Chapter 7

'I was away for one stupid night, one night! And someone turns you into his toy! Did he do anything else to you other than this?'

Amy has been quiet for the last couple of hours, sobbing and slightly touching the hurt parts of her body. All of this just because I wasn't here, because she kicked me out.

'It's okay, I'll do hot baths and treat myself. He'll not come anymore.' She whispers assuring me, but there's something in her tone that doesn't let me believe her. Her shock passed but her hands are still shaking.

I sit next to her, playing with a handmade pillow with her initials on it.

'How can you be so calm about it, Amy?'

She won't tell me how it happened or how did he know her, how did he get in, anything. I know she's afraid he'll come back, even if she denies it. I still am her brother and I know her, in spite of her attempts to hide what she truly feels.

'You gotta talk to me. I'll call the cops, no joke.'

'Josh, shut up already.' She says a little louder and I feel the old Amy coming back again.

'Really? So you don't need any help?' I raise my tone as well.

'What are you gonna do anyway, huh? Get your nose broken? Come back bleeding?' She is now off the couch, pointing her finger at me. 'You ain't got one chance of winning anything against him! Not even one!'

She starts crying again and I feel my brain exploding. How is she even turning me that mad in one second?

'Look at you, silly. You're such an annoying badass, you drive me crazy in the worst ways. More than once a day, I wanna lock you outside this place just to watch you begging me to let you in, as you like to do with me. This is my mood whenever I'm around you! But you always have your back-up keys with you and a bunch of fancy friends that would have you at their homes at any hour.'

She bites her lips and wipes off her almost dried up tears with her sleeve.

'But this, this whole sensitive acting that you do here, all the tears, the denial, this isn't you. Just the thought of that guy shakes the heart out of you. You're afraid of him. And he's such a coward!'

She doesn't say a word, just gets up to drink some water and get some ice to put on her neck. Then grabs both blankets and covers her injured body with them, resting her head on one of the pillows and closing her eyes. Amy needs to rest and forget about all this for a while, so I find her keys and lock her in to make sure she won't get out. I plan not to go too far away from our flat, just in case.

One thing Amy has always kept away from me was her relationships. Details about who she was hanging out with, who she was dating or who were those weird faces who were giving her a ride home every Friday. Not that I ever asked about any of that, she didn't care about my social life so I didn't care about hers either. But now, I wanna hear everything about it, because I know Amy would party with any stranger she can find on the street but wouldn't let anyone she doesn't know well in her apartament. I remember mom and dad trying to make her quit these bad habits; you never know what to expect from people you just met. Never trust anyone. At least she keeps her home private.

It's certain that she knows the guy who abused her; he probably brought her home last night and he tried to get in. She said no, the guy got mad and my sister got beat up. And it wasn't even Friday night. A part of me thinks Amy is still shocked about it and this is probably the only thing that crosses her mind right now, but the other part thinks she tries to stay proud and not accept my help. Like another person I know.

'Josh?' A familiar voice that I didn't expect to hear in a million years shouts.

It's Mrs Wimble.

'Hello!' She greets me with a motherly air. I notice the black limo waiting for on the other side of the park.

'What brings you here, ma'am?'

'Oh, just did some shopping. My girls didn't want to join me, so I had to bring Devon with me!' She laughs and I feel relieved to hear the redhead isn't around.

Devon helps Winston to load the limo with bags and boxes, then looks around searching for his mom. When he sees us he waves really quick, looking a little confused, and then answers his phone, getting inside the limo.

'Oh, where are his manners?...'

'It's fine, ma'am. I think you're waited.'

She beautifully smiles to me, and runs across the green grass with her own four bags hanging on her arms. She's so bright, looking young, spontaneous, happy, enjoying life. Like my mom.

I walk alone on the alleys, as I did a thousand times when I just needed to be alone and to think. It's beautiful outside, a windy weather but warm and cosy. The clouds are forming weird shapes on the sky, covering the sun but still letting it give little rays of light that break the thick cotton-candy-like curtain. 'We'll have such a fine sunset, Joshua!' Mom used to say to me when I was little. She was a huge fan of early mornings and late nights. I never understood her sleeping schedule but she was managing it very well because she was always loaded with energy. She was so offended when Amy and I tried to prove ourselves rich and bought her a set of face creams for dark circles on her birthday; I heard her telling dad we made her feel old. I cried a lot that night, thinking mom will actually start considering her age and she'll never be the same. I really thought that a skincare set would stop the wind itself.

I walk the park entirely three times, and all of sudden wake up in the red light of the sunset. I rush back home, to check on Amy who locked herself into the bathroom.

'Amy? I'm back, are you okay?' I say and knock at the door.

I hear her breathing hard.

'Amy, I'm coming in, and you'd better open the door if you don't want it broken.' I warn her, getting a little scared because she starts coughing.

Fortunately I hear the key turning slowly in the door lock and Amy gets out looking resigned and peaceful, without saying anything. Then she tells me, the words coming out of her mouth like she'd chat about the most basic thing in the world.

'I saw him again, on the street. I got so scared, but I was thankful you locked me in. If he would've decided to come here again, and if I would've been all quiet, he would've given up quick and leave.'

Amy looks hypnotized. If he was around I must've been seen him, because I've been out for more than two hours. But who in the world is this guy, to be able to freak my sister out this bad? It's like her emotional bruises are a lot more deep and hurt harder than all the physical ones. It makes me cry to see her like this.

'Amy, listen to me.' I tell her, placing my hands on her shoulders. 'Please, tell me his name, just his name. If he's a John, I won't know which John, because I guess there're lots of Johns among your friends, right? It's the most basic name ever.'

'If you'll not know which John, will it help you sleep better? No. Because you want revenge. Believe me, I want it too, but revenge is a magnet for anger and regret. I'll then have to hire myself a bodyguard.'

I roll my eyes as she closes the door to her room. I'm definetly not decided to play detective, and if Amy doesn't talk to me the I'm sure she won't say a word to the cops either. For a moment, I think calling my dad could be a good idea. I don't know what he'd do or if he will believe it was that bad, but I realise Amy won't talk to him either. We're not close anymore, since mom died. If I could only meet Amy's best friend, and ask her to make my sister talk, it'd work. We always open up easier in front of our friends rather then in front of our families. Is it wrong?

I hear a loud gasp coming from Amy's room and in the next second I burst into her room. She is sitting on the edge of her bed, with someone on the phone calling her name. But she doesn't seem to hear anything. The screen says Martin, our uncle. After a few seconds, he hangs up and Amy drops the phone on the floor.

'Amy, what...?'

'It's dad. He's gone.'