face, and Addie's face on my chest. Gently shaking them off, last night's memories hit me. Addison didn't back out of pressing charges, and the rest of our Christmas was spent at the police department. Angry words were thrown around by not just Addison's mom, but by other angry parents, too. It was around two when we left the department, and since none of could sleep, we went skating. Memories like that I don't forget, when the world seems to be in perfect harmony, when nothing is broken, scarred or bruised. Everyone is happy, everyone is smiling and there is no darkness surrounding our hearts.

As I look at Addison sleeping soundly, surrounded by my sister, Jo and Mark, I know that if there's one thing I've learned is that darkness always comes back.

Every time.