“Oh my god, Lexi.” He said taking a step towards her then stopped. “I just… I don’t ….”
She still couldn’t turn around to face him. “It’s okay, Noah, you’re listening. That’s all I can ask for. I woke up in the hospital with a severe concussion and soft tissue damage. Some things healed in days, others took longer. Obviously, I was able to tell the police who did it. I don’t know how he did it, but there was no DNA on me or the bed. I started to see someone to help me heal mentally.” She laughed without humor. “In the beginning, I saw them daily. I did everything they told me to do. Sometimes willingly, sometimes not. I had my family for support. It took a long time, but for the most part I’m fine. There are still times when I have nightmares but they are few and far between. Especially since I moved here away from where it all happened.”
“Then the trial started.” She paused again and Noah came over and filled her glass back up. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you for sharing this with me.” He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face so she would look at him. “I know it’s tough, but I am here for you. If you need anything, just let me know.” Noah’s voice was calm. “I’m amazed at the person you are. To have something like that happen to you and to continue on like you have, it’s beyond words.” He wrapped his arms around her.
“Thanks.” She took a brief moment to gain strength from his embrace before she walked back to the couch. “Since he had money he was able to hire the best defense attorney in the state. He tried every trick in the book to discredit me and elevate himself. But nothing was worse than having to see him, watching me as I answered questions on the stand. I could see the look in his eyes. He was so angry. He still wanted to kill me. He would do whatever it took in order to get the chance to do it. He was convicted, but was only given seven to ten years. When you consider time served, he’ll be getting out as early as the summer of next year.” She shivered at the thought.
Noah started pacing, “What the hell? He pretty much left you for dead and he gets out? What kind of system is that?”
“He had the best defense attorney in the state, he knew all the tricks. Without DNA or video evidence, I was lucky he got as much time as he did. Plus, I was unlucky enough not to die.” She shrugged and sat down.
Before she knew it she was up off of the couch and wrapped in Noah’s arms. He held her so tight. She breathed a sigh of relief. She worried that after she told him, he’d treat her like spun glass, scared she would break at the littlest touch. She’d worked hard so that she could be touched again. But up until this moment, in his arms, no other touch had mattered so much, or felt so good.
“Alexia, I knew you were strong and stubborn, but I didn’t realize how much until today.” Lexi had her head on his shoulder and Noah kissed the top of her head.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She slightly pulled away. “I want to show you something.”
“Anything.”
She backed out of his arms and turned around. She took the neck of her shirt and pulled it down so that he could see her shoulder. There she had a tattoo, a Phoenix rising from the ashes. She shivered as he came closer and ran his fingers over it.
“Lexi, it’s beautiful. Just like you.” He gently kissed it.
“I had this done the day that he was convicted. He beat and raped me, but I rose from the ashes. I’m whole again. He cannot take that away from me. I put her on my back as a symbol that I have my own back. He cannot break me. He cannot break me.” She didn’t even try to stop the tears now.
Noah sat down on the couch with her on his lap. She quietly cried while he rubbed her back. They stayed that way for a while just enjoying being with each other.
*
Lexi fell asleep wrapped in Noah’s arms on the couch. He sat with her, watching the storm blow outside his windows. It matched the turmoil that was going on inside of him. He managed to keep it light the rest of the afternoon but every time he looked at her and saw the haunted look in her eyes, it stabbed him in the gut.
After he walked her home, he went to work out. He had to do something with the rage that had built inside of him all day. He wanted to track down the bastard and kill him. No one should do that to another person. He put boxing gloves on and proceeded to hit the bag over and over again. With every hit, he thought about what had happened to Lexi. No one should do that to another person. He didn’t notice the sweat falling into his eyes, all he could see was what this fucker had done to her.