He sat next to her

He sat next to her.

Thinking that because she’s been through this trauma.

In life.

She might not really be able to open up.

To him.

And he was fine with her opening her heart.

When she could.

Never bothering her.

To let him know everything.

And she didn’t.

She didn’t tell him the times.

She couldn’t fight,

She didn’t tell him.

About her childhood.

He didn’t ask.

And so she sat there.

Staring at the screen.

Thinking.

“I’ve been through assaults.”

“I just don’t want to tell him.”

“He said it would ruin his image of me.”

“I’ve never had help.”

But the woman that he was referring to.

Had been through counseling as a child.

12 years.

He was shaming other women.

But didn’t want to shame her.

Because she initially lied.

He was so inflamed with anger.

He went to his phone.

To text a friend.

She stops him.

And tells him the truth.

But she also tells him.

That there’s nothing to be afraid of.

She’s here for a lesson.

There was never a reason.

To treat a child like that.

And I got help when I was younger.

Because I used to cry.

All the time.

At home and at the school.

As children, she told him.

“There were so many people.”

“That didn’t forgive themselves.”

That “They kept doing things to hurt other people.”

And “In order to get rid of the hurt she had to tell the truth.”