by McClung, Amy
"Hello?"
There was silence for a moment, then I heard, "Baby, have you missed me?"
Hudson's voice sounded taunting. I sat straight up in the bed, feeling instantly sick to my stomach.
"I miss that sexy body of yours, having my hands all over it. I miss the way your skin tastes."
I was frozen, unable to move or speak.
"I want to come see you. Put on something sexy for me and I'll be at your house within the hour." He hung up. Tears were running down my face; I held my breath in agony.
Once I was able to breathe again, I screamed for Ashton. He burst into the room with Derrick behind him. Derrick looked around, frantically, as Ashton ran to my side.
Derrick asked, "What happened? Is she hurt?"
Ashton sat beside me on the bed. He spoke softly to me, "Gracie, what happened?"
I gasped for air. The words wouldn't form, in order to explain what was happening. "Angel…"
Ashton responded, "Did Angel call you?"
I shook my head. "MJ…my house…"
Derrick called out to Ash, "What is wrong with her?"
Ashton shushed him. "I'm trying to find out." He turned back to me. "Baby, tell me what happened."
I handed him my phone. He looked and saw that the call had ended. He looked at the number.
"It shows an unlisted number. Who was it?" He asked, being more patient than I would have been.
I croaked out, "Hudson."
Ashton jumped up. "What!?"
Derrick moved toward Ashton. "Who is Hudson?"
Ashton knelt in front of me. "Tell me what he said."
I reached for his shoulders and pressed into them with so much force, my fingers tips were white. "He said, he's coming to see me at my house. He wants…he wants to…" I gasped for air. "Touch me."
Ashton stood up quickly turning to Derrick. "Call 911. Have them send an officer to her house, now. Here's my phone, her address is in it."
Derrick was still confused. "Tell me again why I'm sending the police to her house?"
Ashton turned angrily. "Because, the man who raped her, and beat her to a pulp, is headed there now."
Derrick's eyes moved to mine and I saw the sadness envelope him. "Oh God. I…I'm sorry."
Ashton shoved him. "Go call now!"
Ashton reached toward me; I flinched before he made contact. "I'm sorry, Ashton. I didn’t mean to jump. You can touch me."
Ashton moved his arms around me, and I held on for dear life. He smoothed my hair. "Calm down, baby. Breathe. I won't let him hurt you."
I panicked. "Call Angel and MJ. Make them get out of the house."
Ashton called and was able to reach Angel who said MJ wasn’t home. She told Ashton that she was leaving right then and would go to Cameron's. "I'm going to go to your house."
Before he could finish I screamed, "No! Please, I can't lose you."
Ashton embraced me again. "Gracie, calm down. You won't lose me. I need to go to your house to meet the police and fill them in. I'm taking you to Cam's. You'll be safe there."
I cried, "Please let me go with you," as I clawed at him, pulling him closer.
It panicked me to think about sitting at Cameron's house worrying about if he was safe or if I'd have to see him in a hospital bed next. I knew Ashton could take care of himself, but I didn’t trust Hudson to not play dirty.
Chapter Twenty-one
He reluctantly let me go with him. When we arrived at the house, the police were not there. Hudson's car was parked outside.
Ashton pulled over. From the moment I stepped off the bike, Ashton held my hand tightly. He had his phone ready. He made a call and stated angrily, "Yeah, we called and reported that we needed a police officer and there's no one here."
I'd never heard him raise his voice or be rude to anyone before.
I saw Mary Jane's car in the driveway in front of Hudson's, my stomach clenched. I broke free of Ashton's grasp and ran to the door. I fumbled with my keys.
He caught up and took them from me. "Gracie, you're not going in there!"
The door was unlocked and propped open. "Mary Jane is here. He could have hurt her!"
I moved inside and immediately, found Mary Jane crumpled in a ball at the bottom of the stairs. She was crying, rocking back and forth against the bottom stair. I slid to my knees in front of her.
"What happened?"
She hugged my neck as she cried. "Hudson was here."
I held her tightly. "Did he hurt you?"
She nodded. "He shoved me around. He was screaming in my face. He wanted to He wanted to know where you were. He ripped my shirt when I struggled against his hold . He ran out just now when he heard the bike pulling up."
Ashton turned and ran out after Hudson.
"ASH!" I screamed for him.
I sat next to Mary Jane to comfort her. There was a noise behind us, I was about to turn, when someone grabbed a hold of my hair and dragged me across the floor. Mary Jane was screaming my name as she tried to grab for me.
Hudson dragged me out the door; my back scraped against the concrete stairs. He lifted my body up as I fought against him. Before I could blink, his hand made contact with my cheek, knocking me off balance. He threw me over his shoulder. I beat his back with my fists as I screamed. Hudson put me down and pressed me against the car door, holding me still as he fumbled with the handle. I shoved against him as I tried to break free.
Hudson grabbed my face, roughly, as he kissed my neck. "Gracie, I miss you baby. You smell so damn good."
He ran his tongue along my neck. I whimpered in disgust.
"See how crazy you make me?"
I struggled against him, cringing, as his mouth touched my skin. He gripped my face tighter, my jaw hurt from the pressure. I struggled as his hand moved down my body.
"Please, let me go," I begged. I searched for Ashton. He had to be close by, I was afraid he was hurt. Hudson's hand moved inside my shirt. My stomach muscles rippled as his touch made me cringe.
His mouth closed over mine, I kept my lips firmly closed. He punched me in the stomach. I gasped, and he used the moment to shove his tongue in my mouth. He grabbed at my shirt, trying to untie it. He let go of me long enough for me to get space to move.
I brought my knee up hard, right between his legs. He bent over in agonizing pain. I didn’t move quick enough. He was able to grab my hair and pull. I screamed in distress.
"You bitch!" Hudson screamed in my face. His fist was pulled back; I closed my eyes and turned my head waiting for the pain.
"Ash," came out in a low whimper. No pain came. Instead, I heard a crack and Hudson screamed. I opened my eyes. Ash had grabbed Hudson's fist, and broken his arm in the process, before he could hit me. Ashton knocked him to the ground.
Hudson was face down in the dirt. Ashton held Hudson's hands behind his back as he sat on his legs. Hudson screamed, "You broke my arm."
Ashton scoffed, "You should be glad that's all I broke. You son of a bitch! I could kill you right now! You don't fucking touch a woman like that, EVER. You definitely won't touch Gracie ever again."
I grabbed Ashton's phone from his pocket and dialed the police. I fell to the ground in exhaustion from trying to fight Hudson off. Ashton turned his head. "Gracie, you alright?"
I exhaled. "Yeah, I'm okay. You saved me, Ash."
The police arrived in less than ten minutes this time. Ashton held Hudson down until they got there.
Once they had him in custody, they went to Mary Jane to get her statement. Ashton looked me over. His palm gently cradled my cheek. "I'm sorry, bug. I shouldn’t have run off."
I wrapped my arms around him. "We're all safe, that’s what matters." My legs felt warm and wet. I glanced down and Ashton's eyes followed mine. There was blood on my pants.
He stepped back. "You said you were safe. Did he…?"
I shook my head. "No, he tried, but never got my pants off. He punched me in the stomach and I've been cramping ever since."
An officer stopped us. "Sir, we need your statements."
Ashton replied urgently, "Later. I need someone to get her to the hospital now. I can't carry her on my bike. Can we get a police escort?"
The officer glanced at my pants and whistled for his partner. "I'll take care of things here. I need you to get her to the hospital to be checked out."
Ashton stayed in the waiting room, while I was examined. The doctor had me relay everything that had happened. She examined me and checked for a heartbeat. There was nothing. "Sweetie, have you been in for an exam since you were diagnosed?"
I shook my head. "It's been kind of shocking for me. I haven’t had time to really let it sink in. I lied to you when I came in before. You asked me if I'd been raped and I said no. That wasn't true."
"I suspected as much. Since you're an adult, there wasn't much I could do without you acknowledging that it happened. If you had been a minor I'd have been obligated to report my suspicions."
"So…the baby?"
The doctor nodded, “I don’t show any signs of a miscarriage.”
I was confused, “But I didn’t hear a heartbeat.”
She nodded, "Right. There are no signs that there was ever a baby. It seems you had a false positive with your home pregnancy test."
My eyes scrunched in confusion. "No, the hospital called me with a positive test. I didn’t take one at home."
She seemed confused by this. "What? That can't be right."
She moved to the computer and checked my chart. As she skimmed through, she said, "Oh dear. It seems the same day you were seen, your account number got mixed up with another patient's. It looks as though the hospital staff attempted to call you twice, but no one was unable to reach you."
I began to panic. "So, what about my other results? Could I have an STD now?"
The doctor reviewed my chart again. "No, you both had the same tests. The only difference was her pregnancy test was positive, and yours wasn’t. This stuff rarely ever happens. The account numbers were the same except for the last numbers."
I sighed with relief. "It figures it would happen to me. Why am I bleeding?"
She moved over toward me, "Considering your stress level, I'm guessing your cycle."
Flabbergasted I asked, "You're guessing?"
She sighed. "From the ultrasound, everything else looks fine. Your uterus is contracting, causing the cramps. You've had several traumatic events lately that could cause stress and make your body act differently than normal. Trauma to your abdomen could have caused your body to react that way. If nothing else hurts, that's the only conclusion I can come to. I'm sorry that the idea of being pregnant made things even more stressful for you. Have you talked to someone about everything going on?"
I shook my head "No, not yet. I need to, though. It's too hard to deal with on my own. I don't want to put that pressure on my friends and family either."
She stood up. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get you the name of some counselors I know. You can research and decide which one you want to see."
Before she closed the door, she popped back in and said, "Would you like me to get your friend to sit with you while you wait?"
I nodded. "Please."
Ashton came in the door a few minutes later. His shoulders were slumped, his face tight with concern.
"I'm fine, baby. Come here." I held my arms out to him.
He embraced me and sighed with relief. His hands cradled my head against his chest.
Ash stepped back to look at me. "The baby?"
I took a deep breath. "There never was a baby, apparently."
I filled him in on the story. Like me, he was annoyed with the mix-up, but somewhat relieved that there was no tie to Hudson now. I also confessed to him that I didn't report the rape to the doctor before today.
"I'm proud of you for asking about talking to someone. I know how difficult it is for you to admit what happened. Talking about it will help you heal though."
I fidgeted with my nails. "It's time. I felt that hopelessness again, today. It's why I went to lay down while Derrick was there. I need to keep from going to that dark place."
"Whenever you feel that way, I want you to talk to me about it," he said, holding my hand. "We're in this together. I don’t plan on going anywhere."
He kissed my forehead and I smiled. "I like the sound of that."
The doctor walked back into the room. "Is it alright to speak freely, or would you like your friend to leave?"
I took Ashton's hand in mine. "My boyfriend can stay."
She smiled. "That's great that you have someone to keep your spirits heightened."
Ashton gave my hand a squeeze.
"Here are some business cards for the different counselors. Some of them specialize in rape specifically; others are for domestic abuse or trauma."
Ashton took them from her because I was frozen; everything was overwhelming at the moment.
"Make sure to make an appointment soon. In fact, I can set you one up today, if you'd like."
Ashton brushed a hair from my face. "Sweetie, I think that'd be a good idea."
I nodded. "Yeah, uh, yes, please do."
She set the appointment up for the following week with a female rape counselor. It brought me a little relief to know when I would have to talk about it again.
Ashton had Gavin come by with his car for us to get home. Gavin drove Ash's bike back from my house. I stared out the window the whole drive. Ashton reached over and held my hand across the center console.
"Gracie?" he asked as we pulled into the driveway of his house.
"Hmm?" I replied. "
You ready to go in?"
I nodded.
He led the way. Once inside, I wanted some time alone to think. "I'm a little tired. Do you mind if I lay down?"
He replied, "Sure, bug. Do you want me to come with you?"
I thought about it for a second. "No. I mean, I do. Right now, I need a little time alone. I have a bit of a headache after everything today."
He nodded in understanding, though his face displayed the rejection he felt.
"Tuck me in?" I asked, with a smile.
He followed me to the bedroom. I removed my jeans and untied Ash's shirt that I was wearing. He came up behind me and kissed my neck, sliding his arms around my waist and placing his chin on my shoulder.
"I love you, bug."
I reached my hand behind me to caress his face gently. He sighed at my touch. I turned to face him as I unbuttoned the shirt slowly. His hands slid inside as he pushed it off my shoulders. I stood in my bra and panties.
His mouth met mine with a soft caress; his tongue slid into my welcoming mouth. I moaned as his hands moved to my waist, lifting me off the ground. He moved me to the bed, laying me down softly. He moved back from me, reaching for the blanket to cover me. I pouted, "Why did you stop?"
He smiled. "You wanted some time alone, I want to respect that. We'll pick that up later, I promise." I fell asleep shortly after he closed the door.
Chapter Twenty-two
When I woke up, my head was feeling better and the cramps had subsided. I threw on a t-shirt and shorts. My feet padded against the hardwood floor as I walked to the living room to check for Ashton. Cameron was sitting on the couch. He snickered and pointed. “Nice bed head.”
I reached up to smooth my hair down. “Where’s Ash?”
He acted offended. “Nice to see you too, sunshine.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know I’m always glad to see you. Would you like something to eat?”
With an old English accent he stated, “Yes fair maiden, fetch me food!”
I turned away from him. “Wanna guess how many fingers I’m holding up?” I strolled to the kitchen, whistling.
Cameron followed like a lost puppy. I turned almost bumping into him. “Personal space, man.”
He stepped back from me
, “Sorry. What are we going to make?”
I opened the fridge, “Hmm. Eggs, bacon and French toast…how does that sound?”
His stomach growled in response. He pointed to his stomach and says, “Little Cam says that sounds delish.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him, “So that’s what you call Little Cam?”
He stuck his hand on his hip and said, “Yep, cause ain't nothing else little.” I snorted with laughter.
"Seriously, where is Ash?" I asked again.
“He went down to the station to give his statement about what happened at your house. He asked if I’d sit with you until he got back.”
I wrapped my arms around Cameron. He squeezed me close and kissed my head. “Wanna go downstairs and watch a movie?”
He shrugged. “Sure, why not. Let’s make snacks.” We loaded our arms with snacks and drinks, and then headed to the basement.
In the middle of the movie, Cameron tossed a handful of popcorn at me. My mouth fell open in shock.
“You are so in for it.”
I grabbed a handful and threw it back at him, hitting him directly in the face. He spit out the popcorn that landed in his mouth. He tackled me on the couch tickling me.
I screamed, “Uncle.”
We were laughing so hard that we almost missed the phone ringing. I felt a pang of dread wash over me. I glanced at the number, it was unknown. “It’s unknown, Cameron. That’s what it said when Hudson called.”
He took the phone from me, answering it gruffly. “Who is this?” he demanded. “Oh. Yes, she’s right here.” He held the phone out to me. “It’s the police station.”
I took the phone from him. “Hello. Yes this is Gracie Walker. I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”
I immediately began trembling, my voice got higher each word. “Is he okay?” Cameron’s face paled with worry. I closed my eyes. “Yes, I’m heading there now.”
As soon as I hung up, Cameron burst out, “What happened?”