Page 82 of Shattered Silence Duet

She nods, and I grab my stuff and quickly leave the class. I hope this is finally a good lead that can actually give us some headway on the case. I’m tired of how slow the case is progressing and if we don’t act quickly, another body is going to pile up, and that will be on us.

Chapter 51

Mina

Packing up my stuff as the bell rings, I quietly slip into the hall, my nervous gaze seeking Gideon. It’s busy, students are everywhere and thanks to my short height, I can’t see him anywhere. Bodies start bumping into me and soon I get pushed along with the crowd, I decide to go with it and head to the library since that’s where I’m supposed to go, anyway.

Keeping my gaze down, I walk through the halls, occasionally jostled as kids bump into me in passing. When I enter the library, I notice right away how quiet and empty it is, making my shoulders slump in relief. I guess nobody wants to study on their lunch break today, all the better for me.

I place my bag on the table, and suddenly, two arms wrap around me from behind, lifting me off my feet and dragging me toward the nearby stacks. I squirm, pain flaring in my back and arm where they press against me. Whoever it is, must know I don’t talk because they don’t even bother covering my mouth as I struggle against them. I’m carried to a dark corner of the library, away from the view of the entrance.

The second he lets me go, I try to run, but he grabs my forearms and shoves me back against the stacks. My face contorts inpain as I look up and meet Brad’s manic eyes. Recognition flashes, and my eyes widen as he smirks.Not again.

“I’ve finally caught you alone, babe.” He steps in closer, his body pressing against mine, holding me in place. I try to pull my arms free, but they won’t budge, his grip is like an iron vise.

He smirks down at me, amused by the situation he’s placed me in, as fear grips me by the throat. “So it’s true… You really are mute. I wasn’t sure, but after yesterday… I realized it’s not an act. You know… This works really well for me. It means no protesting, no screaming, no yelling at me, no talking back. You’re like the perfect girlfriend. And it’s time you realize that we’d be great together,” he says, sniffing my neck.

Gross. I don’t want anything to do with this guy. I’m not surprised he can’t find a willing girlfriend.

“You do what I ask, and I’ll protect you from everyone at this school.” My mouth drops open in shock. Is he serious right now? How can he not see that he’s the only one I need protection from?

He moves his face so his nose touches mine, whispering, “don’t worry, babe, I’ll make you feel real good.”

I turn my head as he tries to kiss me, a tear slipping free and trailing down my cheek to where his lips land. He licks it up. “Mmm… I think your tears are my favorite part of you.”

Oh my god,he’s messed up. He’s just like Simon. No.No!There can’t be two of them that are this insane. I can’t survive this happening at school and at home. It’s too much. What’s wrong with me that I keep attracting people like this?

The dam breaks as my tears burst free, and I silently sob as he continues to lick them up. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and keep my head turned away, willing for this to be over.

He pulls my arms together between us, holding them with one hand as his free hand wanders to my hip and over to my butt. “God, your curves are so sexy. I’m gonna leave my mark on you right here,” he says, squeezing my ass hard.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, babe?”

I shake my head rapidly, hoping he’ll get the message that I want nothing from him and leave me alone. But I’m not so lucky.

“I know what you really want. You’re just pretending not to want it. It makes it so much better if it feels wrong, isn’t that right, babe?” Brad slides his hand around to my front, down my leg, and to the hem of my skirt. His fingers graze the bottom as he starts to push them up my skirt.

I try to close my legs, but his knee is wedged tightly between them. I struggle and squirm, desperate to pull at least one limb free, but it’s useless against this brick house of a guy. His fingers graze the apex of my thighs, and panic flares inside me, right before I hear voices raised in anger.

“Hey!”

“What the hell are you doing?!”

My eyes fly open as Brad jerks back. Relief floods me when I see Gideon and Tucker sprinting down the stacks toward us, their eyes blazing with pure hatred and anger.

“Just making out with my girlfriend here, no harm done,” Brad says, pushing in front of me to block my view of them and trying to play it off like it’s nothing, just a couple caught making out in the library.

“She is NOT your girlfriend!” Tucker snarls, grabbing Brad by his shirt and yanking him away from me.

Unable to stand on my shaking legs, I start to sink to the ground. Gideon lunges forward and catches me right before I hit the ground, his voice steady but sharp. “The state she’s in makes it clear to anyone that you were sexually assaulting her, and that is not tolerated anywhere, especially in this school. Tucker, take him to Principal Carter’s office and call the police. We’ll be there in a few minutes after I take care of Mina.”

Tucker nods and drags Brad out of the library, who’s still trying to argue it was consensual.

The second Brad is out of sight, I break down, covering my face with my hands as I let all the emotions I’ve been holding backburst free. Gideon sits on the floor and pulls me into his lap, cradling me sideways and rocking me as I sob into his chest. He rubs the back of my head softly, whispering reassurances that everything will be okay.

It’s in moments like this that I question everything I think I know about myself. My mother always told me I wasn’t worthy of love, that everything bad that happened to me was my fault. But I didn’t understand what I had done to deserve any of it.

Still, moments like this make me question it. Why else would I be punished over and over again? There must be something I’m doing that attracts this kind of negative attention.