The rest of the ride home was silent. My eyes wouldn’t blink as I stared wide-eyed out the front window at the passing desert brush. When the old streetlights from town started to come into view I leaned my head upright. Sean had taken us to his house. I climbed out of the truck and waited for Becky to help steady my still quaking legs as we walked inside. I tossed my shoes in the corner by the door and followed Becky to Sean’s bathroom where she turned on the shower.
I choked a little at the reflection of myself in the mirror. There were a few tiny scratches on my face. I wasn’t sure if those were from Tyler or my escape through the gates. I was filthy and my dress was destroyed. Becky closed the door and pulled a fresh towel from the cabinet.
“Nolan? Do you want me to stay?” she asked, softly placing her hand on my shoulder. I just nodded yes. I couldn’t bear the thought of being alone right now.
Becky helped me from my clothes and steadied me as I stepped into the shower. She pulled the pins from my hair and set them on the counter. She leaned my head back under the water and filled her hand with shampoo before kneading it into my head softly and then rinsing it out. She wet a sponge and pumped a little shower gel onto it to make it soft with soap and tucked her fingers under my chin.
“Let me clean your face, I’ll be gentle,” she spoke softly, her eyes pained. I started to cry a little when she wiped at my cheeks and chin.
She shut the water off and held out the towel to wrap me in. “Stay here for a minute, Nolan. I’ll go get some of Sean’s clothes,” she whispered.
I sat on the toilet lid as she left, clinging to my towel, trying to understand what had just happened to me. Becky came back in with a white T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. “I think these will work,” she said.
She steadied me as I dressed myself and then opened the bathroom door to let out some of the steam. I stood looking at myself in the mirror, not recognizing myself. What have I become? Becky started to untangle my hair with a brush and I winced a little when she pulled at the hairs near my temple.
“Sorry, tender?” she asked. I just nodded.
She continued to brush when I saw Sean’s reflection appear behind us. I managed a faint smile. “Thank you so much, Sean,” I said, then turning to meet Becky’s eyes in the mirror, too. “Thank you both.”
Becky just stopped brushing and hugged me tightly from behind. “We love you, Nolan. Anything,” she said with a squeeze.
Sean stood behind us, shifting his feet a little back and forth, agitated. I lowered my brow a little, looking him in his reflection, curiously. “What is it?” I asked, almost afraid of his answer.
“Nolan, I don’t want you to worry,” he said and then stopped, looking down.
“Worry about what, Sean?” I was a bit louder, the blood rushing to my head as my eyes widened.
“Reed was here when you called,” he said, and I inhaled deeply, holding my breath.
“What does that mean, Sean?” I asked, already knowing.
“Noles, he heard me ask you if he forced you and then he took off through my front door. I heard his tires peel out of here,” Sean held his lips together tightly.
I turned to face him. “You have to call him, Sean. You have to call him, or you have to go get him,” I was urgent.
“He’s tougher than you think, Nolan. He’ll be ok,” Sean said, sounding almost as if he was convincing himself.
I thought of all of those drunk people at the party and my head flooded with visions of everyone jumping onto him, each getting their lick in on him. They all loved Tyler. I was sure they would defend him.
I walked over to Sean’s bed and sat down, my feet flat on the ground and I stared into space. “I am so stupid!” I yelled.
Becky was at my side quickly. “Nolan, stop. You didn’t know. You couldn’t see this coming,” she said, putting her arm around me.
“If he gets hurt, Becky?” I just stopped at that.
The plan was already for me to spend the night with Becky, so I reasoned that the fact that we were staying at Sean’s wasn’t much different. We were sitting downstairs watching really bad late night TV. Sean was out cold on the love seat and Becky and I were huddled together under a warm blanket.
“What was Reed doing here?” I asked Becky, my senses finally starting to line back up.
She just sighed a little and then turned to look at me. “We were cheering him up,” she shrugged. “He left Stephanie as soon as you walked out the door, told Sean he would wait for him at his house. We just ended up coming home, too.”