Chapter 2

The bright sunlight had faded into a warm afternoon glow basking the bedroom in golden glimmers when they finally woke up from their midday nap.

Minnow was lying on her stomach. She stretched and yawned, then turned her face towards Saylor's and met his suspicious glare. 

She could feel the chilled air trail over her bare skin. Minnow immediately pulled down her jumper to cover her back.

"Why, do you have a bruise from a boot on your back?" Saylor whispered. His voice was horrified.

Minnow buried her face in the pillow to compose herself.  

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She grumbled from inside the soft, fluffy layers.

"Um, I am going to worry about it, ok." Saylor's tone was determined, and Minnow knew he wouldn't back down. 

"I don't want to talk about it." She whispered and finally met his concerned eyes. Minnow sat up on the bed, and her shoulders slumped.

"I think you will feel better if you do." His eyes were soft but seemed decided on getting her talking. 

He reached out to comfort her, and she flinched from the unwanted touch. Saylors eyes looked perplexed, and a bit wounded from her action.

"I know something has happened. Don't think I haven't noticed your weight loss and grumpy mood." He expressed in his typical sarcastic voice. "Actually, You haven't been yourself since Imogen's party." He ran a hand through his well-styled dark hair, and then his hooded eye widened. "Did something happen at the party?"

Minnow sighed. "No, nothing happened at the party." Her voice trembled.

She felt anxious that if she talked about the assault, she would remember the traumatic visions dormant inside her head.

Because, at the moment, she could only recall a few details. The rest was pushed down, hidden somewhere within the profound depths of her mind. 

"So when?" Saylor asked softly, his head tilted slightly and his eyebrows furred.

Minnow knew he wouldn't let up with the investigation, so it was easier to tell him. "Do you remember that I took an Uber home?" She started, and Saylor interrupted her straight away.

"Was it the driver?" He gasped, cupping his face.

Minnow looked at him and rolled her eyes, annoyed. She stayed silent, glaring at him for being so thoughtless.

Saylor looked at her and smiled apologetically." I am sorry. I promise I won't interrupt again.

"I got into an argument with the driver, and he forced me to leave the car before I had gotten home." Minnow continued. She could tell Saylor wanted to comment on this, but he kept his promise and stayed silent.

Minnow struggled to form words and stuttered, making her speech blocked and strange sounding.

Saylor reached out slowly and put his hand on her shoulder, and smiled gently."Whatever you tell me, it will never leave this room."

Minnow nodded and inhaled a deep breath to steady herself. "I was drunk, so I decided to run home through the small clearing. You know, the one with the playground. God, I am so stupid. she cried out angrily.

"Oh, honey." Saylor grabbed her hands and held on to their eye contact. "It's not your fault." His lips quivered, and his eyes became wet.

He pulled her in and embraced her stiff body. Minnow wept against his shoulder. "Two men attacked me." she sobbed. "They came out of nowhere."

Saylor tightened his grip around her and cried against her scalp.

"They. They hurt me." She stammered between ragged sobs.

"I am so sorry this happened to you", Saylor whispered. Unsure what to say to comfort his best friend at this sorrow-filled moment. "You have to tell the police." He added gently.

"No, I can't. I don't even know what they look like?" She whimpered, upset.

"That doesn't matter. That's the police's job to find out." Saylor continued softly. He stroked her long messy hair affectionately.

"I don't want anyone to know this happened to me. So it's better if I forget and pretend it never happened." Minnow's voice was becoming less weak and angrier.

"I just don't think this is anything you will forget." Saylor tried. But then he decided to let her off the hook, in trying to convince her to report the assault after seeing her determined face.

Minnow untangled herself from his strong arms. Her eyes were red and swollen.

"So, what do you remember," Saylor asked carefully. 

Minnow sighed. It was now, or never she guessed. "Not much. They were strong. I tried to fight back, but it was useless. Her voice trembled again, and she cleared her throat.

Minnow hated feeling this weak and powerless. " I felt like they were waiting for me? I know that sounds stupid, but I can't shake the feeling."

"Well, you should trust your gut feeling on that then. And, who knows, maybe they were?" Saylor's shoulders rose swiftly.

Minnow smiled weakly. Saylor was always on her side, defending her sometimes irrational thoughts. That was one of the many things she loved about him.

"They raped me." she blurted out quickly, and her hands instinctively covered her mouth as she suppressed a gag.

That was the first time she had said the word rape out loud or even let herself think it, and her stomach revolted in a violent protest.

Minnow rushed to the bathroom and unloaded the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She crumpled onto the floor beside the bowl when she purged her shaking body.

The putrid taste of bile was heavy on Minnow's tongue and slicked along the back walls of her throat. Just the spasming nerves of her wound up gut alone were enough to tempt her back into throwing her face over the toilet bowl, but she resisted.

Saylor had hurried after her and leaned on the doorpost. Their eyes met, and tears streamed down both their faces. Her face was distorted from the gut-wrenching grief of losing her innocence.

Saylor wiped his flustered cheeks with the back of his hand. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up and back into bed." He helped her up and led her over to the bathroom sink. Saylor gently helped her wash up.

He put toothpaste on her toothbrush and gave it to her with a weak smile pinching his nose. She brushed her teeth eagerly to get rid of the horrid taste in her mouth. 

"How about drinks and a movie night?" he asked softly.

"Sounds perfect." she agreed gratefully in a raspy voice.

He always knew what she needed. Her heart ached over how thankful she was for her best friend's kindness.

They walked back to the bed, and Minnow turned on the large smart tv and scrolled amongst the many movies.

Saylor poked his head out of the bedroom door and called for Ariella.

Minnow could hear him charm the older woman outside in the hallway to bring them snacks and drinks for their movie night. Not many people could resist Saylor's charm and good looks.

Soon, they sat curled up amongst the soft pillows with large bowls of popcorn, candy, soft drinks and a bottle of bubbly prosecco.

Saylor had picked out a wide selection of happy, easy, going movies for them to enjoy. Minnow relaxed for the first time in what felt forever.

Soon she fell asleep, but with sleep came the nightmare visions of the men who had hurt her.