ALERT - NSFW CONTENT
The following days went by hectic, between shifts at the laboratory and relaxing evenings. Although we didn't go out often, I would text the girls at least one message a day, promising to spend an afternoon of female-only shopping as soon as possible. Travis was calling me too, during lunch break at work. He was a computer technician and mostly took care of cleaning the network of viruses and Trojans. In every phone call from him, he kept asking me what Cullen and I were up to that night, when he interrupted us and I, each time, just replied that we were talking, but he insisted and I misled the subject. As for Cullen, we were talking and he was telling me about his day. He had recently become a captain, making a great career leap in a short time, thanks to his leadership skills during the last mission. "I'm very proud of you," I told him in one of our last phone calls and I heard him smile. Knowing him I am sure that he is blushed, the strong and brave Cullen, at the same time shy and sweet. I loved his temper, although I never told him. Winter came and with it the bitter cold of Copperdale that I had not forgotten. The city streets began to freeze in the darkest hours, forcing the salt spreaders to work at a frantic pace to avoid accidents. The shop windows had begun the Christmas setting and a thousand colored lights brightly lit the main street. I had always loved Christmas and finally this year I would have spent it differently, in the company of my closest friends and not alone, in a university dormitory with the few left for the January exams. The first snow of the year appeared on a late November night. I woke up in the morning when the pure white blanket had already covered everything, muffling my town like a glove. The sun was shining on the snow as I made myself breakfast tightly in my fleece pajamas. As I left Copperdale to head to Oasis Springs, the environment changed and the snow slowly disappeared and the rain began to fall heavily as I approached my destination. My colleagues were already in turmoil for the upcoming Christmas holidays and they all seemed happier. I sipped a hot coffee in the mess hall in the company of Mindy and Celeste before being joined by Sophie, who announced she was pregnant and therefore she would take a long time off from work. The working day began like this, with that good news. I went downstairs to my research station and was stopped by Eric, the most coveted guy in the whole lab. The youngest of my colleagues all wanted a date with him, but Eric seemed to want to avoid workplace relationships at all costs. "Hey Hailey," he greeted as he joined me down the hall. "Hi Eric. How are you? Did you hear about Sophie?" "Yes, I was told! Good for her! Listen, I wanted to ask you something ..." he cut short. "Tell me how I can help you" "It's not about work. I wanted to ask you if you'd like to get something to drink one of these evenings. Without obligation, a simple outing with colleagues" he announced, punctuating the words so that I could fully assimilate the request. "I don't ... I mean, ok," I replied, not quite sure I had given the correct answer. "Wonderful! Shall we do it tonight? I am sending you the address of this place that it has recently opened" "All right!" and I hurried away. An outing among colleagues. What could be so wrong? Eric was undoubtedly a handsome boy, green eyes framed under thick raven-black unruly hair and an olive complexion. Polite, witty and sociable. A simple outing with colleagues, nothing strange.
The appointment was in a new restaurant outside the city in the style of the 50s, with a large luminous sign. Eric was leaning against his car, a late-model black pickup truck. "Hi" he greeted me when I approached him. "Just us?" I asked, expecting to see some other colleagues arrive as well. "Unfortunately yes. You don't mind, do you?" Maybe I should have known right away what trouble I was getting into, but I wanted to believe in Eric's good faith and so I didn't let the news that it would be just the two of us shocked me. We sat at the bar and had something to drink. I had no intention of drinking more than I should, then having to drive back on the icy roads. So I just ordered a non-alcoholic beer, although the taste didn't really impress me too much. We didn't talk much, but I noticed that Eric was just staring at me, as if his gaze was radiographing me. I tried several times to ask him about his private life, but Eric always misled the subject, sinking him on futile speeches. "I'm going to the bathroom for a moment," I announced at one point, thanks to the non-alcoholic beer. Once in the bathroom I remember sending a message to Summer to let her know what I was doing and getting the reply the phrase "Don't be silly. I don't like the way you describe this guy. Make up an excuse and leave." Everything that happened after I got out of the bathroom is hazy and confused. I remember eating and finishing my beer while Eric kept asking me some ambiguous questions. I started to feel bad. My head was spinning and I remember feeling the cold air on face and the sound of a large car door closing beside me. "I'll take you home baby" Eric's voice, so distant, so different from what I was used to. I see my house, I put the key in the lock, but it is as if I were looking at the scene from above. I'm not the one who governs my body. I feel Eric's hands searching my body, greedy and his tongue fills my mouth. What is happening? Why do I indulge him? I don't want it, I don't want him. I would like to rebel, but I can't!
Everything happens so quickly. The rustle of clothes falling on the wooden floor of my bedroom, Eric's fingers sinking into my naked skin, more and more greedy, and his body pressed against mine. "Leave me!" I think "Let me go! I don't want to" but I continue to indulge his will, unable to resist, unable to control my body. The acrid taste of his member fills my mouth, I feel it slip between my teeth, it almost suffocates me. His moans ... The next instant a pain tears me apart, as if my body breaks. He penetrates me violently, without any haste, front and back, with force as he squeezes my wrists and pushes his weight to completely block my body. "Oh yes, beauty! Let me enjoy!" murmurs in my ear. I close my eyes as my body continues to not respond to my commands. I just want it to be over quickly. "Save me!" I think "Cullen ... save me"
I remember the violence continued all night, only as the new day dawned, satisfied and contented, Eric walked away, muttering something like "See you at work, honey." He left me like that, naked on the completely unmade bed, my skin covered with his acrid humours, my head that slowly stopped spinning fast, giving way to the bitter truth: he had abused me, but I didn't know how he had done it.
