'till death do us part

two

My hands molded around the warm cup of coffee. I was shaking, even though he'd put his jacket over me, and I was wearing a sweater.

"You wanna talk?" He asked as I looked around our booth.

"I'm overreacting. Everything just got to me, you know?" I said, sighing.

"So do you wanna talk about it? Or do you wanna forget about it?" He replied, resting his head on his hand.

"I don't know you." I answered simply. Sighing, I took a sip of my coffee and looked outside. The diner was pretty much empty. A lone man sat in front of the counter drinking some hot drink and looking incredibly sad, whilst a lone woman sat at a booth crying and eating cake. If I'd have had money that's exactly what I'd have been doing too. "But I need to get it out."

"I'm listening." He smiled and looked over at me. God, he was beautiful.

"My mom's boyfriend, Pete, got drunk for the millionth time a few days ago. My mom doesn't work, so he's the only one bringing money in. My mom passed out on the sofa, she'd taken cocaine and gotten drunk. Pete started coming onto me... And then he raped me. I locked myself in the bathroom, and I didn't sleep or move all night. The next morning, when they were both still asleep, I decided to sneak out and tell the police. I was in there for hours, being tested and stuff. He got arrested the following night. I got home, feeling dirty and guilty, and my mom wasn't there. She'd gone to see Pete, find out what was happening. I laid on my bed, smoking and listening to music, hoping to forget, when she came back. She started screaming at me. She punched me, strangled me, threw my clothes at me and told me to be gone by the morning." Without realizing, I reached to the cut on my lip and winced as it stung.

"That fucking bastard." He hissed. "I hope he rots in a tiny jail cell, and lives a pitiful fucking life."

"I doubt it." I laughed. "My mom is getting a loan to bail him out. He'll be released within the month." I laughed to try and mask it, but that sentence terrified me.

He frowned for a moment, as if thinking, before sighing. "I live up in California. I know it's far but... I needed a break. Come and live with me."

"What?" I asked, in utter shock. "I don't know anything about you! I don't know your - your name, I don't know who you are, you could be some creepy murderer!" He laughed, flashing his perfect teeth.

"Wait," He said, tilting his head, "You really don't know me?"

"Why would I?" I laughed, totally confused as I took a sip of my coffee.

"No reason." He smiled and sat back. "I know you don't know me. My name's Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm 18, I live in California. You?" He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and held them out to be. Grabbing one, I leaned forward for him to light it and then sat back.

"Becky Hennesey. I'm 18. I live in Brooklyn... obviously." I shrugged and took a puff of my smoke. "I work in a crappy diner a couple blocks away. I stole from them once and they promised not to press charges if I worked for them for a couple years."

"Well know we know each other." He grinned. I couldn't help but laugh. "You wanna go get your clothes?"

"Yeah. Thanks." I finished my coffee and we walked to my mom's apartment.

I went back up the fire escape and climbed through my window, grabbing my backpack. I shoved an array of sweaters, jeans, shirts and a bit of money I'd saved in.

"Look who's back!" My mom slurred, clearly drunk. "My bitch of a daughter!" She spat the word bitch, which made me feel sick.

"Mom... I just came to get my clothes." She laughed as I said that.

"Oh, she just came to get her clothes! Ha!" She stepped closer and grabbed my face. "Guess who's home, darlin!"

I heard footsteps and then that greasy, awful man walked into my room. Pete. He was wearing a vest that was very unflattering with jeans that he probably couldn't even button up.

"H-how did he get out..." I stammered as my mom let go. She laughed and stood beside him.

"It's pretty easy when you're innocent." He spat. I felt myself tearing up. They really didn't believe me. I knew Leonardo was waiting for me at the bottom of the fire escape, and if I screamed he would come running. "You're a liar."

My mom came at me again, grabbing my wrists and slamming me to the floor. I screamed as loud as I could as Pete laughed, watching my mum hit me. I felt her being thrown of me, and I blacked out as I felt myself being dragged out of the window.