This was just what he needed—for the town to see him as his natural self, interacting with those he felt comfortable with. They just needed to see who he really was and they’d fall in love with him, too. How could they not?
When Gabriel had been sitting with me, we both received curious stares, the people of Morlea obviously being familiar with who he was. But now that I was sitting alone on the bale of hay sipping my coffee, I was mostly anonymous.
I took another minute to look around at the crowd, smiling at a toddler holding a pumpkin way too heavy for him. He weaved and almost toppled over before his dad took the pumpkin, chuckling as he steadied him. I laughed softly at the sweet display of parental affection.
A boisterous group was playing some sort of booth game a little ways from where I sat, and when they all let out a collective whoop, I turned my gaze on them. Whoever was playing had obviously won because they were all cheering. They parted as the winner turned, grinning a grin I’d seen before. My blood chilled, and the scene wavered before my eyes. One of the men who’d beaten me in the parking lot that night. Out on bail. Oh no. Oh God. I still didn’t know his name, had never bothered to find out, in truth hadn’t wanted to think about him in any personal terms.
I stood, stumbling forward and beginning to turn when we locked eyes. Oh God, oh God, I was going to be sick. The sweet coffee I’d just drunk came up my throat, and I put a hand over my mouth, afraid I’d throw up right there where I stood.
My instinct was to run away, to avoid him at all costs, but the man leaned down and whispered in the ear of the woman standing next to him, and she made a beeline straight for me. I blinked, frozen to the spot in confused horror. Please don’t let this be happening. Not here.
“You stupid slut!” she yelled at me, stopping several feet from where I stood. It seemed to quiet all around me as people turned, looking from me to her. I glanced over at Gabriel, and he seemed to be listening to a story one of the men who worked at the quarry was telling.
I started to turn. Maybe if I just walked away, everyone would return to what they’d been doing.
“Don’t walk away from me,” she called. “You think you can lie about my boyfriend and get away with it? Just because he turned you down? You deserved what you got.”
Is that what he’d told her? That I’d come on to him and he’d what … been forced to beat me unconscious? I almost laughed at the craziness of it, but my heart was beating so harshly, I couldn’t muster even a small chuckle.
I crossed my arms over my breasts, hugging myself as the man who’d beaten me came up beside her. “Let’s go. I’m not supposed to be anywhere near her.”
Thank God. My eyes shot back to where Gabriel had been standing, but I didn’t see him there. A burst of anxiety shot down my spine just as I heard his voice. “Get out of here now.” The words were spoken in a loud growl and I jolted, taken off guard by the cold command in his tone. He was standing just a short distance behind me and I turned, blinking as he stepped in front of me.
“Gabriel, it’s okay,” I mumbled. The girlfriend of the man was still calling obscenities at me, but I tuned her out as Gabriel walked forward, looking as if he was intending to engage physically with the man. Oh God, oh no. What should I do?
“Don’t come near me, bro,” the man said, backing away. The people in the crowd who were not already watching turned to see what was going on, and a hush fell over the gathering.
In an effort to move away, the man stumbled, but immediately righted himself and then stepped backward. He put his hands up in the air. “This was just a coincidence,” he said. “We’re leaving.”
I couldn’t see Gabriel’s face, but I heard the rage in his tone as he said, “If it wouldn’t end up hurting Ellie more, I’d do to you exactly what you did to her, you disgusting piece of human garbage.”
I put my hands over my mouth, not realizing tears were streaking my face until I felt them on my fingers.
“Whoa, hey.” George ran up with Dominic on his heels, and they each took one of Gabriel’s arms and pulled him away from the man. Chloe was right behind them, and she looked stricken.
The man backed up, looking relieved to see Gabriel being forced to stand down. Despite what he’d done to me, he was a coward. If I hadn’t known it before, I realized it then.
Even so, I was shaky with fear and shame. Someday soon I was going to have to face those men in court. How would I manage it? I didn’t think I could. I wasn’t strong enough. I’d never be strong enough.
That’s when the whispers—the gossip—around me penetrated …
“… this happened before when he was a kid, you know. Do you remember that fair …?”
“… seems nice but then … violent …”
“… sometimes victims become perpetrators. There’ve been studies done …”
“Did you hear he was a suspect in that case …?”
“Who’s the girl with him? Did you hear what that other girl was calling her?”
Slut.
Whore.
Trash.
I shook my head, trying to tune it out, sick with horror at what had just happened.
Gabriel shook George and Dominic off as the man, his girlfriend, and the others who’d been with him started to walk away, swearing and spitting on the ground. “If you ever come near her again, it’ll be the last thing you ever do, you sick excuse for a man,” Gabriel called after them.
The girlfriend turned and stuck her middle finger up, but the man pretended not to hear Gabriel, disappearing into the crowd. “Oh my God, what was that?” Chloe whispered. “Are you okay?” she asked me.
I nodded jerkily. For several heartbeats, Gabriel stood staring in the direction the group had gone and then turned to me, exhaling a large breath. “Ellie, Jesus, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
I shook my head, my eyes darting around at all the stares, all the whispered words, all the judgment. “Can we go? Can we just leave?”
Dominic turned to Gabriel. “Who—?”
“One of the men who attacked her,” Gabriel answered.
I felt the heat of shame moving up my neck, filling my cheeks and making me feel woozy. I turned my body slightly toward Gabriel, wanting to melt into him.
I didn’t look at Dominic. I couldn’t. I knew exactly what I’d see on his face if I did. The look that told me this was my fault, that my presence in Gabriel’s life brought him nothing except hurt and further nonacceptance. “Can we just go?” I repeated. “Please.”
“Ellie …,” Gabriel murmured, moving closer, brushing a tear off my cheek. “I never would have left you alone if I had even considered—”
“You couldn’t know. I never even once thought …” I shook my head again.
“Gabriel, why don’t you call it a day?” George asked. “Get Ellie home, put her feet up, and let this roll off your backs, okay?” He was looking pointedly at me, as if I was the one who looked more traumatized. Maybe I did. I guess I was.
“Okay.” Gabriel was still looking at me worriedly as he brushed a tendril of hair out of my face. “Let’s go.” He nodded to George, Dominic, and Chloe and took my arm in his, turning me toward the parking lot.