I’ll Take Care of You

RAINEY

^JUNE 6, 2013^

~“Please stop…” I begged, tears streaming down my face.~

~At ten years old, my mom had already taught me about the difference between good touches and bad ones. What Greg was doing was definitely bad.~

~His rough fingers were painful against my private area, making me squeeze my legs together, squirming and crying.~

~I was still clothed, but I felt exposed, violated. Everything about this felt wrong.~

~“Relax, Rainey. We’re just playing,” he whispered harshly, his hand continuing its terrifying invasion.~

~“Please stop. I don’t like it,” I cried louder, and suddenly the door swung open to reveal Jeff.~

~Greg quickly withdrew his hand from my dress, and I scrambled away from him, huddling in a corner, hugging my knees in fear as tears streamed down my face.~

~“What the fuck, Greg?” Jeff’s face was a mask of shock as he took in the scene before him.~

~Greg stood and walked over to him. “Relax, Jeff.”~

~“Relax? Are you kidding me? She’s my girlfriend’s kid.” He glanced at me as I hid my face in my lap, my body shaking with fear. “And she’s only ten, for fuck’s sake. Are you out of your mind?”~

~“She’s not much younger than that thirteen-year-old girl. Besides, Rainey acts a lot more mature. Stop making a big deal out of this.”~

~Jeff ran a hand over his face. “You’re fucking crazy. What if she tells Miranda? Where does that leave me?”~

~“She won’t tell Miranda. And even if she does, it won’t change anything,” Greg said.~

~“Miranda is head over heels for you, Jeff. Who do you think she’ll believe? Her young lover, or her kid who’s probably just seeking attention?”~

~Jeff stared at his friend, taking in his words. The anger slowly faded from his face, and he put his hands on his hips, looking down at the floor, lost in thought.~

~Greg smirked. “You think I haven’t thought this through? I’m not an idiot, Jeff.”~

~Jeff sighed, waving him off. “Whatever. Just get out of here before Miranda gets back. Rainey’s crying, and you being here will only make things look worse.”~

~Greg quickly left the room, and Jeff took a deep breath, muttering a curse before walking over to me.~

~The sound of the floor creaking made me look up. He squatted down next to me, and I shrank back, fresh tears welling up in my eyes.~

~“Hey, it’s okay. He’s gone, okay?” he whispered, holding up his hands. “He’s not here anymore. I won’t hurt you.”~

~I believed him and stayed still, looking back at him. My hands trembled around my knees as I sniffled.~

~He let out a heavy sigh. “Greg didn’t mean to do that. He says he’s sorry if he hurt you. He just wanted to play with you, that’s all.”~

~My lips started to quiver again, and he quickly shook his head. “No, don’t cry. He said he won’t do it again, and he wants to know if you can forgive him.”~

~I shook my head frantically. “I don’t want to see him anymore. Please don’t let him come back here. Please…”~

~Jeff clenched his jaw. He didn’t like that I was “making a big deal out of this,” as he put it.~

~“Rainey, sweetie, don’t make a big deal out of this. Remember, Greg always brings you candies. Don’t you want more ice cream?”~

~“No, I want my dad,” I cried. “I want my mom.”~

~He sighed, and his face twitched. “If you tell your mom what Uncle Greg did, she’ll cry. Do you want your mom to cry?”~

~I stared at him. The thought of my mom crying made me even more upset. He saw this and decided to use it to his advantage.~

~“That’s right. Your mom will cry, and your dad will get mad at her. And do you know what will happen then?~

~“You’ll lose both of them forever, and you’ll be sent to a new home, with people you don’t know.~

~“They’ll lock you in their basement without food, and you won’t get to play with your toys anymore. Do you want that?”~

~Tears streamed down my face, and I shook my head.~

~“I wouldn’t want that for you either, sweetheart. So don’t tell anyone, okay?”~

~I didn’t respond. I just sobbed quietly. He reached out to me. “Give me a hug.”~

~I flinched, moving away from him.~

~“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you, Rain. I promise. Come here.” He pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around my small body.~

~He promised he wouldn’t hurt me, but it wasn’t long before he broke that promise.~

***

^PRESENT DAY^

A sharp pain in my stomach pulls me out of the terrible memories that often invade my dreams.

I curl up, bringing my knees to my chest as I wince in pain, sweat soaking my forehead and pillow.

The sun is setting outside, casting a thin beam of golden light from the window to the bed.

I couldn’t make it to school this morning.

I woke up with a high fever and a stomachache, probably from stress and not eating much for dinner last night.

This morning, Mom headed off to work, assuming I’d already left for school. But I stayed in bed all day, listening to the sound of Jeff’s car pulling out of the garage hours ago.

I wince again, feeling the pain. My throat is parched, and despite the rumbling in my stomach, I can’t bring myself to eat.

I try to drift back to sleep, but a loud knock echoes from the front door.

I decide to ignore it, squeezing my eyes shut and wrapping an arm around myself. Maybe if I don’t answer, they’ll leave.

I jump when the knocking starts again, louder this time. I realize that both Jeff and Mom have keys, so it can’t be them. Plus, there’s always a spare key hidden in the potted plant on the porch.

Deciding to answer the door, I push the covers off. The doorbell rings, and I press a hand to my forehead as I sit up.

Remembering the chill of the tiles, I slide my feet into my slippers to ward off any further sickness.

My muscles ache from lying in bed all day, and I feel light as a feather as I make my way downstairs. As I reach for the doorknob, a thought crosses my mind.

~Could it be Greg?~

I swallow hard, debating whether to turn back or not.

~You’re not weak, Rain. Stop pretending you are.~

The doorbell rings again, and I close my eyes, gathering my courage to open the door.

I relax when I see Ansel standing there. He’s in his school uniform, backpack slung over his shoulder. He must have come straight from school.

“Hey…” He looks at me, concern etched on his face. “Are you okay?”

His presence makes me feel safe, secure, content.

I swallow again, nodding, but my body tells a different story. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“You weren’t at school today. I was worried, especially since we had our math presentation.”

~Damn. The math presentation. How could I forget?~

“I’m so sorry,” I sigh, pressing a shaky hand to my forehead. “I didn’t mean to—” I wince, gripping the edge of the door.

Ansel’s brow furrows as he reaches out to steady me. “Whoa. Are you okay, Rain?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know…” I lean against the door, my grip so tight my knuckles turn white.

He steps closer, placing a hand on my feverish forehead. He frowns, worry lines creasing his brow. “You’re burning up. Do you have a fever?”

I try to stand up straight, and he watches me, concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine to me. Let me help you upstairs, okay?”

He adjusts his backpack, slipping his other arm through the strap. I sigh, shaking my head.

He’s always putting his life on hold for me, and I shouldn’t be such a burden.

“I’m fine. I just need…”

He scoops me up, one arm under my legs, the other supporting my back. He frowns, looking down at me. “You feel so light, Rain. Damn.”

His eyes are soft, filled with concern, but I’m too weak to respond. He notices and gently presses my head against his neck. “I’m here now. I’ll take care of you.”

I close my eyes as he carries me upstairs to my room.