ie's

f it stung at first, because this girl would have compl

into the room, but not before

ame into th

u the one who came

her first name, m

aulted," she explained when

orrect. Is the

have a parent or an adult as a point of reference, but she refus

n't understand why she refused to call her mother

if she didn't call her mother, they wouldn't run the t

her point of cont

fill out before she went back to the

cell phone started v

Derek?" Ayd

completely forgot

you-or actually, he'll explain it t

middle of all this. Not that long ago, I was hoping they wouldn't even run i

k's

been broken, the nurse carefully cle

our discharge slip," she sa

your work," I s

thing on my mind. I couldn't stop wo

ack in no time. Since then, she decided to become a lawyer to support all those women who are victims of rape, harassment, as well a

here for her, especially on th

ed as I left the room w

s, nothing serious.

her head and gazed

st say it. You pulled the same stunt on m

ine years younger than us, and she's just

ee where she was

nd

r and jabbed her fin

. You're almost twenty-six, and you have nothing to offer her, not after what she's just been thr

e stare rattled me, I knew Sophie was right. I couldn

out, and I wasn't about to throw it

do nothing about it.

ust as the door to the e

se said, looking at me wi

and brought her here," Sophie added quickly,

lied. "She's getting dressed a

ly walking away. I lowered my head; she probabl

You should go before she comes out. I t

ully, I felt unc

x's

felt like pure torture. I couldn't stop crying, every second haunted by what happened in that alley.

my sneakers, I ope

n appointment with the gynecologist in three months, just

ome back?" I as

outine check-up."

my place, and if my mother found them, what would I do? An

oment when she opened the door

n that moment, his intense stare looked u

t, and when the door opened, I froze for a moment. He h

said as I searched instinct

r. His arm is fine, nothing serious, so don't worr

omething in my chest tightened. I would never see

, and as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I felt myse

ith you?" Sophie asked, turn

had already done so

number. If you ever need to talk, even in th

time I slipped into the building, I heard her engine fade away-and then eve

in that alley, seeing nothing but his hands grabbing at me, his sweaty scent clinging to t

ided down my

ars, and sprinted through the park that led to the Battery Park es

ant to liv

k's

ouldn't help myself-I ended up following Sophie

She was safe now, but something inside me ne

hing as Sophie's Mustang pulled away on

f pain through my chest. How could someone do something so vile? My anger boiled over, and

itched off. That was my cue to leave.

engine, a blast of honk

ding, running straight across the street witho

ounted the motorcycle, and sprinted through

past me in the shadows. I turned around just in time, grabbing her

I held her tightly against my chest-for the