Vanessa

My tears threatened to escape, and I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep myself from crying. 

    “What did he do to you, Vanessa?” I heard Antonio ask softly, his eyes wide with concern. 

    I couldn’t look at him, so I let my gaze drop to the ground beneath my feet and wrapped my arms around my chest. I knew what he had to be thinking, and it was nothing like that. It was worse. For three years, I carried this burden, knowing my mistake would one day come out in the open. And here I was, unable to keep my secret any longer. 

    Antonio moved...