Rachel lay on her back staring at the ceiling above her bed. Her mind was reeling. She didn't know what to think anymore. She didn't know how to think. How to feel. Her world was upside down. She didn't know her own thoughts; which were reasonable? Which were un-comprehendible?
"Everyone's talking about me… they all know I deserved it… I don't care what they've said to Eddie – if they have said that at all… maybe he's only saying those words to me to try and make me feel better… how could they possibly send their love? How could they possibly feel anything but disgust towards me after what they know now?"
The tears in her eyes threatened to overspill as her breath caught in her throat. She pulled her arms up around her head and rolled over onto her side, her forearms covering her face. She cried. Softly, she cried. Slowly, she fell asleep.

His body pushed down on top of her. His face inches from hers,
"Come on Amanda, don't pretend to be all prudish with me now! Your secrets out, we all know you're a whore so lets not pretend that you're anything but! Just get this over and done with, and you can go back to being Miss Rachel Mason."
"No please…stop" Her speech was wracked with tears. Breath fought its way through her throat as pain savaged its way through her evidently broken ribs. He quickly grabbed at her face, his thumb and forefinger dug into her cheeks as he squeezed. She winced, crying out again and trying to pull herself away. He held her tightly forcing her to look at him as he moved his face even closer to her.
"We both know why this is happening."
She could feel his breath against her skin.
"Don't we?"
She shook her head.
"You actually think you deserve more than this?" he screamed at her, genuinely perplexed and concerned by her response.
"You spent years on your back with your legs in the air for money" he looked deep into her eyes, "and now you think you deserve respect… you think you deserve to be loved… you're dirty. You will NEVER be worth more than this."
He pulled her hands above her head, pinning them to the ground.

Eddie heard muffled cries through the wall.
"She's dreaming again" he thought to himself. He quietly left his bed and crept along the hallway to Rachel's door, pushing it ajar slightly so he could see her. His heart broke as he saw her wrecked sleeping form.
Eddie jumped as suddenly she gasped out loud, opening her eyes and sitting upright clutching at her chest and gasping for breath. He quickly moved towards her, climbing onto the bed beside her as she began to breakdown. She covered her face with her hands embarrassed only for Eddie to pull them back down. She had no reason to be embarrassed. He pulled her towards him and he held her as they both sat upright in the middle of her double bed. He stroked her hair as she sobbed against him. He soothed her as she released her anguish.

They sat together, Rachel wrapped in Eddies arms for a short while. Neither of them knew exactly for how long. She didn't pull away as she whispered, her voice strained from crying,
"Do you think I deserved it?"
He pulled away, turning to look at her disbelievingly, shocked at her words. He looked into her eyes and realised she was deadly serious. He fought back tears as he responded, looking directly at her to ensure she understood his words,
"No Rachel. You did not deserve this."
He looked at her incredulously, shaking his head,
"Why would you think…"
She shrugged her shoulders. He looked down at her. He noticed her frail form. He noted her eyes were tired, lifeless. He saw that she was breaking inside.
He listened closely as she responded,
"How could I expect him to accept that I am saying no to him… when I have worked as… when I've let other people…" Her voice began to quiver as her eyes threatened to spill again. He held her face gently in his palms, forcing her sad eyes to look at him.
"Because Rachel. You. Said. No. He beat you. He held you down. And he raped you."
She shook her head, her face crumbling as she pulled away from him. He held her face softly again, refusing to let her back away now.
"Nobody deserves that."
She fell into his arms once more.