Page 51 of Exile
After a quick trip through the store, Kai waits for me in the car while I change into clothes that fit in the bathroom—black leggings and a long sleeve t-shirt to cover the marks left by Dom. I decide to keep wearing Kai’s hoodie though, because even if it smells like man-sweat, it smells like him, and it makes me feel safe. When I get to the car, he has the prepaid phone out of the packaging, activating it for me.
“Here you go. I’ve got my number, Mrs. G, your mom and my parents already added to your contact list.” Kai hands me the phone, and I shoot him a grateful smile. Having a phone again feels like having a lifeline, and a little more tension eases from my shoulders as I slip it into the pocket of my leggings.
“You ready to do this?” Kai gives me a hesitant look as he starts the car. He knows how nervous I am to bring someone else into the shitshow that has become my life, but if anyone can help, I believe Arianna can.
“Reenie!” Arianna’s excited gasp greets me as she opens the front door. She immediately pulls me into a tight squeeze, and I wince when she presses against the bruises on my arms. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry.” She pulls away, guilt flashing across her face at hurting me. Her eyes dance over to Kai, and she flashes him a warm smile. “Hey, Kai. Good to see you.”
“It’s alright. God, it’s so good to see you, Ari.” I go back in for a gentler hug, resting my head on her shoulder, breathing in the clean, soft smell of citrus from her freshly washed hair. Arianna is dressed in an oversized t-shirt and leggings, clearly ready to go to bed after her long overnight shift at the hospital. “I’m sorry we’re keeping you up, Ari… You sure you don’t want us to come back after you get some sleep?”
Arianna only responds with an eyeroll before pulling me through the front door into her living room. Kai follows behind, his hand on my lower back, reassuring me that he’s still there.
“Do y’all need something to drink? Coffee? Water? I’ve got some sweet tea too.”
I shake my head, my nerves jangling around my insides, causing me to vibrate with tension again. Now that I’m here, in front of someone else, covered in the evidence of Dom’s abuse, I feel a new surge of terror building in my chest. What will he do if he finds out? What if nothing happens to him? How will he retaliate? My breaths start coming in short gasps, and Kai and Arianna immediately close ranks on me, pulling me onto the couch, Kai’s arms wrapped around my shoulders, Arianna holding my hand.
“It’s okay, baby. Breathe. You’re safe here.” Kai’s honeyed voice is in my ear, pouring over my jagged nerves, soothing them, like a balm to my soul. I relax into his hold and take in a deep breath, steadying myself for what’s to come.
“Alright, Reenie. Tell me the whole story. Take your time; don’t leave anything out. I want to know the full scope of what we are dealing with here.”
My mouth goes dry at the prospect of reliving the entire nightmare of my relationship with Dom. Talking about the moments I haven’t told Kai about. The red flags I had ignored before now stand out in my mind like a bullfighter’s red cape. The “forgotten” birth control at the cabin paired with his relentless disregard for my pregnancy concerns. The way I just let him take and take and take from my body because I thought I owed it to him. His need for control over my whereabouts and my body and how he made me so dependent on him, so quickly. Then, once he had me cornered and alone, he finally let loose with the physical abuse.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, readying myself to tell my story, but Kai puts a hand on my thigh, pulling my attention to him.
“ReRe, I think we should record this. It might help if you have to recount your story again to the police. Do you mind if I turn on the voice recorder on my phone?”
I glance at the phone Kai is now holding, his thumb hovering over the red record button in the app in question. I don’t relish the idea of having my pitiful life experience recorded, but I know he has a point, and I know if I do plan on doing something about Dom, this won’t be the only time I have to relive this nightmare. I jerk my head in a quick nod, and Kai taps the button, beginning the recording.
As I describe every awful, manipulative, gaslighting, controlling, abusive thing Dom did, watching Ari’s eyes grow wide in shock and feeling Kai grow tenser and tenser at my back, I realize how shockingly naïve I must be to have fallen for his bullshit. Silent tears stream down Ari’s face as I finish my story. The room is so quiet, you can hear a pin drop.
It’s a long, strained moment before Kai says, “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
KAI
When Serena finishes her story, I jump up from my seat on the couch and begin pacing. My blood is boiling, anger like I’ve never known before coursing through me. I knew he was bad. I knew it, and I didn’t say anything. I assumed Serena would come to me if she ever felt unsafe in a relationship. An assumption I now want to kick my own ass for. Guilt swirls in my gut when I think of how many times I should have spoken up and told her about Dom but kept my mouth shut out of fear she wouldn’t believe me and it would ruin our friendship. It’s a risk I should have taken if it would’ve saved her from this hell.
“Kai, you look like a tiger pacing its cage. Sit down.” Serena looks up at me pleadingly, worry etched in her features like she’s afraid I’m going to pop off and go attack Dom right this second. Her fears aren’t unfounded. I want to kill the abusive, manipulative piece of shit.
“ReRe, how can you expect me to sit calmly after hearing how he raped you and tried to fucking baby trap you?”
Serena’s eyes go wide in shock, her mouth falling open like I slapped her.
“He…I—no…”
I can see the denial in her eyes. Before she can build a defense for the motherfucker I kneel down in front of her, hushing her with a finger to her lips. “Did you or did you not tell him no, and he pressured you into having sex anyway?” My voice is steadier than I feel—my body practically vibrating in anger—but I have to make her see this with reason.
She closes her eyes, takes in a deep breath, then nods.
“And did he or did he not ignore your concerns about having unprotected sex multiple times and keep pressuring you into having sex with him even if you were uncomfortable?”
Tears dance along Serena’s lashes, threatening to fall. Her lower lip trembles, and I move my hand to cup her cheek, holding her, letting her know I’ve got her now. “Yes.” Her response is a barely audible whisper. She collapses into my arms, the strength that was holding her together while she unloaded her burden finally leaving her.
“Shh, it’s okay, ReRe. I’ve got you.” I’m not sure how many times I have to remind her she’s not in this alone. Not anymore. But I won’t quit until it gets through to her.
After a long moment, Arianna clears her throat. I glance over at her and see her quietly wiping away her own silent tears. Her pain for Serena is palpable. She is almost as heartbroken for her as I am.
“So, how do we want to do this? I can take you to my hospital so we can do an official exam and report, but I’m not going to lie, it will be invasive and like reliving the trauma all over again, and I can’t promise anything will happen to Dom. It’s difficult enough to bring a regular abuser to justice, but one on the police force? The odds are against us, Reenie. He will know how to manipulate the system, and odds are charges won’t even be brought against him.” Arianna grasps Serena’s hand, looking her in the eye when she says her next words. “I’m only telling you this because I want you to be prepared to fight this battle. I will be there every step of the way, holding your hand.”