Page 84 of The Sound of Silence

“Have you heard from Gianna?” I asked without preamble.

“Gianna? Who’s that?”

“Val. I mean Val. Have you heard from her?”

My sister, dazed from sleep, didn’t think to question my slip-up. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to continue using Gianna’s fake name. We never got to discuss that part before she ran out on me. Until I got the all-clear from her, I’d need to remember to be careful.

“No. She’s scheduled off until Wednesday. Why?”

“You know how we’ve talked about her possibly being abused?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“Well, she was—badly. It was her husband. Yesterday morning she took off because she thinks he found her.”

“Wait. What?” my sister asked, suddenly sounding wide awake. “What do you mean he found her? Start from the beginning.”

I gave Isabella a brief recap of everything Gianna had told me last night, leaving out only the most sordid details but saying enough for her to get the complete picture. Rehashing it all—giving voice to the story about the woman who I loved more and more with every passing moment—was debilitating.

Blinding, white-hot rage flashed as my brain scrambled to understand how anyone could even think to hurt Gianna. My eyes burned. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt the sting of tears or if I’d ever had such a gripping tightness in my chest. I only wished I could take away everything that had happened to her.

“Isabella, she’s the brightest, smartest, most beautiful…” Driving my hands into my hair, emotion clogged my throat as I paced tight circles around my office. “How could he… how could anyone… do that to her? I just want to protect her, but I don’t know how to find her. What if she never comes back?”

“I’ve seen the way she looks at you, little brother. You’ve found your diamond in the rough. She’ll be back.”

“What if something happens to her before then? She shouldn’t be alone.”

My sister stayed silent for a moment. I took a few calming breaths while I waited, holding onto my sanity by a thread.

“Karma is a bitch, Derek. He’ll get his due. Until then, you need to do everything in your power to help her—which means doing what she asks. She needs you now more than ever. I hate to say it, but she probably understands what he’s capable of more than both of us combined.”

37

Gianna

The support I’d received from my group therapy sessions was the reason I found myself on the doorstep of Stone’s Hope, twenty-four hours after I’d abandoned Derek at my apartment. I’d spent the first day and night in a nearby hotel room, planning my course of action. However, memories of Ethan breaking down my hotel room door all those months ago niggled at my subconscious, causing the hairs on the back of my arms to rise on more than one occasion. It seemed as if it had happened a lifetime ago, yet the visions were as clear as if it happened only yesterday.

I’d barely slept a wink, jumping at the slightest noise, and quickly learned I couldn’t stay in a hotel. Exhaustion was one luxury I couldn’t afford if I wanted to keep my wits about me. Gathering my things, I’d checked out of the hotel just after sunrise and went to the one place I knew I could be truly safe—Stone’s Hope. It wasn’t only a place where women could receive counseling. It was also a shelter for those looking to escape their abusers. My only concern was whether they had a room for me. If not, I didn’t know where I would go.

When I first started going to Stone’s Hope for group therapy, I wasn’t an active participant. I’d sit quietly, sipping on tea or nibble on a homemade dessert that always seemed to be present, listening to other women speak their truths. They taught me how abuse could be invisible and how many of us were living with secrets. It was staggering to learn that one in three women were victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States alone.

The group of women who met each week was small, and eventually, I began to open up to them. There were only six of us plus the leader, Krystina Stone. We all knew each other intimately, so when I saw Krystina’s familiar face when I walked through the door today, it was a relief.

Of all the women in the group, I related to her the most. While she hadn’t been married to the person who abused her, he had been her longtime boyfriend. It wasn’t until she met and married her very own prince charming, who just so happened to be the founder of Stone’s Hope, did she finally open up publicly about what happened to her.

“Val! Fancy seeing you here today.”

“Krystina!” I greeted with some surprise. Just as I had with Derek, the women in my counseling sessions were given my fake name. Until this mess with Ethan was sorted out, I would need to keep up the façade. “I didn’t expect to see you here today, either. I thought you only came in on group therapy nights.”

“That’s normally the case. I had to stop by to drop off a check. We had a fundraising event last night, and I wanted to get the proceeds on the books as soon as possible. What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I… um… I need a room,” I said hesitantly. When her eyebrows raised in surprise, I quickly explained. “It’s not what you might be thinking. I didn’t go back to my husband, but… but I think he found me. Until I know I’m safe, I can’t go back home.”

Krystina nodded her head in understanding.

“Say no more. I know you’re familiar with how our therapy groups run, but I’m not sure if you know how the shelter works. Without having small kids, you can’t get your own room. You’d be placed in the communal room with several other women. I’ll need to check if there’s a bed available. If there is, the longest you can stay is a few days.”

“That’s it?” I asked incredulously

---