Page 23 of Watch Her Bleed
“Hey,” Kaia says softly,” taking her other hand. “I’m going to kick your fucking ass.”
“That’s the sweetest sounding threat I’ve ever heard,” I say and Kaia laughs.
“I know. I deserve it,” Aurora says. She tries to sit up, but then gives up and lays back.
“Let me help,” I say. She lets me help her set up while Kaia watches me like a hawk.
“Stop staring, Kaia,” Aurora says.
“Just deciding if I trust him around you or not,” she says bluntly.
“He’s not Enzo,” Aurora says. “He’s not going to hurt me.”
“She’s right. He’s not going to hurt her,” I say with a smile. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pulled out to see that Luca texted
Luca: We are here. Three people are asking for her room number at the front desk.
Me: who?
Milo: Her parents and brother. They said something about someone telling them that she was hurt at work.
Me: Get here, please. Room 207 in the ER.
“Luca and Alanzo are here,” I say. “They just said your parents and brother are trying to get your room number.”
“No no no,” she says as she tries to get up.
“Hey hey hey. You’re okay,” Kaia says.
“They can’t be here. They’ll think…”
“Think what?” I ask. Both of them are avoiding looking at me so I ask again.
“Aurora,” she says. “Can I explain?” Aurora nods as she starts to cry. “Her brother has been assaulting her since she was ten. Her parents let him do it, including last night.”
“What?” I ask, suddenly angry. The door comes open, but I don’t look away from her. I know who it is.
“Last night she told her family at dinner about her job and they were weird about it. She called her brother out for hurting her, but then panicked and ran away. I ended up getting trapped in the dining room with her parents while he….”
“He what?” Luca asks. “Enzo?”
“Enzo raped her again last night but I couldn’t get to her. I didn’t even have my phone on me so I couldn’t call the police,” Kaia says, crying.
“And that’s who’s here?” I ask Kaia and she nods.
“I should have known I couldn’t get away from him,” Aurora whispers.
“What?” I ask.
“Last night he… he said I’ll never get rid of him and…”
“And what?” I ask softly as I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.
“And that he will always be there to fuck me and remind me that I’m nothing without him,” she says as she starts to cry. Without even thinking about it, I wrap her in a hug and she stiffens for a second.
“He’s never going to hurt you again,” I whisper to her. “I promise, Aurora.”
“You can’t promise that. You don’t know him,” she cries.
