Kathie paced the floor, fidgeting.
"I told you Randy and I went to school together." Kathie said.
"Does this have something to do with what he did to your friend?" Mark asked.
"No. Yes. Yes." Kathie said. She'd never told anyone but she wanted to tell him. Needed to tell him. "She wasn't my friend…"
"But you said she was your friend." Mark said.
"She was me." Kathie said, letting the tears fall. "I dated Randy in high school. We had been dating for about 8 months when prom came around."
"It's okay you can tell me." Mark said, wrapping his arms around her.
"After prom he took me for a drive to some land behind his father's house. He told me that we should have sex because everyone was expected to on prom night. If he didn't he'd be the laughing stock of the school. I told him no and he kept pushing me. I hit him and climbed from the car. The next thing I knew he'd stabbed me with the knife and he was kicking me. Yelling at me. Calling me a tease. He grabbed my hair and told me he'd get me back if I sent him to jail and he left me there. I walked as far as I could, which wasn't far. I crawled the rest of the way to the highway. Thankfully someone was driving by and saw me. They took me to the hospital and they called my parents. Six months later Randy went to trial and they gave him three months. He got out in one for good behavior and because he'd gotten a job offer. It took me four and a half months to recover. I couldn't believe it. I can't stand to be around him. I don't know if he's changed or not and I don't really care."
"It's okay." Mark said, rubbing his hand up her back. "I won't let him hurt you."
Mark carried her to bed and held her until she fell asleep. He sat on the edge of the bed and felt the fury set in. How could Randy do that to her? How could he do that to someone that he….. He what? How did Mark feel? He looked over at the sleeping woman in his bed. The stranger who'd sworn to protect him at all costs. She'd done more for him than any woman he'd known had EVER offered to do. He felt a ping in his heart as he lay down next to her and held her tight.
The two lay there sleeping, not even hearing the three people enter the room.