One Year Later

Against my wishes, my parents decided to throw me a graduation party. Friends of my parents along with neighbors and colleagues all joined at our house for the festivities. My mother had spent the last three months planning this extravagant party, and every single client from the studio was invited. Look! Have your daughter train with me and I can get her into Juilliard as well! I assumed this was the invitations’ underlying message.

Running my hands down my thighs for the third time, I tried to calm my nerves. I was in my room trying on the dress my mother laid out for me. It was peach-colored chiffon that tied around my neck. The A-line style wrapped around my chest and ribs before opening in a mesh skirt down to my knees. My mother had instructed me to wear my hair down and to pin a few strands back away from my face, and I was under strict instructions to make sure my makeup was light. There was a rule for everything, but I didn't argue.

Ethan had accepted his offer from NYU, and secretly we planned out the next chapter of our lives. In three weeks, he and I would be on a plane to New York, so for now I would wear whatever dress my mother wanted me to wear. I would smile and be courteous to their friends because I had twenty-one days left.

After I was dressed, I peeked out my bedroom window and noticed there was no sight of Ethan at the party. He had promised he would be there, and I didn't want to come down until I spotted him.

Light tapping on my door startled me, and to my surprise it was joyful Darlene. “Leslie, you don't want to keep your guests waiting.” She walked over to me and moved a strand of hair behind my shoulder.

“Yes, Mother.” I waited till she was out of the room before I pulled my hair back to the way I had it. “Three more weeks,” I muttered under my breath and followed her down the stairs.

The house and backyard had been transformed. There were balloons, streamers, twinkling lights, and sparklers. Small round tables were scattered around the backyard for people to sit and mingle. Classical music played on the Bose surround sound my mother had installed for the occasion. My mother had hired the best caterer in Arizona, and we even had white gloved waiters who walked around serving hors d'oeuvres.

I smiled and greeted my guests, thanking them as they handed me envelopes. Though I carried on conversations with those my mother insisted I speak with, I kept my eyes out for Ethan. There was no sign of him anywhere inside the house. Scanning the room once more, I noticed Charlie near the chocolate fountain, his lips wrapped around a coated strawberry. He gave me a goofy grin and dipped another berry in the chocolate.

Joyce sat on the chair next to him. Her lips were pursed together and her fingers wrapped around a wine glass. From the way her eyes were half-mast, I knew she had popped one of her pills and chased it with some wine. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to run away from her life, especially when I knew the man she was married to.

I walked through the kitchen and into the living room, and was greeted with a familiar face.

“Hello there, princess,” Stephanie teased, then curtsied at me gracefully.

“Stop that, Steph. You know this was never my idea.”

“Oh, I know.” She looked around and spotted my mother. “But look at Darlene. I haven't seen her smile this much in my entire life. I actually believe she's been possessed by a ghost.”

“Yeah, the Juilliard ghost.” I couldn’t hide the annoyance in my voice.

“Are you not having fun?” Stephanie pulled out a small flask from her clutch. “I can change that, you know.”

“If my mother even smells a hint of alcohol on my breath, she will break every bone in my body. You know that.” I shoved the flask back inside her purse.

“That is very true.” Stephanie smiled. “But this is a beautiful party, babe. Loosen up a bit, okay?”

“Hey, have you seen Ethan?” I asked, ignoring her request. I couldn’t hide the pinch in my chest.

“No.” She shook her head and gave another quick scan of the room. “I figured he’d be with you. I have no idea where he is.”

I sighed and forced a smile. “If you see him, tell him I’m looking for him.”

 "Will do, babe." 

I continued to look for him, but he wasn't in the backyard or on the deck, nor was he anywhere in the house, and my heart began to ache with worry.

The clinking of champagne flutes startled me. “May I have your attention please?” my father said. The room got quiet and my gaze landed on him. Slowly, he walked toward me. Placing his hand on my shoulder, he raised his glass. “I’d like to thank you all for coming here tonight and celebrating my sweet little girl.” He looked down at me with a loving smile.

“Leslie, I am so proud of the woman you have become. And I know you will continue to dance into the hearts of others as you have danced into ours. May you have all the success in the world as you embark on this next journey in your life. To Leslie.” He raised his glass and the room filled with cheers.

“To Leslie,” the crowd said in unison.

I smiled gracefully and thanked everyone for the well wishes before I stood up on my tippy toes and kissed my dad on the cheek. “Thanks, Daddy,” I whispered. My mother placed her hands on my shoulders in a kind embrace. In that moment we looked like the perfect family.

When the people returned to their previous conversations, I slipped out the back door. By the looks of things, my mother was four champagne glasses in and would be oblivious. I ran across the grass that joined my yard with Ethan's, but all the lights were out inside. I sprinted around the front of the house and found that door also locked. Panic rose throughout my body.

Ignoring everything that warned me to run back to my house and ask Charlie, I tried the side garage door. The hair on the back of my neck rose as I held the door handle. I hadn't been in this garage in years. I could vividly recall the last time I was here—when Jerry beat Joey and told his boys to shove him inside his car. Desperate to find Ethan, I pushed through my fears and turned the knob.

The scent of oil and gasoline wafted through the air, punching me in the face. It was a smell I could never forget. It was a scent that was coiled around fear. Luckily, Jerry's car was nowhere in sight. I exhaled the breath that was lodged in my chest and jogged across the cement floor. I was halfway across the double car garage when his words stopped me dead in my tracks.

“He's not here.” Jerry's voice was low, but it caused every fiber in my body to shake with fear.

Nervously, I brushed my hair behind my ears and looked him in the eyes. His expression darkened with an unreadable emotion. “Oh,” I stammered. “Okay, then.” I took slow steps backwards toward the side door, my eyes locked on his like the innocent prey waiting for the evil monster to strike.

“You don't have to rush out of here so soon,” he said, and began to walk toward me.

Instantly, my pulse beat erratically at the threat in his deep voice. I knew what this man was capable of. I knew what he did for a living. Unable to move, my feet felt as if they were stuck in quicksand. My fear had me paralyzed. My breathing grew irregular and my rapid heartbeat hummed in my ear.

“You have grown into a beautiful woman,” Jerry said. His face was so close to mine I could smell the gin on his breath.

I swallowed back the contents of my stomach threatening to come up, and took a deep breath. “I should really get going.” I managed to move a step back, but I couldn’t get away fast enough.

His hands laced around my wrists. “You know, I never got a real good look at you.” Panic rioted within me. “But I see now why Ethan wants to move all the way to New York. Is your pussy as pretty as your face?"

His inappropriate remark made my cheeks heat and tears formed in my eyes as panic set in. “Let me go. Please.” I tried to tug my wrists away from him but it was no use. Jerry was much stronger than I was. 

“Shh.” He brought his face down to my neck. “The more you fight, the more it's going to hurt.”

Bile rose in my throat and it felt like I couldn’t breathe. “Help!” I screamed. Someone, please help me!”  

“You hear that?” Jerry said in a calm, icy voice, which only intensified my fear. “Your mother hired a band, which means you can scream as much as you want. No one will hear you.”  

Tears swelled in my eyes. I shook my head and did the one thing I remembered from the self-defense course we took in high school. With everything I had in me I lifted my knee and aimed straight for his nuts. But Jerry was faster than I was. He dashed out of the way and grabbed me by my arms. Shoving me against the wall, I saw the devil in his eyes.

“You fucking bitch.”

My head slammed against the concrete wall, and I whimpered from the sharp pain. His mouth pressed on mine. My nails scraped his skin repeatedly as I struggled to get away, but it did nothing to faze him. I was pinned between a horrific monster and a solid-stone wall.

I screamed, I begged, and my arms grew weaker with each passing second.

Jerry moved to unzip his pants and sheer black fright swept through me.

“Please don’t,” I cried. “Please don't do this to me!” His calloused hand slid up my thigh just as I bellowed out my last scream. 

"You son of a bitch!” was all I heard before Jerry was yanked off my body.

I fell to my knees, scraping them on the concrete floor. As I blinked away the tears, I saw Ethan swinging at Jerry. His fist collided with his jaw, but Jerry threw a punch that tossed Ethan to the ground. 

"Ethan!"

Jerry kicked him in the gut before he turned toward me. I watched as he wiped blood from the corner of his lip. 

“Run!" Ethan shouted in agony. His hands were wrapped around his stomach. I scurried to my feet and dashed for the door, my legs shaking with each step I took. 

"Oh, no you don’t." Jerry's fingers coiled around my hair and tugged me back.

"Let her go!" Ethan shouted. 

Jerry released my hair and I fell to the ground. Gasping for air, I looked back and watched Jerry wobble toward the massive tool shelf. Bright crimson blood dripped from the back of his head. My gaze moved from Jerry to Ethan, and fresh tears pooled in my eyes when I saw the damage his father had done to his face. One eye was shut and bruising. His lip was split in half. Then my gaze moved to the bloody crowbar Ethan held in his hand. The crowbar he used to hit Jerry’s skull. 

I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. In that moment, the air in the garage vanished. Ethan tried to run for me; he tried to rescue me, but there was no point. There was no noise, only excruciating pain. It was then I glanced down at my leg and realized the source of the numbing pain. The tool shelf had fallen on me. Jerry had pulled it down and was lying trapped underneath it.

Ethan dropped to his knees next to me. Without saying a word, we both knew this had broken us. I bit back a sob as the world around me fell dark.

Our dreams of escaping this town were dead.