I genuinely believed that I was getting better.

As Dr. Chao had insisted, I had my good days and my bad. And those two weeks Louis was suspended? I was able to attend my classes, and though I was pretty far behind, I had a few classmates offer up notes and the teacher made plans to work through all my missing assignments so I could catch up.

That all came crashing down with my hope for escaping the hell I had to endure every day I woke up to my rapist living right across the hall.

I was in the middle of getting dressed to head to support group when I felt him step into my room. He'd done his best to avoid me the last couple weeks, or maybe Rodger had made sure of it. With both of our parents downstairs, there was nobody here to scold or stop him. I slowly turned, my anxiety peaking as he began to shut my bedroom door behind him, finally leaving it so it sat a few inches ajar.

"You're such a attention seeking whore, you know that?" he spat. "Even if you try to tell anyone, do you actually think they'll believe you? Because your taste in men is impeccable. Anyone will take one look at your new little boyfriend and all the accusations will be forced to be dropped."

I eyed him cautiously, anticipating his next step-which would close the small space between us. The second he lifted his foot from the ground, I tried to make a beeline for the door, but he caught my hand and shoved me hard against my bedroom wall beside my bed, cornering me so I had no escape. "Where do you think you're going?"

I had expected retaliation of some sort after what had happened between him and Gage, but this hadn't been it. There had been a small blossoming of hope that Rodger would never let this happen, that it would never get that far again.

Ducking under his arm, I was able to make it a few wobbly steps before he shoved me hard on to my bed on my stomach. Within moment, he grabbed my ankle and flipped me over so I was on my back staring up at him brooding over me. "You're an easy slut."

A whimper finally managed to break passed my lips and he took that as his cue to grab my face roughly as he positioned himself between my legs. "Say it."

When all I did was try to force my legs closed with all my strength, his hands shot out and he was choking me. Clawing at his hands, I watched a sadistic smirk touch at his lips. "Say it!"

"I'm. . . an. . . easy slut." I managed to get out and he finally released my throat from his tight grip. I held my hands there, tears come so fast that I didn't even bother to reach up and try to wipe them. For a second my eyes do shoot to the open bedroom door, if I had it in me to yell, Rodger or Mom would come rushing to my aide, they'd see the monster Louis truly was. But I could hardly get a full breath out, the idea of screaming made my throat hurt just to think about.

Slowly, Louis undid his belt and made his way to the button and zipper. Realization hit me instantly and I started to kick at his chest. "No! No! Stop! No!"

He threw his hand over my mouth and climbed on to the bed. "Shut up!"

I continued to try to kick, but the moment he finally pushed my thighs completely apart and started to pull my pants down, I stopped. I stopped screaming into his hand, I stopped kicking. It took me a second to realize that it wasn't just a halt; I'd given up. There was no way in hell I'd be able to call for my mom or Rodger now. Louis was going to rape me again-only this time I'd be fully coherent and would remember every miniscule detail.

"Marley?"

The quiet voice in the doorway startled me, but Louis immediately jumped up and zipped his fly, anger igniting in his eyes as he stormed across the room to grab our three year old brother by the collar of his shirt. My heart stampeded in my chest as I forced my body upright, watching Louis' every move.

"Listen, you little shit, you didn't see anything, do you understand?" I watched tears start falling from Xavier's eyes and roll down her rosy cheeks. Yanking the nightstand drawer open, I watched Louis grab both of the smaller boy's shoulders and shake him. "Do you hear me?"

"Let him go." I whispered, then louder, and more confidently snapped, "Let go of him, Louis!"

Ignoring me entirely, he grabs Xavier's arm so roughly that he staggers forward. "Do you hear me you little shit?"

That was enough for my fight or flight to kick in, and for the first time, I decided to fight, even if it wasn't my own. I drove the razor blade into the back of Louis' neck. He fell backward a few steps, eyes bulging as he tried to grasp the blade from his neck. Grabbing my phone, I swept my baby brother off his feet and raced down the stairs at lightning speed. Mom and Rodger immediately shot up from the couch, Mom's wine spilling on her shirt and the white rug under her feet. I thrusted Xavier into her arms, but Rodger caught my own before I could run for the door.

"What happened? Are you okay?" he looked to the stairs. "What did he do?"

I yanked my hand free and looked to my mom coddling Xavier before starting toward the door and answering my stepfather. "Ask your son."

I texted Gage on my way out the door, relieved for the first time that he only lived a couple blocks away. Unfortunately my mother didn't seem to take the hint and rushed out after me, her face flushed and tears misting her eyes.

"Marlene, baby girl, what happened?"

Luckily, Gage's BMW pulls up along the curve and I'm able to throw myself in before she can question me further. His eyes widen a fraction when he gets a good look at me.

"Are you okay? Mar, what's going on?"

"No, I'm not." I slammed his door shut and locked it, before meeting his eyes. "Drive, Gage! Go!"

**

I barely made it to the bathroom at Gage and Alyssa's apartment before I threw up. I hacked up everything I'd eaten the last couple days and possibly a few internal organs before flushing the toilet and wiping my mouth. Gage, still in the door frame with a look somewhere between concerned and confused, finally reaches out to try and comfort me.

"Marley—"

I dodged his hand and looked to the shattered mirror beside him for a moment before I reached down and pulled the bottom of my t-shirt and took it off. After a few seconds of contemplation, I stripped out of my pants as well and headed for the bath tub.

"Marley, what the hell are you doing?" he caught my shoulder and turned me toward him. "Mar, what's wrong?"

I didn't say anything until I twisted the knob and turned the shower on, still in my undergarments, and climbed in. I waited until I felt the hot water hitting my back to whisper, "He tried again."

"What?" Gage edged closer to the side of the tub. "What did you say?"

"Louis." I whimpered, my words catching in my sore throat. "He tried again."

The dangerous glint in Gage's eyes returned. "I'm going to kill him."

I dropped my gaze to my scarred thighs, too exhausted to try and hide them from Gage's view. "He almost did it, too. But my little brother, he came into my room, scared. Then Louis went over and threatened him. He's three, Gage. He's a baby. And he was hurting him. So I took my blade, the razor blade I use to cut myself, and stabbed him."

Gage looked as though he didn't know whether to be proud or shocked, so his expressions at somewhere in between. "You stabbed him? That's badass."

"Gage." I breathed. "I can't. . . I can't—"

To my surprise, he stands and pulls his t-shirt over his head to reveal a marred body. Though, even through all the bruises and scars, was a toned abdomen, he had never made a point to wear clothes that showcased it. I couldn't help but think back to what he'd said the day I'd met him, really sat and talked to him for the first time, about being like Louis and knowing how he thought.

Slowly he stripped down to nothing but boxers before he climbed into the tub behind me and hugged me against his chest.

"I don't want to be here anymore." I said into his chest. "I don't want to."

He cradled me tighter against him, his lips pressed against the top of my head, but his words were cut off by the door opening a crack and Alyssa poking her head in. She's surprised at first, then slowly her eyebrows draw together in confusion. "I don't know whether to be happy that you're both stilled clothed or to ask why you are."

"Mom." There's a warning tone in Gage's voice and she deflates with a sad look and moves toward them.

As she approached, I thought about throwing my hands over my thighs, but I couldn't find the energy to do so, and her expression completely crumbles when she seems the scars up and down both of my thighs. She reaches over her son's head to turn the water off before she looks between the two of us.

"Get her one of your shirts, I should have a pair of pants that fit her." she says quickly, the slowly, with a hint of sadness in her voice, she says. "I'd like to talk to you both."

**

"Your mother called me. She said she saw you get into the car with my son." Alyssa said as soon as Gage and I situated ourselves on the sofa. "She also said you stabbed your brother."

"Stepbrother." Gage clarifies.

Alyssa shoots him a dark look. "That doesn't matter."

"Oh, Mom, it will."

Alyssa shakes her head at Gage then turns her full attention to me, or more specifically, my thighs. "The first time Gage showed me that video, I could feel my heart breaking for you. Is. . . is that what happened tonight? Did he try again?"

My head immediately whipped in Gage's direction, but he held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't say anything. Swear."

I looked back to Alyssa, who had started to reach out, and finally her fingers find my throat. "You have a bruise forming here. On your lower thighs too, and on your chin."

She didn't even try to fight the tears surfacing in her own eyes as she looked at me.

Realizing I wasn't going to respond, Gage swallowed and whispered, "Nobody knows, Mom."

"Honey, everyone knows what happened."

"Nobody knows it's him. Louis, I mean."

Alyssa opened her mouth to respond, but I interrupted before she could say another word. "You can't tell my mom."

"Marley—"

"Mom, please." Gage pleaded, reaching out to take his mother's hand. "This isn't your fight."

For the first time in the two months I'd known him, I was actually relieved to hear the words out of his mouth. Alyssa, eyes flickering between the two of us, finally relents and squeezes my knee gently.

"You're free to stay here as long as you'd like. I'm going to go give your mother a call back and let her know you're okay."

Gage watched her leave, his body deflating now that it was over with. A few seconds later I feel his hand brushing against the bruise on my neck, and when I turn to him, he reaches out and rests his free hand on my cheek.

"It's okay." He said, voice wavering. "Just breathe."