This story is dedicated to you if you have ever been abused by someone bigger, stronger, and seemingly more powerful than you. You are not alone. You are infinitely precious. And the trauma you endured is not your fault. Know that you are so loved. And whatever trauma you have been through – it does NOT define you. You are a beautiful rose, a lovely lily, a most precious gem.
Rated M for Mature. This story deals with some difficult topics and involves some graphic situations.
Her first battery of tests came back negative. None of the sexually transmitted diseases she’d been tested for had shown up in her bloodstream. Obstacle number one had been surmounted. But she was still worried that she was pregnant. She had to wait two more days to test. And there were other STD tests that took two weeks to come back. So she still had a wait to endure.
Yoongi and the guys helped her move into Julieta’s house on Wednesday evening. They all showed up when she returned from work and began loading furniture into a truck. Julieta and Tia had come too to help load the boxes.
Stasia turned towards Julieta. “Are you sure you have enough room in your house for all this stuff?”
Julieta nodded. “Yes. We didn’t buy much furniture when we moved here, and I haven’t had time to go shopping. There’s room for your couch and coffee table in our living room. Your bed will fit in Tia’s room. There’s room for your dresser in there too. Not sure where to put your television, though. We already have one.”
“I can put it in storage if I need to.”
Julieta nodded. “We won’t need all your kitchen stuff, but you’re welcome to put anything you still want to use in the kitchen.”
Soon, with the help of nine people, Stasia had all her stuff loaded into the moving truck. She stood looking around her apartment. She heaved a sigh of relief. She would not miss this place. She had too many memories of Eun and his abuse here.
The only memories she would cherish would be those that included Yoongi. She glanced down the hallway and remembered the night she’d asked him to kiss her. And he’d gently refused. Then, when she’d trusted him enough to close her eyes in his presence, he’d kissed her cheek instead. She reached up to touch her skin where his lips had burned into her. She could still feel them there. It had been the sweetest touch of her whole life.
Just then, Yoongi came walking back into her apartment. He noticed the strange look on her face. “Stasia?” he asked. “What is it?”
She glanced at him. “Will you walk down that hallway and lean against the wall outside my bedroom?”
He furrowed his brow, but he did as she asked. “Here?” He questioned as he leaned his back against the white wall and glanced at her.
She snapped several pictures. He was smiling in the last one. She nodded as she slid her phone back into her pocket. “Thank you, Yoongi.”
“Why did you take my picture?”
“To remember our first kiss.”
A look of such tenderness crossed his face that she felt her knees buckle.
“Oh,” was all he said in response as a tiny smile crossed his lips. “Everyone is headed to Julieta’s house. Are you ready to go?”
She spun around to take one last, long look at the apartment she’d lived in for three months. She wouldn’t miss it. She wouldn’t miss its memories. The only one worth keeping was safe in her pocket now.
“Come on,” she tilted her head towards the door. “It’s time to go home. Where my friends are.”
It felt good to say it. It felt even better to have someone to go to. Somewhere wouldn’t be alone and she knew people cared about her.
Yoongi could see some of the tension leave her face as she locked the door behind them.
“Just have to return the key to my landlord, and then we can go.” She smiled at him.
This was the first step on her road to recovery. He knew it was going to be a long process. But today marked a turning point. And tomorrow, she’d take the pregnancy test. Then they’d have a better idea of what they were dealing with.
