Page 44 of Retribution
“That’s normal,” Cobra said as he smoothed his hand over her hair.
“So, for the rest of that summer, Taylor would catch me alone or try to engineer our time together. We spent endless minutes glued to each other … kissing, and sometimes he tried to take it further, but I never let him. It didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to do it. Taylor seemed to have full possession of my body when we made out, like he wanted to own me, and it sent my brain spinning away for a little while until his hands went somewhere I didn’t like and I had to stop him.”
Dakota took a deep, shaky breath and squeezed her eyelids closed trying to block out the sunshine. There wasn’t room for any sunlight to enter her world while she relived the memories; she had to submerge herself in darkness and let everything else fall away.
“When the carnival came to town, Taylor asked me to go with him as a secret date. He said we couldn’t tell anyone because we’d both get in trouble if anyone knew. I was fine with that because I knew my brother would be pissed if he found out his friend was dating me. I also knew that my parents had a standing rule that no one dated until they were sixteen, which was two years down the road for me, but I was crazy about Taylor so I snuck behind their backs. Taylor kept telling me how much he liked me—he was consistent with his affection. I didn’t want that to go away. So I agreed to play by his rules and meet up with him without anyone else knowing. Looking back on it now, I’m fully aware it was a recipe for disaster. I was a stupid kid—”
“Whatever happened, it wasn’t your fault, sweetheart. You have to know that now. None of it was ever your fault, no matter the fuckin’ situation,” Cobra said.
Dakota nodded, though she wasn’t sure the words even penetrated all the way. But a small bit of weight lifted off her shoulders. She hung her head and opened her eyes, looking at a patch of moss on the rock’s surface. Cobra’s breath pressed against her neck, warm and comforting.
“The night started off totally fun and magical, and Taylor kissed me at the top of the Ferris wheel. We went on so many rides, and he won a big-ass stuffed bear for me at one of the games. My folks thought I was with my girlfriends, so I remember being a bit on edge that I’d be caught. Then he told me he wanted to show me something and he took me under the roller coaster …” Dakota stopped with a small noise as her insides turned to stone and then liquified. “He said it was the coolest spot in the park. It was loud, kind of scary, and I had a perfect view of the cars as they sped by on the tracks from above me.” She ran her hands over her arms. “That’s the majority of what I remember from that night when it’s not coming back in flashbacks.”
Dakota strained beneath her skin, the sensation of ants crawling across her flesh made her nerves a mass of tingles.
“What happened?” Cobra whispered.
“He raped me.”
