Chapter 20
Emily's POV:
I entered the cabin, praying for it to be empty, and I sighed in relief noticing that there was no one inside. I walked through the room, to the bathroom, and I looked me in the mirror. I already had cleaned up my injuries, but they were still too obvious. I had some bruises all around my face, and a wound in my lip and another one a little down my nose, where Sean beat me. When I thought about that, I felt my eyes full of tears again, and I throw a punch in the mirror really hard, broking it. I made a little bruise in my hand, and I sat down on the floor, hurdled on my knees, and crying.
"Ems?" I heard Hayley's voice, entering the cabin. Oh no… Why did she have to show up now? I tried to retain my tears, but I realized that she was already going to the bathroom, and I hold on my knees with more strength, trying to hide my face near my chest. However, she ran to me and hugged me. "Ems! What happened?"
"Nothing" I mumbled, between hiccups. She shook her head.
"Don't lie. I know something had happen" she said, passing her hand in my face, and wiping away my tears.
"How's your relationship with Jason going?" I asked, trying to change the subject. She rolled her eyes.
"Great. But now we're talking about you. What happened to you?" she insisted.
"Nothing" I lied again.
"Emily! Stop lying!" she begged.
"Emily?! Hayley?!" I heard Riley's voice, and I rolled my eyes.
"We're in the bathroom" Hayley said. Riley soon showed up running, with Ashley and Allegra.
"Emily, would you tell me now what happened?" Riley asked, hugging me.
"I already said nothing had happen! Why don't you leave me alone? There's nothing going on!" I yelled, getting up, still crying. Riley sighed and pulled me so I could seat down.
"You're hurt. It was you who brooked the mirror?" she asked, while seeing my bruised hand. I almost forgot about it...
"It was an accident" I said. She nodded.
"Let's treat it. Do you know where the first aid's box is?" She asked. Ashley nodded and went to take it. Riley took the box and started treating my cut. "So, and know, will you tell me what happened?" she asked, suspicious. I rolled my eyes.
"I already said that nothing happened!" I said, sharply, almost screaming. Hayley sighed.
"We know that's something's going on, Emily… You're full of bruises, and those marcs in your arms…" she said. I hid the marcs, though I knew there was no point, and I lowered my face. "Emily, you and Kyle are strange. He went back to Gwen, and he says he doesn't even want to hear about you. You're full of bruises and marcs, and we all already realized that something serious had happen. Tell us what it was…" she begged.
"Kyle said what?" Riley asked, mumbling.
"Yeah, I thought it was strange too. He was always talking about you, Emily… I've never seen my brother so in love with anyone…" she said. I hugged my legs again and I landed my head on my knees.
"It was Kyle, wasn't it? He hurt you??" Riley asked. Through her voice's tone, I realized she was furious, and when she got like that, things don't end up well.
"Kyle has nothing to do with this" I just said.
"Then tell us! What happened so bad, Emily? What did he do?" Ashley insisted. I rolled my eyes.
"I already said it was nothing. I'm great. I'm normal" I lied.
"Then why are you full of bruises and marcs?" Allegra asked.
"'Cause I went out, and when I came back I fell a bunch of times, 'cause it was dark, and I couldn't see where I was putting my feet" I lied again. I was feeling bad for lie to them, but what could I do? Tell them the truth? That a jerk tried to touch me? That was out of question.
"You're lying" Riley realized.
"No, no I'm not. I'm telling the truth" I declared.
"Emily, you're my sister. I know you sufficiently well to know you're lying" she said. I took a deep breath, trying to calm me down so I wouldn't say anything that I would regret.
"I already said I'm fine, and that nothing had happen. Could you, please, leave me alone?" I begged.
"No. We're not going until you tell us the truth" Riley said.
"Maybe it's better if we leave you two alone" Allegra suggested.
"Yes, it's better they talk alone. Let's go" Hayley said. Ashley nodded, and the three left, letting me alone with Riley.
"Well, now tell me the truth" she required.
"Ri, please, I already said everything's alright. Please, don't insist! I'm great!"
"No, you aren't! I don't like Kyle neither your relationship. It's not a secret and that's pretty obvious. But I also know how stubborn you are, and innocent. I know that if you think you like him, you wouldn't let him go like that, from nowhere. And you're full of bruises… It was him, wasn't it? Tell me the truth" she asked. I got irritated and I got up.
"Stop that! Stop! Please! I already said I'm great! Kyle and I have nothing more! He dumped me, and went back to Gwen! Aren't you happy? Now you don't have to care about the fact that Kyle is a good influence for me or not, 'cause we aren't together anymore, and we will never be again! I hate Kyle, okay? Like I hate Gwen! You were right! Guys are all jerks!" I yelled. I realized I was crying, but it didn't bother me. I couldn't contain the tears, even though I tried. I had never had an explosion like that, I had never started yelling with someone, much less with her.
"Emily…" she started, approaching to me, trying to hug me. However, I moved away.
"Don't…" I begged. I got out the bathroom, I took my guitar, and I got out the room running, while the tears keep on running down my face, even though I tried to retain them.
I ran without stopping for a while and, without noticing, I ended up near the cascade. It didn't bother me. It was a beautiful place and, apparently, it was desert. So, I sat down again next to a tree, and I let myself be there, while the tears were rolling down my face. I repeated in my mind the entire night of the day before… When Kyle presented me to Sean, when he lead me next to the drinks, when he promised he would be with me the whole night. When Sean leaded me to the room and Kyle saw him kissing me, the hurt expression in his face, and the horrible things he told me. When Sean laid me down to the bed, and tried to touch me, while I was trying to release me, and just wished Kyle was there, with me, and help me. But he was too busy… In another room… Having fun with his ex-girlfriend. Older, prettier, and more experienced than me… That's why I wasn't good for Kyle. 'Cause I wasn't pretty, 'cause I wasn't experienced, 'cause I was a child. And now… Now I was a monster… I cried silently during some minutes, and when I calm myself down, I whipped my tears and I grabbed my guitar.
"That night he caged her. Bruised and broke her. He struggled closer. Then he stole her. Violate wrists and then her ankles. Silent Pain. Then he slowly saw their nightmares were his dreams. Monster. How should I feel?" I sang, while I was playing, and without noticing what I was doing. I could just think about Sean, and how he tried to touch me, and how he hurt me, and about Kyle, in the bed, with Gwen. Then, I heard someone getting closer.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. I turned to him, and he made a surprised face, mixed with pain and guilt. Apparently I wasn't in my best conditions, but that didn't mattered. It didn't already bother me what he thought.
"This is a public place, isn't it? I have all the right to be here as you" I said. He sighed.
"What happened to you? Your face is full of bruises" he asked, approaching me. However, I moved away.
"It's none of your business" I declared. He assumed a rigid position.
"Why did you kiss Sean?" he asked. I laughed sarcastically.
"Why did I kiss Sean? Why did you sleep with Gwen?!" I asked, sharply. He shrugged his shoulders.
"My girlfriend was kissing another boy" he said. I laughed again.
"It has crossed your mind that maybe it was him who was kissing me?" I asked.
"It takes two to kiss" he said. I rolled my eyes.
"I'll remember that next time I'll see a drunken girl kissing another boy that isn't her boyfriend" I said. He rolled his eyes.
"You just drank three glasses" he said.
"I'm not used to drink, okay? I had never drunk alcohol. I always preferred stay away from that, after I saw how it affects Riley. Besides, I was feeling dizzy, and I thought it was you who was pulling me. I didn't look to his face, and he didn't give me time to look at him before he kissed me. I just realized it wasn't you when I heard you yelling" I confessed. He laughed, in a hurt tone.
"Do you really expect me to believe that? I'm not naïve… I was just naïve to the point I fell in love with you" he said. That was hurting me, but wouldn't give up.
"I'm telling you the truth. Believe if you want to" I said, turning him back.
"Come on… You can do much better than that. Tell me something I could believe in" he asked, smirking. I got irritated.
"You think it's funny?!" I asked.
"Yes" he said. "I think it's really funny. 'Cause the first time I fell in love, and I was willing to change for someone, I thought that person loved me too, and I caught her up kissing one of my best friends."
"Oh, yes. Great friend you have!" I said, angry.
"You didn't seem to complain, when you were kissing him" he said.
"I thought it was you! You asshole!" I yelled. He rolled his eyes.
"I already told you that you can do much better than that" he said. I turned back to him, and his arms were crossed, next to his chest, and he was smirking. However, I realized he was really hurt with all that. Then, without thinking, I told him the truth.
"You know, I never understood how Kyle always got older and extremely beautiful girls… But this time he outdid himself. You might be younger, but you're gorgeous. I sure know where you got your looks… I'm so gonna love touching you" I said, imitating the tone Sean as used, and showing him my arms, and the bruises on my wrists. "That's what he said, while he was kissing me, and trying to take off my clothes, while I was crying and pleading him to let me go, and begging for you to help me! He was laughing, and when I tried to release myself, he hit me! You wanted to know why I'm all hurt… That's why! 'Cause while my boyfriend, the person I loved… Was in another room, having sex with another girl, one of his best friends was trying to rape me! Yes, I was really dizzy, and I thought it was you who was leading me to that room, 'cause you promised you wouldn't leave me all night, but you did! And you left me to have sex with another girl! You say you love me, but you didn't trust me, you didn't believe me! You let him touch me! You let him almost rape me! You let him use me! And when I tried to get back, while I was crying, after seeing what you were doing, while I needed you, I fell several times. That's why I'm full of bruises. Now that you know the truth, are you happy?" I yelled, while the tears were running down my face, one after another, without stopping. Kyle was really surprised with that. I realized for his eyes he was truly sorry. He tried to touch me, to hug me, but I moved away.
"Emily… I'm sorry… Please… I shouldn't have left you alone… I should have trust you… I'm sorry, please…" He begged. However, I interrupted him.
"Stop! Stop that!" I yelled. "I hate you, Kyle. I'll never, ever forgive you for what you've done. You two destroyed me! You took away everything of me! And I'll never forgive you for letting him do that to me, and for you to sleep with another girl, while I needed you. Never, Kyle. I'll never forgive you" I declared, grabbing my guitar, and walking away, running. I heard him calling my name, and I realized he was running after me. However, I didn't stop, and I locked myself in the cabin, which was empty. Then, I went to my bed, and covered myself, and I cried. I would never trust again in another boy. I would never trust again in anyone else. I never wanted to go off that bed. Never more.