“How was your week?” Gabe asked.“Violent,” Peri said stirring the mushrooms sautéing on the stovetop.
“What?” Gabe asked his eyebrows drawn back in shock. “Did someone hurt you?”
“Not exactly. I don’t want to talk about it.” Peri continued to busy herself with menial kitchen tasks: checking the chicken in the over, opening a bottle of wine, scrubbing a stain on the counter that would never fade.
“A few weeks ago a faculty member came on to me at the bar.” Peri paused and turned to face Gabe. Those eyes, those fucking eyes. She knew she was about to come undone but she trusted those eyes.
“At one point, he licked me. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I mean it was gross and I felt uncomfortable, but I let it go. Anyway, I was approached this week by the college about his behavior that night. Turns out, he’s done this to a lot of other women.”
Gabe moved toward her unsure if his touch was welcome. Peri closed the gap between them and took his hand.
“When I met with the human resources officer, that’s when I realized how upset it had made me. What he did to me is considered sexual assault. It just brought up all kinds of bad shit from the past.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
“Aren’t I always?”
Gabe pulled her into his arms. Peri was so happy to be here, to be held by a compassionate man.
Photo: Shell-Of-Dream
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