Chapter 12 #2
Max sits next to me, his hand against mine.
He carefully winds our pinkies together, out of view, and the simple movement gives me the confidence to speak.
“Javier began flirting with me early on. Maybe my first week on the job. I was always polite, but refrained from giving him any hope that something would happen. As the year went on, his flirting became more obnoxious. I went to Human Resources about it, and they blew it off. Then he fully …” I trail off, trying to come up with a way to explain what happened without actually saying it, “… well, he assaulted me. Sexually. He sexually assaulted me.”
I feel Max’s body tense beside me, but I keep my eyes looking straight ahead.
Coach clears his throat. “Just to be clear, he raped you.”
Emotions swirl in my body as my vision blurs with tears. “Yes.”
“And you went to the team?”
“I went to HR when Javier wouldn’t leave me alone.
They went to the coach and Javier about it.
After the rape, I actively looked for another job, but knew I couldn’t afford to quit without something else lined up.
When Javier continued to harass me, I finally quit.
Thankfully, I interviewed with Baltimore the next day, and got the job offer soon after. ”
“Did Morales continue to harass you?”
“He did. I changed my phone number and blocked his on my new one, so he couldn’t reach me anyway.
But I’m pretty sure he still follows me on socials, because he has accounts that don’t have his name.
I get a handful of really awful comments, and as quickly as I block the account, a new one pops up. ”
I glance quickly out of the corner of my eye to find Max tense, a muscle ticking in his neck. I whisper, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything.”
His gaze whips to mine. “You don’t owe me an apology. You get to choose what parts of your story you want to share. Frankly, had you told me everything, I would have fucking murdered him this afternoon when I found him with his hand wrapped around your neck.”
“What the hell?” Coach blurts out. “How — when — this happened in the ballpark today?”
I close my eyes, feeling shame as I nod.
I hate this. I hate how I’m having to relive every awful experience with Javier because he won’t go away.
“I didn’t want anyone to know. I thought if I ignored Javier, if I just made it through this road trip, it would be fine.
I’d go back to Denver and continue living my life.
We don’t play Houston that often, so I guess I figured I could ignore that he’s a recurring problem. ”
“I bet you feared the Raptors not believing you either,” Max says quietly.
A tear escapes as I nod. He lets go of my finger to cover my hand with his.
“Like I told you, Lay. Teams are like families. Some suck. Some are straight awful. But there are good ones out there. I’ve been very fortunate to experience the good ones, and I can already tell that the Raptors fall into the latter category. ”
Coach nods. “I would have believed you before today, Layla. And now you have multiple people who have seen that Morales is a loose cannon. I don’t trust him, and until I get the proper protocol covered and a plan in place, you’re not stepping foot outside of this hotel again.
In fact, I’d be more than happy to send you back to Denver right now to ensure your safety. ”
“No!” I shout. “I don’t want to lose my job! That’s why I didn’t tell anyone!”
Coach smiles sympathetically. “You aren’t losing your job.
Hell, at least half the team talks about how much you’ve taught them already.
They love your recipes, and how you’re showing them it’s easy to eat healthy.
Even this guy,” he points to Max, “has managed to eliminate at least a tiny portion of saturated fat from his diet.”
Max chuckles. “I still eat fried chicken, and that’s a non-negotiable.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, laughing lightly.
Sniffing, I swipe at my cheeks. I hate crying in general, and crying in front of the team baseball coach is a new low.
But crying in front of Max? I somehow feel even worse.
“I’d like to get some sleep. Can we table the discussion about the game until tomorrow morning?
I really don’t want to let the team down. ”
“You aren’t letting anyone down, Layla,” Coach says. “Your safety and security will always be more important than team dinners and whether or not the guys get their electrolytes in time. We can handle everything.”
As the three of us stand, Coach looks between me and Max. “And you’re sure there’s nothing going on between the two of you?”
I vehemently shake my head. “No. He’s lucky I haven’t spiked his food with laxatives due to all his incessant whining over healthy eating and vegetables.”
“Nice,” Max says with an eye roll. “Nothing going on, Coach. Just trying to be a team player and a supportive friend.”
Coach hums noncommittally, but his gaze tells me he doesn’t fully believe us yet. As I walk him to the door, he whispers, “I’d keep things quiet about the two of you. You know, when the nothing becomes something. I don’t care about fraternization, but management might.”
“Oh. Uh, okay?” I say, confusion evident in my tone.
“Goodnight, Layla. Reach out if that asshole shows back up here again. I’ll be speaking with hotel security to make sure he’s banned from the building, but just to be safe, here’s my contact information.
You probably have it somewhere in your files, but now you have it direct from me.
” Coach hands me a card, giving me a small smile.
It’s as if he’s telling me he believes me, and he’s on my side.
Then he looks to Max. “Get some sleep, Callahan. I expect a repeat of today’s numbers. ”
“Got it, Coach.” Max nods as Coach Dunn opens the door, then we both stand silently as the door closes.
The silence is deafening.
My rapist showed up at my room tonight. After cornering me at my job.
I let out a shaky breath, then hold it as Max’s arms circle me from behind. It’s like he knew where my mind went and wanted to support me through it.
I bask in his embrace as I will my heart to slow, until Max finally speaks. “Can I stay in here tonight?”
Exhaling quickly, I nod. “Yes, please.”