2. Brielle
Chapter two
Brielle
Connecticut
A few days after settling back at home, I got the news I was hoping for. Amani’s mom was able to help get me into the dorm, and as Amani’s roommate at that. Plus, my advisor got me into an apprenticeship at a local gallery.
The first day walking into my internship was nerve-wracking. Before getting there, I was excited, but once I walked in, the thoughts of the past took over.
I got my GED at seventeen because I couldn’t bear to go back to my high school after my rapist got off scot-free. Once I left high school, I fell into a deep depression. Therapy wasn’t working; I was spiraling.
One day, the bad thoughts just got too loud.
I made a stupid decision and tried to overdose on my mom’s sleeping pills.
What I didn’t know was that my sister was bringing me lunch as a surprise.
She saved my life that day. She found me almost passed out with the bottle next to me and called an ambulance immediately.
When it was time for college, I decided to live at home and commute.
I was going to school for art at first. My dream was to own a gallery someday.
I switched to general studies after a semester because I couldn't handle that Ellory was in all my art classes.
We always were interested in the same things… even my boyfriend.
Luckily, I already knew someone working there.
An acquaintance of mine, Shane, worked as an assistant.
I was almost scared of him at first because he was very forward in trying to be friendly with me.
Then he and I bonded over a hot guy at a coffee shop last year, and we realized we knew some of the same people. We clicked.
Shane told me to look around while I waited for the boss to come in. He was running a little late. As I walked around, I ran into a few patrons, and unsure exactly what to do yet, I just politely smiled and nodded.
The gallery was filled with all kinds of art, including sculptures and impressionist pieces.
Impressionism wasn’t exactly my favorite type of art, but I was learning to appreciate all art forms lately.
As I turned the corner into one of the sculpture rooms, my body froze when I heard an uncomfortably familiar voice.
“Baby, stop. We can’t do that here. I am working.” I heard a giggle that I had heard a million times since I could walk. I turned just to be sure, but I knew it was Ellory.
What I didn't expect though, was to see she was still very clearly dating my asshole of an ex, Caleb. My rapist Caleb.
Sweat formed on my forehead, and goosebumps traveled across my skin. My body was going into fight-or-flight mode.
I had nowhere to hide in the wide-open room. I turned my back to face the wall, hoping they were walking the other way.
“Come on, baby. Your boss isn’t here yet. Let’s go have some fun in the back room.”
Ellory shushed him. Caleb’s voice sent uncomfortable shivers down my spine. I don’t know what possessed me, but I started recording video on my phone and put it in my pocket.
I knew the moment she saw me.
“Brielle?” she asked hesitantly.
He looked at her in question. “Why would you bring up—”
Shit.
I turned and backed away the moment his eyes hit mine. I didn’t know whether I should cry or scream.
“I…um… I. Shit.” Caleb was stumbling over his words. He rubbed his hand over his five o'clock shadow.
Ellory turned to him. “Maybe you should go. I will see you later.” She gave him a nudge.
He ran his fingers through his hair and nodded. Then left without saying another word.
Ellory walked toward me slowly. “Hey,” she finally said, breaking the silence.
The only thing I could think to say went furiously flying out of my mouth, “He fucking raped me.”
“Brielle, please,” she whispered, looking around. “Don’t do this. I work here.”
I looked her right in the eye. “So do I as of today.”
I think she was hoping I would back down, but I didn’t.
“If I ever see him again, I will tell the world what he did, again. I don’t care if the law says it didn’t happen. It did, and you fucking know it.”
“Brie, there was no proof that—”
I stormed into the bathroom to give myself a moment to calm down. I wasn’t going to listen to her say anything else. She knew what had happened. She is the one who found me crying in the bathroom after he left me lying there.
It was obvious when she walked in that night that she was looking for Caleb and not me.
She opened the door and found me lying there with my dress all rumpled.
I was staring into space, and once I saw her, I broke down.
My hatred toward her dissipated. I was uncontrollably crying and gasping for air.
She leaned down to help me up and only asked me what happened once I got to my feet.
“Caleb…he…I was raped,” I managed to get out.
She pulled away from me in an instant, as if I burned her. “Brielle, don’t say things like that; that could ruin his life. He would never cheat on me, let alone hurt someone like that.”
I stared at her in utter disbelief. “GET. OUT.” I yelled. I fell back to the ground and cried until Amani found me.
A knock on the bathroom door pulled me from my thoughts. I checked myself in the mirror and left. I nodded at the older woman who had knocked and moved toward the main gallery. Shane was sitting at the front desk. He knew something was off the moment he saw me.
“Brielle, what happened?” He stood and pulled me into a hug. I couldn't help but cry. I couldn't believe that once again, Caleb was ruining something good for me.
Will I ever be free of him?
After I told my boss, Dax, what transpired and why I was so upset when Caleb confronted me, he informed Ellory that Caleb was not to set foot on the premises while I was working or the cops would be called.
Thankfully, he put her and me on opposite days to work when he could.
The only days I would see her were when there were gallery exhibits and other scheduled events.
A day that unfortunately came not even a month into working together. Aubrey and Amani insisted on attending the opening as backup, even though I told them they didn’t need to. I was secretly glad they didn’t listen.
As I entered the main space, I saw Ellory walking toward my sister, and anger flooded me. Aubrey looked up and saw her about two seconds before Ellory reached her. She immediately went on the defensive.
Ellory’s voice was just above a whisper in the calm gallery. I moved closer so I could hear them.
“Tell your sister she has to talk to me soon. I told our boss I wouldn’t keep trying, but I need to talk to her and get her to let me explain.”
Aubrey looked at her with disdain. It almost made me smile…
almost . She took a step toward Ellory, but I wasn’t worried.
I knew that the last thing Aubrey would want was to make me look bad.
She would never put her hands on someone, so I had nothing to worry about.
She kept her voice calm and lowered so only those nearby would hear. She’s a classy bitch like that.
“Ellory, you have some nerve talking to me after what you did to my sister. Not only did you choose a boy over someone you have known basically your whole life, but you trusted a rapist over your best friend. I wouldn’t tell her to talk to you, even if it would save my fucking life.”
“Aubrey, please. You know me,” Ellory pleaded.
“Yeah, I fucking do. And you showed your true colors when my sister needed you the most, you useless piece of shit.”
Okay, maybe she’s not totally classy when it comes to defending the people she loves.
With that, my sister turned away, presumably to look for me. Before she got too far, Ellory grabbed her arm.
Oh shit.
“Don’t fucking touch her,” I yelled, grabbing the attention of some patrons in the gallery.
“Brie—”
Before she could finish, I grabbed Ellory’s hand and dragged her into the back office.
“What the fuck do you think you are doing? We are at work. Don’t bring our personal problems here.”
“Isn’t that exactly what you did, Brie? You made it so Caleb cannot bring me or pick me up from work. He is my boyfriend.”
“And he is my rapist.”
“Come on, Brielle. We both know that’s not what happened.”
My face heated. I could see Amani standing right outside the office door, ready to pounce. We have a sign when we need saving. She was simply waiting for me to pull on my earring. I looked down at the floor to compose myself.
“If you need to tell yourself that I lied that day, then you go for it,” I looked up at her.
Her face showed zero expression. “I didn’t rape myself Ellory.
Your fucking boyfriend did. If you can’t believe that, then we don’t need to have a conversation.
If you try to talk to me again or any of my friends or family, I will make sure you are fired. ”
“You can’t do that,” she said with a chuckle.
I walked by her, my shoulder knocking into hers. I turned back to ensure she saw the hurt in my eyes and how serious I was. “Try me.”
She filed for a new placement the next day. She must have given them a compelling, probably fake, reason, because they took her request immediately. I prayed that was the end of her being in my space.
May
“Can you make Liza a picture for August? I showed her some of your stuff, and she said she needs one for the shop. It can be a Christmas gift.”
I looked up at Aubrey. “I would be honored.”
Aubrey smiled. Then it turned into a nervous look.
“Aubs are you–”
“Okay, I need a favor,” she blurted.
“Ahh, so that is why you came all the way here to make me paint your nails.”
She laughed. “Come with me?” she asked hesitantly. She handed me tickets to a concert dated for next month. “It’s Elijah’s band. You remember him, right?”
I looked up at her, wondering if she was really asking or just being funny. She knew I remembered him. I talked about him for a week after I met him.
“Of course I do,” I chuckled. “Who could forget Player Boy?”
“Player Boy?” Aubrey asked.
“Yeah. He is the one who gave me his number while he was running off with some other girl.” I handed the tickets back to her. “I will pass this time. Thanks, though.”
“Really Bean? I don’t want to go alone.”
My sister had called me Bean my entire life.
When we were little, she couldn’t say my name, so I became Bean, and it stuck.
She thought I hated it, and honestly, I did for a while.
Now, it just feels weird when she calls me Brielle.
It’s better than some of the other nicknames I have.
Our friend Nick calls me Pip, short for pipsqueak.
“Yes, really. I don’t want to go. Picture me, ‘Miss, I don’t like people’ at a big concert.”
“It’s VIP. I can make sure we aren’t in the crowd.”
I put my hand on hers and gave her a ‘you’re not going to change my mind’ look. “Aubs, I don’t want to go. End of story.”
She let it go, but I had to tell her I had changed my mind a few days later. Lincoln called my parents and invited them to the concert as well. He had some big romantic gesture, not a proposal, he assured us, planned for my sister.
Aubrey was suspicious as hell about why I randomly changed my mind. I just told her she had caught me on a bad day and my therapist told me it would be a good idea.
Aubrey gave me a knowing look. “Bean I think you are almost more excited than me.”
I tried to hide my smile. “Bullshit. Just be happy I’m going. If you break my balls, I will back out again.”
Her tone became teasing. “Sure ya will.”