Chapter 8 The Part That Happened
Lana's POV
"I promise, I won't tell anyone," Arden said, giving my hand a little squeeze. I let out a breath as I looked down at our hands.
"I liked him, Brady is his name. Well, you already know that. He was on the football team. There was one night when my siblings and I were at my uncle's place and Brady asked me if I wanted to hang out with him and his friends. I agreed because I wanted to be out with friends and to be around the guy that I liked. My dad usually kept us all away from bad environments such as the club and going out with friends. He can be very overprotective. I went to the club with Brady and his friends. They were on the football team too. They are very outgoing and crazy. They had two girls with them." I licked my lips to moisten it. I never made eye contact with Arden as I speak. "It was my first time going to this club and Brady somehow knew that I had a crush on him and then he was being affectionate. They offered me drinks but I refused. They were smoking in a private section. As Brady would get tipsy the more he came on to me and he would kiss me on my neck and then when I excused myself to go to the bathroom...." I took in a deep breath.
"You told me that you were a virgin. What happened?" I looked up at him. His brows were furrowed.
"I am a virgin, they didn't do what you think they did. They tried to," I said, looking away from him as I tried to remain calm.
"They? So it was more than one guy," he stated, and I nodded.
"I went into the bathroom, but there was no queue and no one else was in the bathroom that I saw at that time, because when I went inside, Brady and his friends barged in after me and they were drinking a lot," I closed my eyes and I took in a deep breath because this is the part that gets really sensitive to me.
"What did they do?"
I shook my head. "I don't want to talk about it," I said, staring at the coffee table. "Its best if you just leave it."
"Lana, I would like to know what happened. I want to do something to make Brady stay away from university."
"Like reporting this?" I asked as I looked at him and I could feel the tears welling up in my tears. He had concern all over his face.
"If I have to, so that he can stay away from you."
"No, I don't want any drama or attention on me. No one knows about this besides them." I said. "Please take me to my apartment." I stood up and I walked towards the front door.
"Lana, you were doing great by opening up. Speaking about it would help, especially since I need to deal with Brady for whatever it is that happened and what I'm guessing is that they assaulted you," he said, and I stopped at the door. Closing my eyes as those memories felt fresh. Tears ran down my face and Arden's arms were around me from behind.
"I can't,"
"You can, you can tell me." he said with his soothing voice.
I turned around and he cupped my face, wiping my tears away with his thumbs. He looked straight into my eyes. "Promise that you won't do anything to draw attention to me at university."
"I promise." he said, and he clenched his jaw.
"When they came inside of the bathroom they surrounded me, my back was pressed against the basin." I swallowed and I closed my eyes. "Brady came closer to me and pulled me against him, his hands moved to my ass. I moved his hand away as his one friend cupped my breast and I shoved them both away. I knew what would happen. I tried to shout but I realized that there was no one else in the bathroom that could save me. I was shoved back against the basin and then his friends just started..." I squeezed my eyes.
"Just breathe." Arden said, his hands still cupping the sides of my face and I held onto him, but more like gripping him.
"They undid their pants and Brady picked me up and sat me down on the vanity and he was between my legs. I was shoving him away and the others were closing in on me and then I just fell to the ground as I shoved the other. They wanted me to suck them off." I took in a deep breath and I let it out. "One held me up as I was on my knees and basically I couldn't try to fight them because I was being held. Brady moved forward with his d^ck close to my face and I closed my eyes, turning my face away with disgust. The one that held me, choked me and my mouth opened for air, I tried to get the grip off of me that was choking me and Brady wanted to shove his d^ck in my mouth but I punched him in the balls. Next thing, I was shoved against the ground like a used piece of cloth and I crawled out of the bathroom. I wanted to puke."
"Those f^cking bastards," he muttered under his breath.
"I stood up and I walked further away from the bathroom and I called my dad to get me. I knew that he would be pissed off with me for going to a club. As I walked back after a while, I just stood against the wall and Brady saw me. He came to me, caging me in and he kissed me, but I didn't want to be kissed, so I would look the other way in disgust and that was when my dad dragged him away from me. More things kind of almost happened at school thereafter which I wrote down in my diary." I said, looking into his ocean blue eyes. "News went around in school about it but not the part where I had been assaulted. They made it appear as if we had a good time. I think my brother knew what was happening and my dad moved me to a different school. I have masked all of this since that day. I would be like my dad, with an attitude. Originally, everyone says that I'm like my dad. I kept my attitude like that for most of the time although my personality is more like my dad's." I smiled at the last part.
" I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that," Arden said.
"I have had panic attacks ever since. I felt suffocated."
"Have you noticed while you were talking to me that you didn't have one?" he asked.
"I only realize that now," I furrowed my brows in thought.
"Talking helped, you trust me. I have experience with this and I am glad that I could be the one to help you through this. I will always help you. My door is always open for you," he said. "I will never do such things to you."
"I know." I said. "You are more of a gentleman."
He smiled at me as he moved his hands away from my face and I moved backwards. "I would've loved for you to stay the night so that I'm around."
"I can't, I have to get to my apartment." I swallowed. It felt like a weight had been taken off from me.
Arden's brows furrowed, "I don't want him to be anywhere near you. I will..." he let out a sigh. "See what I can do with regards to him," he said as he looked into my eyes, there was anger in them.
"Just please do not report this." I beg him.
"I won't" he said as he stepped forward and then he wrapped his arms around me, holding me. I closed my eyes and I felt so safe in his arms.
"I failed the test." I said.
He chuckled. "As soon as you are on birth control, then we can go ahead with our deal, but I will not do anything that you don't want me to do." he said. I love that he is respectful and not just take what he would want from me.
I pulled away from him and then he walked over to his kitchen. "I really need to get going." I said as I followed after him. He was writing in a small notebook and then he tore the page out, handing it over to me.
"That is my number if you need me." he said. "What is yours? I would want to check up on you." he said.
I gave him my number as he jotted it down in the notebook. "You really helped me today, I don't know what I would've done." I said. He placed the book on the kitchen counter and he turned his full attention on me.
"I would do anything to help you," he said as he moved closer towards me and I folded up the page and I put it inside of my pocket.
"Thank you." I said.
"I will take you back. I think that it is best if you take the day off tomorrow," he stated.
"I think that it would be a great idea."
"I don't want him to go after you when he sees you tomorrow, I will work on something. Perhaps I can transfer him to a different university. The last option is to report this incident, which you don't want me to. So I hope that I can get things going in the right direction and respect your wishes," he said.
I nodded, "As long as you do not report it, that is all I'm saying. I will never forgive you if you do report it." I warned him.
"You have my promise." he said as he wrapped his arms around me again. Closing my eyes, I feel like I can breathe better, but talking about this doesn't stop the fact that Brady is still in my class. "Let's get back to your apartment."
My phone will be bombarded by Cynthia. I wouldn't be surprised if she reported me missing. She can overreact at times. Most of all, my mind does go back to Brady. He must've seen me when I left class. There was no way of hiding. So I hope that Arden can do something about it.
I followed Arden out of his apartment, but then that weight just settled on me again, the suffocating part. I don't want to stay out of university for a few days because my dad will find out and then I will have to deal with him and I don't want that. I am putting my trust in Arden to do something about it, but if he can't, then I will have to just suck it up and face the devil himself that caused this.
My panic attacks will happen because there is no doubt about that, but I will have to try and mask them and be strong to get through at least this one semester. I need to, but I don't want my dad to be on my case because he will not listen to what I want to do. Arden is my safe place here in New York and at least I have him to count on and have my back when I need someone.