Her Trauma, His Redemption

The rain tasted like freedom. Cold. Heavy. Wild And the only thing Tiana could feel. She ran through the darkness with nothing but a thin nightdress that clung to her shaking body, her feet slapping against the wet ground. A ran for freedom. A chance she wasn't missing. Behind her, his voice echoed, slurred, angry. "Tiana you think you can escape me?! I own you!" And he did. For the past eighteen years, he did own her. Controlled her. Broke her. Made sure she had nothing left. Her lungs burned, her vision blurred. But she kept going. She couldn't stop. She knew what would happen if she did. The beating. The anger. The touching. The words. No. she had to keep going. Tonight had to be the night. Tonight she either escaped...or died trying. Her father's footsteps thudded after her, heavy with drunken rage-a sound she had heard too many times usually right before the pain came and the bruises followed. Right before the doors locked. Right before he let them touch her. Let them use her, break her. Right before he sold her again and again and again. But never again. She stumbled onto the asphalt road, breath ragged, the world spinning. Headlights glared in the distance and for a moment she thought it was him, she thought he had found a car, she thought- The car screeched. She opened her mouth to scream but it was too late. The impact was like slamming into a wall of fire. Her body lifted, flew before hitting the ground with a thud sound. The pain exploded and her body burned through it. And then it was silent. The most silent she had ever heard in a long time. Maybe this was how death felt. Silent but deadly. Warm liquid pooled beneath her head. Blood? Rain? She couldn't tell. She didn't want to. She didn't want to think. Not when the rain was washing it all away. The sins. The touches. The cold numbed the pain a little. The heavens must be laughing at her. Escaping one death trap just to fall into another. The world dimmed at the edges but a shadow moved towards her. Tall, broad, commanding. The scent of rain and expensive cologne washed over her. His footsteps were fast and panicked unlike her father's had been. "Oh God-" His voice was deep, strained. " Miss? Miss, can you hear me?" She blinked and the blur sharpened into a face. His face. Strong jaw. Storm grey eyes. Dark hair dripping rainwater. A face curved from tragedy and power. For a moment she thought he was like them. The ones who saw her as nothing but a body to hurt. To do with as they pleased. Until his hands hovered above her shaking, unsure if touching her would make things worse. "I swear I didn't see you. l- I'm really sorry. Are you okay?" Tiana didn't answer. She couldn't. "Stay with me okay. I'm gonna take you to the hospital. " She should have been afraid. But she wasn't. For the first time in eighteen years, a man was worried about her, a man was apologising to her. For the first time, a man was looking at her without hate. Without desire. Without disgust. He was looking at her like she... mattered. Like she was worth saving. Her lips parted but no words came. Only a faint tremble. His eyes softened, something like fear blooming in them. "Stay awake for me. You are going to be okay." His voice was the last sound she had before the darkness pulled her under. Darkness was safe. Darkness had been her haven all those years. Her father wasn't beating her in the dark. They weren't touching her in the dark. No taking. No pain. No screaming. Just her and the chaos in her mind. So she welcomed darkness. With him. A stranger. A saviour. The beeping machines echoed softly, faintly as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She heard murmurs. A doctor's voice, nurses moving. But all she could really hear was him. "That's not enough," he snapped. "Put her in a private ward I don't care about the cost...just do it." He sounded angry. Angry and guilty. She didn't understand why but his voice made her heart full for the first time in her life. Full and hopeful. Maybe not all men were as bad as the ones she encountered. He was light. She heard footsteps approach her bed. He leaned in thinking she was asleep or unconscious. "I'm sorry, " he whispered voice cracking. "...I wish I could fix whatever put you on that road tonight. " He exhaled shakily something like regret lacing every syllable. "I hope...wherever you go next...life is kinder to you. " Her heart clenched. Don't go, she wanted to say. Don't leave me. Not when I finally found someone who didn't want to hurt me. But she couldn't move. She couldn't speak and Tiana hated herself for that. She could have stopped him. Make him see her, tell her what to do with her life. Where to even start from? She just couldn't. He stood there a moment longer. "Pay for everything she needs. Make sure she gets the best care before she is discharged..." he paused. "... leave her enough money to start over and make sure someone calls me if.." He stopped. "No they won't need to. I won't be coming back. " Her heart shattered. Somehow the thought of him leaving her hurt than the wounds. He wasn't coming back. He was leaving. But he was making sure she was okay. That she survived. He leaned towards her again. Not touching. But she could feel him close. Just like she could smell his sweet cologne. "You will be okay, little one. I promise." He whispered to her. The words hit her like a slap. Not the ones her dad gave her each time, a customer, as he called them, complained about her. No, this slap was healing. Just like his presence. His footsteps faded. Tiana wished she could stop him. A door closed. And he was gone. Taking a part of her with him.