Page 34 of Tristano

“I’m okay. They said I’m only a little dehydrated.” She smiles up at me. “Do you think we can go home soon?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll figure that out.”

“Hey stranger,” Mandy says as she approaches.

“Hey.” I nod to her.

There’s a knowing in her eyes. She was held the longest, so she’s been affected the most. We don’t have the overwhelming joy like Olivia has. She was only held a couple days. She will bounce back easily. Mandy and I will have a longer road. We will be having nightmares about this for many years to come.

“You didn’t tell us you had a boyfriend,” Mandy expresses, giving me a small nod back.

We made it.That’s what that nod says.

Tristano speaks up before I can. “She didn’t,” he gasps. “Are you ashamed of me,anima gemella?”

“You’re ridiculous.” I roll my eyes as I fight off a smile.

He’s not my boyfriend, but he’s always kind of felt like he was. I always wanted him to be.

“It’s one of the reasons you love me,” he says, squeezing my shoulders.

“You guys are cute together. I’m glad you had someone looking for you,” Mandy adds, giving me a sad look.

Mandy wasn’t one of the teens taken who have a home to go back to. She was homeless after coming out to her parents. They didn’t approve of her lifestyle and told her that she could either go to conversion camp or get out of their house.

She’s only seventeen, but she might as well be thirty with everything she’s had to live through. I make a mental note to make sure she has somewhere to go after this. She won’t be homeless again.

“Ready, Sabrina?” Declan asks using my fake name.

I look at all the girls I was in the warehouse with and take a deep breath. “Listen up,” I say, getting their attention. “I know you ladies may be hesitant to be alone with one of these men,” I say, looking at the guys lining the wall before turning back to them. “But I can promise you they won’t hurt you. They just need to ask you some questions about what we went through, what we saw, and about the night you were taken. They want to stop the people who are doing this, and the only way they are going to be able to do that is if you allow them to do this. Can you do that?”

“Will you stay with me?” Olivia asks, making me look down at her cuddled against my shoulder.

“Of course.” I look back up at the women. “If you’re under eighteen, I’m going to sit in with you, and if any of you other ladies want me to as well, I will.”

I look over at Mandy.

She understands my silent question and steps forward. “Let’s get this over with.”

Declan steps forward and holds out his arm. “This way.”

One by one, the girls break off with different men.

“I’m so fucking proud of you,” Tristano whispers before kissing the shell of my ear.

I squeeze my eyes shut and fight off the tears. Would he still be proud if he knew I was barely holding it together?

* * *

I knewbefore we started interviewing the girls that Serena was barely holding it together. She had this wild look in her eyes that reminded me of when she was seventeen and I found her. The way she wanted to talk about anything other than what she just experienced made me angry, but I held it in. She doesn’t deserve my anger. No, the only thing she needs from me is peace, and I’ll do whatever I can to give it to her.

When we started interviewing the girls and getting everything down that they remembered, I watched her one by one shut down. At first she kept her face carefully blank. She only allowed emotion to show when the girls weren’t looking directly at her. By the end, she had no reaction whatsoever, and it’s as if she isn’t even here.

I’m afraid she’s shut down. Gone numb to it all. She needs to face this, not push it down. I’m worried what it will do to her psyche.

“Are you okay?” I ask as the last girl slips out.

“Have I ever been okay?” she asks quietly as she plays with the cuff of my hoodie.

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