“It’s going to be alright. We’ll do it together. I’ll be right with you. I promise.”
She had fallen silent again, using physical actions to reply to questions. I looked back at her house as the door opened. Max was being walked to the car with his hands behind his back in handcuffs. Seeing him made me want to start the car and run him down.
Oakley shrank in the seat. She looked like a scared, lost little girl. Swallowing a lump in my throat, I squeezed her limp hand, trying to comfort her.
Sarah practically jumped on her daughter as we walked through the door. She pulled Oakley in her arms and sobbed.
“Oh God, sweetheart, you’re okay,” she mumbled. “Listen, everything’s going to be okay so don’t worry, but your dad’s been arrested for...” She stopped talking and whimpered. “Well it doesn’t matter because it’s not true. I’ve got to go to the station, so you wait here with Jasper, okay?”
What? I was just about so scream at her when I realised – she didn’t know yet. Of course the officers that arrested Max didn’t stay around to chat about it.
I was just about to open my mouth and explain for her when Oakley stepped forward.
“It is true,” she confessed in a croaky voice, barely above a whisper.
The room fell silent. Everyone’s mouths fell open in shock. I watched Sarah as the shock from Oakley talking turned to horror as she registered exactly what she’d said. Sarah gulped; her eyes were wide with fear. She already knew but didn’t want to believe it.
“H-how do you? You’re talking...Oakley, what are you saying?”
Oakley said nothing, but she didn’t need to. Her tired, broken eyes said everything.
“No. Please tell me it’s not true. Please, please?” Sarah asked desperately.
Oakley stepped back, pressing her body into mine.
“I’m sorry, Mum,” she whispered, looking at the ground. The hatred I had for Max doubled as she apologised. Oakley had nothing to be sorry for. We were the ones that should be apologising to her. Apologising for not seeing it and helping her sooner. Eleven damn years she had been living with this.
“No,” Sarah sobbed, her voice broke, and she clamped her hand over her mouth. Oakley burst into tears as Sarah ran to the bathroom, crying hysterically and gagging.
I turned Oakley around and tried to get her to look at me.
“Hates me,” she murmured.
“Shh, no she doesn’t. Not you.” Looking up, I saw that everyone was frozen in their seats. I pleaded with my eyes for one of them to do something. Anything. I was so fucking lost and didn’t know how to fix it.
Jasper suddenly jumped up, as if it had just sunk in.
“I’m gonna fucking kill him,” he raged, turning red in anger. My dad grabbed Jasper just as he was about to run for the door.
“Get off me! I’m gonna murder him.”
Oakley turned around and whispered desperately, “Jasper.”
“He touched you.” Jasper’s face crumpled in pain as he looked at his sister. “Oakley.” She shook her head and collapsed against me. I was strong enough that time to hold her up. Carrying her to the sofa, I sat her down on my lap and wrapped my arms around her fragile body.
“No? He didn’t?” Jasper questioned. The look of desperation on his face mirrored mine earlier when I willed it not to be true.
“Not him, but he knew,” she explained. Her voice cracked, and she coughed.
“Oakley, sweetie, I…” Mum said, trailing off, unable to find the words. Mum had mascara running down her face and puffy eyes from crying so hard. She looked a total mess and usually it would bother her, but right now, I could tell she couldn’t have cared less. Mum loved Oakley like a daughter.
The bathroom door lock clicked open, and Oakley tensed. I looked down to reassure her but stopped open mouthed as I saw her peering up like a scared little girl. Seeing her like that was like taking a bullet. Was that terrified expression how she looked up at her father when Frank abused her?
Sarah walked over to us, and I had never been so nervous before. You have to believe her, Sarah. She pulled Oakley out of my arms, and they both sagged to the floor.
“It’s okay now, baby,” she whispered, stroking Oakley’s hair soothingly. “Shhh.” They cried together and clung to each other. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. You’re safe now. I promise. I’m so sorry,” Sarah chanted.
I lent down and held my head in my hands. Why her? Things like that happened to strangers, not to someone I loved. All that time she had been keeping that secret in, afraid that it would break her families’ hearts or that no one would even believe her. How could I have failed her so badly?
Everyone went silent and just cried. It still felt like a nightmare. I just wanted to wake up and for it not to have happened to her.