“Because you never told me about it. I didn’t put it together until you told me about it the morning of your release from the hospital. Then, it all added up.”
I still couldn’t believe my ears, but I felt sad, embarrassed, and then I started very, very mad.
“I want to know who they are. The police have DNA samples, Jonathan. I can finally get my exoneration, but not without your help.”
He looked so ashamed that I could see he wanted to just get up and run. I began to feel a sickly, churning feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Of course I’ll tell you who they are. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
He was shaking, and just couldn’t seem to get the words out of his mouth.
“ Two of them are my roommates.” He still didn’t look at me.
“Your what? Your roommates? You mean, you knew that this happened and…”
“NO. I NEVER knew that they had done this to you. We room, but we don’t exactly hang out, you know?”
I was trembling, but the words were spilling out quicker than I could think.
“No, I don’t know. Two of your college roommates were part of this gang rape that almost killed me? Who were the rest of the people? What are their names?” The questions started pouring out of me.
“Jasmine, I’m going to the police.” He stopped and took my hand. I was sobbing and I couldn’t breathe.
“I love you, Jasmine, and I can’t begin to tell you what I’m thinking right now. I wanted to kill them both – right there – I had to walk out and I just started screaming. I came straight here. I need you to tell me that…I don’t know what I need you to tell me…”
I stopped crying and all emotion drained from me in a split millisecond.
“Jonathan, go to the police. Tell them what you know. These monsters need to be stopped – to pay for what they did and have probably done before and since.”
I looked forward straight at the wall, like a focus point.
“You know that this changes everything – for me, for you, for us…”
He stepped back and grabbed his head – “Why? I was honest with you..I’m going to turn them in..”
Slowly and in a soft voice, time stood still for a moment and I looked at him. I smiled, a smile of desolation.
“Nothing will ever be the same. From this moment on, you know the faces and the hands that desecrated my very being. Part of me is gone forever. No matter what we do from this point on, it can’t ever be changed. I am not Jasmine Stanton anymore. I’m just a girl who got gang-raped at college. It was my fault. They didn’t do this – I did it to myself. I am a girl sabotaged.”
Girl Seduced (The Girl Interrupted Trilogy Book #1) Page 12