Page 104 of Keep Your Guard Up
People stood in large groups chatting on the road. Smiles and pleasantries seemed to be being exchanged. But the biggest crowd was standing on Knock’s’ gravel driveway. The sun was shining so brightly, I couldn’t see the top.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket.
“It’s JJ,” I told Chance, feeling in awe of the gigantic crowd of people standing in my town. “Hey—”
“Lynnie! Where are you guys? You need to get to the gym now!” JJ’s excitement only furthered my confusion.
I glanced around, looking for him.
“There.” Chance pointed to the base of the driveway, where our best friend was standing, squirming in anticipation. His eyes widened and a grin broke out on his face when he saw us.
Chance threaded his fingers through mine and tugged me through the crowd.
Muttering soft apologies when I bumped into people, I noticed people were clearing a path for him.
“You guys have gotta see this!” He waved a hand and took off up the driveway. “Coming through! Coming through!”
Chance held tight onto my hand, squeezing it three times.
We were at the top before I could respond. Dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of pieces of paper were stuck to the entire front wall of Knock’s. Pink, yellow, white, blue, green. No particular pattern seemed to occur, but every piece of paper had writing on it.
Vandalism? But what were all of these people doing here for?
My eyes found Chance, as they always did. His face pale, he swallowed deeply. A sheen of mist coated his eyes, and his nose turned a faint shade of pink.
JJ reached a hand out and put it on Chance’s shoulder. “Go and read them, man. They’re here for you.”
He pulled me by our hands over to the wall. If Chance hadn’t been holding my hand, I would have fallen to my knees.
My boyfriend threw a drink in my face, a few weeks later he threw the damn glass.
My fiancée refuses to let me sleep until we’ve had sex.
My boyfriend’s friend hit on me and groped me at a party. My boyfriend slapped me when he found out.
My wife sucker punched me for talking too long to a cashier when we were getting groceries. She told me no one would believe me, that I was a man, and I should be able to take it.
Story after story was hung up for everyone to see. Horrors at the hands of mothers, fathers, siblings, relatives, partners, and friends. These shitty, horrible, life-altering experiences were no longer a deadlocked memory in someone’s mind. Butspoken. Out in the open for the world to see.
“The Chronicles of Hidden Abuse,” JJ read from the banner that lay at our feet. The crowd behind us had gone silent.
I. Love. You. I squeezed Chance’s hand.
He turned his head to face me, those stormy eyes I loved so much starting to loosen raindrops. The eerie calm before the storm was no more—the rain was here.
I reached a hand up to wipe one of the stray tears away when he caught it. Brushing his lips over my knuckles, he mumbled, “It’s okay.”
Squared shoulders and a lifted chin turned to face those silent around us. Many of them smiled appreciatively, hope and relief filling their faces. Relief, not because they wanted anyone to experience what they had, but relief knowing someone theylooked up tohad. Relief knowing they weren’t alone, and that there was at least one person out there who understood at least some small inkling of what they were going through.
Most of the people gathered around us were women, but I saw the few dozen men scattered about. Most lingered along the far fence line, but one man stood front and centre of them all. He was holding the hand of a beautiful dark-skinned woman by his side and staring at the man at mine. His eyes were glassy, and his mouth was trembling. That familiar shift in the air around me drew my eyes to Chance, who’s jaw was locked down under immense tension.
He stepped forward and walked towards the man. The crowd, including myself, seemed to hold their breath. Rocks skidded under his feet as he paused, those blue eyes meeting mine. The clouds parted behind the storm, delivering a message to me on a beam of new sunshine. Ironic, since he was the one who called me ‘Sunny’.
I need you with me.
I didn’t hesitate—I didn’t want to hesitate anymore. Not when it came to him.
“I’ve got you,” I mumbled for only him to hear. The hand on my back pressed three short times.I. Love. You.
