Some people wait their whole lives to find the perfect friend.
But not Isabella Washington.
She knew she'd be best friends with Aiden Cunningham the moment she set eyes on him. But staying friends through school is easy. It's what comes after that c...
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Isabella and Aiden made their way to Isabella's house and parked their cars in the driveway. They stepped to the front of the house and Isabella opened the door slowly, calling out to her mom and dad to see if they were home.
When she had confirmed that the house was empty, she walked inside, Aiden following behind her. She closed the front door after Aiden who sat down on the couch. He looked defeated—his shoulders were slumped, and a frown was perpetually frozen on his face.
Isabella dropped her backpack on the floor near the door then walked to the couch, sitting next to him. She took his hand in hers and rubbed his knuckles with her thumb, comforting him. "I know this is hard, but it's okay to tell me," she reassured gently.
Aiden took sudden breaths and tilted his head straight ahead. Isabella watched his Adam's apple as he swallowed hard, looking afraid. "Bella, what I'm about to tell you . . . I don't think you'll want to be my friend anymore."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I don't want you to be disgusted with me because of what I am about to tell you."
"I would never do that."
Aiden roughly wiped away a small tear that had fallen on his face, then stood up, trying to collect himself.
"Okay," he muttered to himself. He stood before her, visibly building up the courage to speak.
"When I was a baby, things were okay. Even though my dad passed away when I was two, my mom took care of me and had help from her boyfriend, Ted," Aiden started. "I didn't get to know my mom's boyfriend until I was three, and I thought of him as the best dad ever.
"Then . . . one day when I was four, my mom had to go to work, and she said I could spend time with Ted. After she left for work, he and I played games and talked for hours like real fathers and sons do."
Isabella leaned back on the couch and stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue.
"Later that day, he asked me something I did not expect him to ask. And not like that. He asked, 'Do you love me, Aiden?' I didn't even have to think twice about answering because I knew I loved him like my father. So, I said yes."
Isabella's eyes were welling up with tears, seeing how hurt Aiden was as he told her what she wanted to know.
"After I said yes, h-he told me he was going to show me how much he loved me." Aiden's breathing was getting faster. "He s-started taking my p-pants off and I got so scared. I tried to run, but I wasn't strong enough to get away."
She began to cry, too shocked to move.
"He took off my clothes while I was screaming for my mom, and he t-took his pants off. I didn't know what to do. All I did was scream, hoping someone would hear me, but no one did. I remember feeling so much pain when he . . . put himself inside me, and I remember bleeding so bad. I didn't realize what he did to me until I got older.
