What Else Happened
Cade
The anger that pulses through me, as a human, as a therapist, and as someone who cares for Aviana, rips through my chest when she tells me what Maverick did to her in that shed. It’s suffocating. I need to help her ground herself, teach her how to find peace, but the fury that boils inside me is overwhelming. My mind screams to take her in my arms, to whisk her away from this nightmare. I have to help her, not act on this rage.
“Cade, are you okay?” Her soft voice snaps me back to reality, dragging me back from the edge.
“Yes, Aviana. I’m just processing everything,” I murmur, picking up my pen and scribbling notes. We’ve had these sessions for days now, and I thought I understood the weight of what she’s been through. But the things written in her file… they don’t even touch on the worst of it all. Every time I think I’ve grasped the depths of her pain, I realize I’ve only scratched the surface.
“What did the Dillards do after they caught Maverick raping you?” My voice is tight, controlled, though it feels like my insides are about to explode.
“Eloise bathed me. Gideon beat Maverick, according to Brynn. Then they called Ms. Calley to take me out of that house.” Her words are blunt, matter-of-fact, as if she’s recounting a normal day.
“Let’s start at the beginning, Aviana.” My voice is calmer now, but my hands tremble with the need to lash out.
“Eloise went back in the house to grab a blanket to cover me, and she mumbled something to Gideon. I overheard him say, ‘I know, dear,’ but I never found out what they were talking about. Maverick glared at me and said, under his breath, ‘This is your fault. You’re the whore who couldn’t stop screaming. I should’ve gagged you like the other times, but damn, I wanted to hear how much you enjoyed it.’” She pauses, her voice flat, like it means nothing. Like it’s just another part of her broken world. “I guess Gideon heard some of it, and he yelled at Maverick to shut up.”
My heart is hammering. How can she talk about this like it’s just another day? How can anyone? How did no one stop him?
“What happened to the Dillards? Why didn’t they catch him in the other acts?” I ask, unable to hold back the frustration in my voice.
The day of Maverick’s birthday party, Eloise was still caught up entertaining guests who lingered. The house was still alive with conversation, nowhere near quiet enough to hear what was happening. He also gagged me with my own panties, in case you forgot," she says, her voice sharp.
“I didn’t forget, Avi.” The nickname slips out before I can stop it. She’s given me so much trust, I can’t help myself. It’s like I’m falling for her. And I shouldn’t be.
“Then, while she was running the bathwater, she told me to go ahead and take off the rest of my clothes.”
Her words are floating around me, but I’m too lost in my thoughts, wondering how this has happened, how she’s gotten under my skin so fast. What happens when this is all over? Will I lose her? Will she disappear? Or worse, will I?
“Did she not call the authorities?” I drag myself back to the conversation.
“No. She bathed me. She scrubbed my skin raw to get Maverick off me, and she was crying the whole time,” she says, her voice trembling.
“What do you mean, crying?” I ask, but I already know .
“Like it was her fault. She kept saying, ‘This is my fault,’ over and over.” She shrugs like it’s just another truth she has to live with.
“She should have called the police! Why didn’t she call the police?!” My voice is rising, shaking with the intensity of it all. The anger rips through me, uncontrolled. “Aviana! You were raped by that imbecile!” My fist slams down on the desk, and the sound of the breaking pencil snaps through the air, making her jump out of her seat backing away towards the door.
“Avi, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Please, come back and sit down,” I try to calm myself, but the damage is done. By the time I finish the sentence, she’s already bolting out the door.
“Dammit!” My hands clench into fists, but I can’t take it back. I’ve pushed her too far. I’ve failed her, just like I failed Izabella.