The party felt like a nightmare Maya couldn't escape. The music blared, the laughter echoed, but all she could focus on was Vic. His hand on her arm, the way he pulled her away from the crowd, his words too lewd to process. The sudden press of his body against hers made her panic. He tried to force himself on her, pushing her into a corner, his breath hot on her neck.
She'd fought back, pushed him away as hard as she could, but his grip was strong, and she wasn't strong enough. Then, in the chaos, her mother appeared—standing there with eyes that no longer recognized her daughter. It wasn't the mother Maya knew. The woman who had always promised to protect her, to love her—this was something else. She had the same coldness as Vic, the same cruel look, she lied and made things worst.Maya saw something in her eyes that she'd never seen before.
It was then that Maya ran. She didn't know where to go, but she had to get out. Every part of her screamed for freedom. She didn't stop, even when her legs began to give out, even when she couldn't breathe, the memories choking her at every step.
But somehow, her feet found their way to Eddie's. She wasn't sure how she ended up there, but the moment she saw his car parked nearby, something inside her broke free. She collapsed beside it, unable to contain the sobs, her body wracked with uncontrollable shakes.
Minutes later, Eddie appeared, his expression tightening the moment he saw her. "Maya?"
She flinched at the sound of his voice, her body instinctively pulling away. But she couldn't go anywhere. Her legs were too weak, her mind too shattered. He knelt beside her, gently helping her up, but she barely moved. Her head rested on his shoulder, and the tears kept coming.
"I— I can't…" Her voice was barely a whisper, the pain too much to bear.
"I know," Eddie said softly, his arms wrapping around her, his presence steady and warm. "You're safe. You're with me now."
Her fingers clutched at his shirt, the sobs coming harder now. She didn't know how long they stayed like that, but eventually, Eddie helped her into the car, his grip never loosening. As he started the engine, she sat silently beside him, unable to form a single coherent thought.
He drove with a determined focus, eyes fixed on the road ahead, but his thoughts were elsewhere—on the girl beside him, broken in ways he couldn't even begin to understand.
When they stopped at the diner, Eddie came back with a cone of ice cream. It was something, anything to calm her down, though Maya didn't know if she could even taste it. She took it anyway, numbly bringing it to her lips. The coldness felt like a distraction, something to cling to in the sea of emotions threatening to drown her.
Eddie didn't push her. He waited, sitting beside her in silence, until she finally spoke.
"Vic…" Her voice cracked as she forced the word out. "He tried to… he tried to force himself on me."
Eddie froze for a moment, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. The fury in his chest was immediate, an animalistic anger rising up, but he swallowed it down, knowing she needed him calm. "You're safe now," he said again, his voice low, controlled.
Maya didn't respond right away. She stared at the ice cream, but it was like she wasn't really seeing it. She seemed so far away.
Eddie exhaled sharply, his mind already working on what needed to be done. He couldn't let this go. Not after what she'd been through. "I'm not letting him get away with this, Maya. He won't hurt you again."
She didn't argue, didn't say anything more. They both knew what needed to happen.
He called Zeke, then a couple of other friends, telling them to meet him at Vic's house. When they arrived, though, Vic was already pulling up. He must have been returning from the party, unaware of the storm waiting for him.
Eddie's hands clenched into fists as he moved toward him. He didn't give Vic a chance to speak. The second the car stopped, Eddie and the others were on him, dragging him out, fists flying. There was no mercy, no hesitation—just pure, raw anger, anger for everything Vic had done to Maya, and the anger for every moment she had been left to suffer alone.
Maya didn't watch the fight. She couldn't. She stayed in the car, her head pressed against the seat, the world spinning as she tried to shut it all out. When it was over, Eddie returned to the car, blood still on his hands, his face hard with determination.
"Maya…" he said quietly. "It's done. He's not going to hurt anyone again."
She didn't respond. Her silence was all she could offer. Eddie drove her to her grandmother's house, the place where he knew she could at least get some rest, some peace.
When they arrived, he helped her out of the car. She didn't speak a word, her body heavy with exhaustion. She barely looked up as they made their way to the door, Eddie keeping her close, protecting her from the world outside.
That night, Maya fell asleep in her grandmother's spare room, the weight of everything still pressing on her chest. Eddie sat outside the door, his back against the wall, just in case she needed him. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew she needed time to breathe.
The next morning, her father showed up at the door.
"Maya," his voice was demanding, like he had the right to walk in and take over. "Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you."
Maya didn't flinch. She didn't feel a thing when she looked at him. "I don't need you," she said coldly, her voice steady, even though everything inside her screamed at her to scream. "I don't need you. Not after everything."
He blinked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?"
She stood, meeting his eyes, her heart pounding, but her voice never wavered. "You're not my father. You never were. I'm done."
His face turned a shade darker. "You don't mean that."
"Oh, I do." Her words were final, final in a way that left no room for argument. "I don't need you. You and Mom… I'm done with both of you. I'm not your daughter, and you're not my father."
The words hit him harder than she expected. He didn't say anything. He just left, walking out without looking back.
And Maya felt a strange, distant calm settle over her. It wasn't peace. It wasn't healing. But it was something. It was the beginning of a new life, one where she didn't have to play the part they expected her to.
Eddie was there, just as he always had been. She didn't need to say anything more. He was the only one who understood.