"Pidge, I don't like this guy," I said for what felt like the millionth time that evening. Pidge glared at me through the mirror giving me a clear warning of what would happen if I continued.
"I've heard your opinion Lance and I'll file it under advisement," She said, turning around to face me. Her hair had grown long again and fell in waves around her shoulders. The curls bounced even now as she crossed the room to grab her coat before heading downstairs.
"Why do you have to get so dressed up for a "Project"?" I asked making quotation marks with my fingers.
"I told you we're taking a private tour of a laboratory not far from the university. It's a very pristine Lab and I want to make a good impression. I'd tell you the name but even we don't know."
"How long have you known him? Two days?" I asked following her down the stairs. She grabbed her keys and her purse sighing before turning around to face me.
"He's in my tech class and we have worked on several projects together," She placed an arm on my shoulder, "You have nothing to worry about-" she gives me a smile- "I'll be fine. We're just going to be working on yet another project," she says rolling her eyes.
There's the sound of a car horn from outside and she turns to go. Without thinking my hand shoots out to grab her wrist and her innocent eyes are looking back into mine. We've been living together forever and even if it is a school project the thought of her going out anywhere with someone by herself. The thought made me suddenly protective even though I knew she could handle herself
Pidge cleared her throat pulling me from my thoughts. "Lance, I have to go." She glanced back at the door before turning her attention back to me. "Are you scared to be alone or something?" She asked half-joking.
"No." I reply, releasing her wrist.
She smiles and pulls me into a hug.
"I promise if I need anything tonight you'll be the first person I call and don't worry it's just a school project" she replies before placing a kiss on my lips, "I'll be back before midnight," she says before racing out the door and hopping into the car that's pulled into the driveway.
Out of habit, I reach my arm out to pull Pidge closer to me only to find the bed as cold as the world outside. I sit up resting on my forearms. Squinting in the dark I could still see Pidge's side of the bed still made. My stomach suddenly felt hollow as I looked over my shoulder to the clock on my nightstand, it flashed at two AM. She should've been home by now….
I grab my phone on the nightstand checking for any messages only to find there were none. Odd...Pidge usually always texts me if her plans have changed.
Flipping on the lamp I sat up unlocking my phone. Scrolling through my contacts I press the first name I come to. The phone rings for a while before someone finally picks up.
"Hello?" a sleepy voice answered the phone.
"So sorry to wake you Matt but have you heard from Pidge?" I asked. This whole situation was definitely not like Pidge, she had me worried. The latest she had ever stayed out was Midnight and even then she would let me know that she was home.
"No, I haven't, isn't she at the house with you?" he asked, suddenly more awake.
"She went out with a classmate to tour a lab for a school project, but that was several hours ago, she should've been back by now."
"I'm coming over," he said. On the other end, I could hear some shuffling.
"Matt, there's no reason for you to do that. I'm sure she'll be home soon." as soon as the words left my mouth I heard the door swing open and shut a few seconds later.
"I'll call you back, she just walked in the door."
I didn't have a chance to slide out of bed before Pidge entered the room. I heard a thump as she dropped her shoes on the floor. The bed shifted underneath Lance as She crawled in, slipping under the covers. She snuggled close, not bothering to say anything to him. This was highly unusual and was raising red flags for Lance.
He reached over to his nightstand and flipped on the lamp. He turned back to Pidge, getting her to sit up.
"Babe, is everything okay?"
Pidge didn't say anything as she shrugged him off. She stood from the bed and proceeded to change from the dress that she had left in just hours before. I watched as she stiffly let the dress drop to the floor and pulled a shirt from a nearby pile. Her hair was disheveled and there was only what I could guess to be dirt.
I noticed that she was careful to keep her face angled away from me, using the shadows to her advantage. The shadows however didn't hide the bruise on her upper arm before it was covered by the shirt.
"Pidge, What happened?" I asked, reaching for her. She dodged my hand moving towards the end of the bed. Her arms wrapped around her middle, a form of security if I had to guess. She had her face downcast, but with a sigh followed by a shaky breath she raised it fully to look at me.
I was stunned into silence when I took in her tear streaked face. It was dusted with dirt and her lip was cut with dried blood littering the skin surrounding the area. She turned her head to wipe her tears with her hand and that's when the light caught the bruising around her neck. It was large and dark and fairly close to the shape of a hand.
"Katie…" I said her name softly as if she was a spooked animal. She met my gaze for a second before dropping it to the ground. I rose from the bed as she bent towards the ground and grabbed her purse, she tossed it onto the bed towards me. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around her when I reached for it.
Sitting on top were two pieces of paper. The first was a police report, my eyes locked onto the top detailing why the police department was contacted.
Sexual Assault.
I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat as I flipped to the second page. I was shocked to see that it was discharged paperwork from a nearby hospital. It detailed a similar complaint at the top and what was found towards the bottom as well as resources for Pidge to contact.
I looked up blinking the tears from my eyes only to find Pidge no longer in the bedroom. I heard the water running in the bathroom and went to investigate. The door was closed when I approached. I was fighting to keep my composure, I had known that guy was bad news. The police report detailed my fears thoroughly. Pausing at the door I took a deep breath, Pidge didn't need a hot head right now, she needed me to be cool, calm, and collected.
"Pidge?" I asked, knocking softly.
"Come in." Pidge replied. It was the first words that she had spoken to me since she had been home.
I didn't hesitate in opening the door. I found Pidge standing in front of the tub. She had turned on the water to fill it. Currently she stood next to it, arms still wrapped around her. She didn't react when I entered; however I witnessed her tense up as I shut the door with a soft click. I opened the door and propped it open with the small trash can in the bathroom. I watched as the tension drained from her shoulders if only slightly.
I approached her then, I kept my arms loosely at my sides, palms open. All she had to say was one two letter word and I would back off. I could sense that she needed someone though whether she realized yet or not. She turned into me, her body racked with sobs as she buried her face in my chest. Cautiously I encircled my arms around her. I held her firmly but not tightly, she should be able to pull away if she wanted.
It wasn't until her legs gave out that I made the executive decision to scoop her up in my arms and set her in the tub. She didn't let go initially I noticed, but as her body became accustomed to the warmth of the water she let go. I sat next to her on the outside of the tub as she pulled her knees up to her chest. The shirt that she had thrown on began collecting water, but she didn't seem bothered by it.
I tried to keep my face neutral when she took my hand in hers. She squeezed it once-twice-three times before letting go.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
I shook my head and placed a hand gently on her back. "You have nothing to apologize for."
She buried her head in her arms and I sat there as a silent support as her soft cries echoed in the bathroom.
An hour later after she had scrubbed every inch of her body, I tucked the comforter around her. She had dressed in another t-shirt, this one mine, and a pair of her athletic shorts. I resisted the urge to place a kiss to her temple as I did every night.
"Lance?"
I stopped with my hand hovering over the light switch. I turned to look at her. She looked so vulnerable at this moment, her eyes wide and glassy.
"Please don't leave me." her voice broke on the last word, and tears streamed down her face.
I didn't need any more convincing to climb into the bed with her. She was instantly buried in my chest.
For half an hour she was like that and then she spoke her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think I'll ever make it past this?"
"You will," I reassured her.
"How?"
"By taking it one day at a time."