Unraveling (Second Chances) - By Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,111

pulling all the glass dishes off in the process. They shattered as they hit the ground but I was beyond caring. “Get it off! I need it off!” I sobbed, trying to wipe the red from my skin.

“Katy,” Jared said softly, his chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. “Calm down,” he took the cloth from me, and bent to wipe my legs.

Tears coursed down my face. “Get it off. Please, just get it off,” I begged.

My mother chose that moment to break through the crowd. Her blonde hair was fanned wildly around her head, telling me she’d been pulling on it.

“Get out! Both of you, get out!” she shrieked. “You’re such an embarrassment, Katyrina! And now this hoodlum is beating up poor, Preston! I want you both, gone!”

I stood up straight and steeled myself, forgetting all about the blood coating me that had freaked me out. “He raped me!” I pointed at the unconscious Preston. I screamed the words, wanting everyone present to know. “He raped me, mom! You didn’t care! You wouldn’t listen! You laughed at me! But he held me down and forced himself on me! He wouldn’t listen when I told him to stop! He raped me! He raped me! He fucking raped me!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I had never spoken to anyone this way, let alone used this kind of language.

Everyone around us stood in shock, including Cynthia Spencer.

I continued on, I needed to get this off my chest, I didn’t even notice when Jared stopped scrubbing my legs and took my hand.

“You’re a cold hearted bitch! You don’t care about anyone but yourself! You call yourself my mother, but you have to earn that title! You. Are. Not. My. Mom. If anyone should get the credit of being my mother, it’s Marisol!”

She was quiet for a moment. “Is you’re temper tantrum over?”

“Oh my God! You are impossible!” I yelled.

“And you are just like your useless father. Get off my property. I never want to see you again,” she seethed.

“Good, because I don’t want to see you again!” I turned to walk away but suddenly found myself facing her again. “Do you even know who my father is? Or are you too big of a slut to know?”

I was surprised when her hand smacked sharply against my cheek, even though I shouldn’t have been.

Jared was suddenly in front of me, always my protector. “You will never lay a hand on her, ever, again. Do you hear me?” He grasped my mother’s still raised hand. His voice was deadly calm but with an icy edge.

I saw something close to fear in my mother’s eyes, something I’d never seen before.

She nodded.

Jared released her and grabbed his suit jacket before leading me away from the scene we’d caused.

I could hear Preston stirring behind us, and my mother yelling for someone to get ice.

Jared ignored them and led me out, under the arched trellis.

The girl that had asked for my name was still standing there. Her jaw dropped at our appearances and she then proceeded to try to see what had happened.

“Give me your keys,” Jared said and I did.

He sped out of the driveway and I watched the mansion disappear behind us.

I knew it would be the last time I ever saw it.

I was glad.

~***~

“Oh my God! What happened to you guys? Jared, why does your shirt have blood on it?” Karlie gasped, dropping the book she’d been reading onto the coffee table.

“I beat a guy up,” he mumbled.

“I take it that didn’t leave a very good impression on Katy’s mom?” she raised a brow.

“That women is a bitch,” he snapped. “I’m going to take a shower,” he started up the steps.

Karlie looked at me, expecting me to be offended.

“She is,” I shrugged out of my cardigan. I wanted to burn it, along with my dress. I was convinced there were traces of Preston on it, although I couldn’t find anything. I tossed it in the trash, anyway. It was already ruined in a different way. Anytime I looked at it, I’d think of today.

I stripped out of my dress too and put it in the trash. I didn’t even care that I was practically naked in front of Karlie. I had to get it off. The ride home had been unbearable. I just kept staring at the dark round dots on the bottom of my dress.

“What happened to your clothes?” she asked.

“Karlie,” I said, rougher than I meant to. “Can you