Silence.
I fucking crave that.
“What are you doing?” I don’t hear Noah approach until he screams at me, until his arms wrap around me pulling me backward and sending us tumbling to the ground. “What the fuck, Mik?” His words are frantic as he holds me close to his hard body.
I feel the tears slip from my eyes, the anxiety seeping out of me again. “Did you know?” I ask, unsure of the level of my voice or if I’m even coherent enough that he can understand me.
“What are you talking about?” he asks, sitting us up but not letting go of me.
“Did you know?” I repeat. “Did you know that your dad drugged me, that he raped me?”
Shock washes over his features, and I believe it’s genuine from the way his eyes widen and his grip tightens on me. “What are you talking about?” he asks again, this time lower, more concern dripping from his words.
“My drink tonight, he drugged it.” I tell him. “And it was the same that night.”
One hand releases me to tear through his slicked back hair, loosening it and making it unruly atop his head. “No.” He muttered. “How do you know?”
“Laurel. She took a sip and she knew, so she made me throw up. I wasn’t sure…” I trail. “But then, he cornered me.”
“Mik,” Noah’s voice is soft and he wraps his arms around me. I accept the embrace, accept his touch. “I didn’t know,” he whispered. But he believes me, his features are soft, all the anger has drifted away.
“That’s why I can’t remember… he raped me.” My voice is strangled, sad.
“No,” Noah shakes his head. “He couldn’t have.”
“How? How do you know that?” I push back. He can’t be sure, can’t know without a doubt what happened.
/>
“I was with you all night, Mik. I know he didn’t.”
“How—” I start to say.
“There you two are.” Edward’s voice feels like an assault to my ears. I flinch as he comes near, and Noah rises quickly, standing in front of me as a shield.
I stand too, ready to run again, to get far away from him.
“I’m sure Mikaela has told you some wild story that we both know is a lie, hmm? The girl is losing her mind, again.”
“No.” Noah says sternly. “I don’t think that's the case this time.”
This time.
The phrase rings through my head.
Edward chuckles. “You’re being silly, Son.”
“No.” Noah repeats. “What did you do?”
“What did I do?” Edward scoffs. “You’re fiancée all but attacked me in the hallway, Noah. She needs help. She needs to be locked up.”
I feel a strangled cry leave my lips.
I’m not crazy.
I’m not crazy.
Everyday for a year I’ve felt like I was, like I was losing my mind, wracking my brain for answers to my questions and now the answers are right in front of me.