no one asked me if I was OK

 

Lynsey never heard of such a thing when Charles told her about Poppy's Aunt being her actual mother. Parents really did things like that? She drew a frown. It was like no one considered his feelings and especially, Poppy's. 

Well, if he could confide in her, then she would confide in him too. Something, she never could with Casey. It was as if she'd always needed a spotless life with him. Let him do the talking and keep quiet. Evidently, she'd been raised that way. But where had it gotten her?

Of course, she didn't know where to start. It was a bit of a cold case, in fact. She hadn't really kept the evidence so what good would it do her.

"After Alfie left," she shrugged thinking that was well over five years ago. "I was..I guess in limbo. I had found out, that I was ...well, a damaged child to begin with." She sighed. "I know I probably shouldn't have been involved with him. He was younger." She winced. "I don't know." She couldn't help but smile when she thought about it. "He's really smart, you know. And ..." She pressed her lips tight as she knew Charles didn't really want to hear about his daughter's boyfriend. "I..I guess I was a little lost. And plus learning why I was so dumb." She sighed. "I guess I didn't care. I know it was like that.." But she felt herself crumble because this was the first time she ever said anything to anyone about what really happened on a cold Saturday night. "Yes," she nodded. I'd been drinking a little at the frat house. But..but I knew what was happening. What might happen."

She looked into the emptiness of her being. She cleared her throat not wanting to take herself there to that night. It had somehow ended so brutal. Even then she wondered what was really happening. "He was a stranger," she told Charles. "We..we went somewhere in his car..."

"Honestly, I just kind of laughed in the beginning, but really it was nothing to laugh about." She sighed wondering why she was doing this to herself now. "I..I had to walk home, too." She nodded. "Of course, no one asked about me." Lynsey said they'd seen the ripped clothes. Her busted lip and the dark scars on her neck. "Nobody was on my side." She winced hard with tears. "It was like it was my fault. All my fault." She choked on tears then. "Only I could take care of it." She tried to hold back the tears, but she might as well have been lost at the bottom of the ocean.