Status: Rewrite - somewhat active
Sunshine
e l e v e n
After a few weeks at my dad's house I'd pretty much gotten into a routine. I spent the days with my step-brothers and their friends and the nights with Henry. Every night after dinner I would leave the house and meet him on the beach. Sometimes we walked and other times we just sat staring at the ocean for hours. When I wanted to talk we would talk, and when I didn't he would. Silence was comfortable between us too.
"Do you think your dad and Lisa will let you stay after summer?" Henry asked one night as we walked along the shore. We were barefoot and the sand was still warm from the day.
"I don't know. I hope so. I'm finally starting to feel like a person again," I admitted.
"I was pretty worried for awhile there," Henry confessed. "Right after you first got injured and Dave assaulted you, you seemed like you were slipping away."
"Assaulted me?" I asked, stopping suddenly.
"Abby, he forced you to kiss him against your will and he touched you in ways that you didn't want," Henry pointed out. "That's sexual assault." I shuddered at the term. What Dave had done seemed so tame compared to what my stepdad did regularly. I realized that Henry was watching me closely. I tried to smile at him. "No, it's okay, you don't have to pretend for me. I know you're hurting. I also know the signs that we missed with my sister."
"Did you think I was going to do the same thing she did?" I asked. Henry shrugged. "I don't know if I would have or not. Is that why you're friends with me? Guilt because of your sister?"
"No Sunshine, I'm friends with you because you're such a sweet and thoughtful person who has great conversations with me," he said firmly. "I know I had to save you a few times there in the beginning but I think that one day you're going to save yourself from all this."
"I wish I had the same faith in myself that you do," I whispered. We started walking again, this time in silence. After a long time I spoke again. "You know, you're the only person I feel like I can be totally honest with."
"I feel the same way about you," he replied, reaching for my hand. I felt the warmth his palm around mine and for an instant felt safe.
"Do you think your dad and Lisa will let you stay after summer?" Henry asked one night as we walked along the shore. We were barefoot and the sand was still warm from the day.
"I don't know. I hope so. I'm finally starting to feel like a person again," I admitted.
"I was pretty worried for awhile there," Henry confessed. "Right after you first got injured and Dave assaulted you, you seemed like you were slipping away."
"Assaulted me?" I asked, stopping suddenly.
"Abby, he forced you to kiss him against your will and he touched you in ways that you didn't want," Henry pointed out. "That's sexual assault." I shuddered at the term. What Dave had done seemed so tame compared to what my stepdad did regularly. I realized that Henry was watching me closely. I tried to smile at him. "No, it's okay, you don't have to pretend for me. I know you're hurting. I also know the signs that we missed with my sister."
"Did you think I was going to do the same thing she did?" I asked. Henry shrugged. "I don't know if I would have or not. Is that why you're friends with me? Guilt because of your sister?"
"No Sunshine, I'm friends with you because you're such a sweet and thoughtful person who has great conversations with me," he said firmly. "I know I had to save you a few times there in the beginning but I think that one day you're going to save yourself from all this."
"I wish I had the same faith in myself that you do," I whispered. We started walking again, this time in silence. After a long time I spoke again. "You know, you're the only person I feel like I can be totally honest with."
"I feel the same way about you," he replied, reaching for my hand. I felt the warmth his palm around mine and for an instant felt safe.