Trigger warning: Attempted sexual assault

Song inspiration: Grenade(cover) by Alexa Goddard

      "Who is that?" Maria called out to the voice.
"Aw, did you already forget me, Maria?" The voice clicked on her brain.
James Reynolds.
"J-James?" Her voice shook as her body froze when hands grabbed her waist.
"Did you miss me?" His voice loomed as he nipped her ear.
Maria remained quiet.
"I remember how I always left you wordless...." He whispered in her ear.
Maria shivered and whimpered softly. His grip got rough as he spun her around and pinned her to a tree and started to bite her neck. Maria was frozen, disabled, helpless.
She felt hands start to undo the pins of her dress when—
She felt cold air instead of the uncomfortable warmth of James on top of her. Her ears filled with the sounds of rustling and grunts. Maria heard punches and heard something snap.
"Maria?" A French accent rang
"M-Monsieur La-Lafay-ette?" She finally began to sob.
"I'm injured," He huffed out.
"Wh-What's injured?" She made her way over to Lafayette and used her hand to feel for him.
"I think he broke my arm and... had a knife? I felt something cut my chest...."
"Its a good thing too," James huffed and Maria jumped.
She wrapped Gilbert's arm around her and ran as fast as she could until she saw the light of his house. Scarlet stains were clearly visible in the dim light.
Maria got him to the porch and Mrs. Todd saw them. She gasped and helped Maria carry Gilbert to the chair in front of the fireplace. Maria began to take his coat off and unbutton his shirt when Lafayette grabbed her hand.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to see if you're going to bleed out or not." She broke her hand away and he let her continue.
She gasped when she saw a deep cut slashing across his chest.
"He had to have had a knife—" Maria shuddered.
If he actually continued. Maria probably wouldn't only be traumatized... she would be dead. Mrs. Todd brought in a pitcher full of hot water and a cloth. Maria wet it and began to dab away the blood. He squirmed and hissed in pain.
"That hurts!" Gilbert said bitterly.
"It wouldn't hurt if you sat still." She matched his tone.
He just frowned and limped off to his room. Maria leaned back and sighed, looking at the bruises in the shaped of James's finger tips.
"What happened, love?" Mrs. Todd asked her softly. Maria told her the events of the night and she sighed. "Oh I'm so sorry... Are those bite marks on your neck?" Maria nodded slowly.
"I just don't know what happened... He was so sweet and then... it seemed the war made him cruel." Maria said quietly.
Mrs. Todd sighed.
"Well..." She trailed off.
"Well?" Maria urged her to continue.
"I was fearing this. I've been with this family for years. He was such a sweet little boy and then his mother died... His father became cruel and he twisted that sweet little boy." Mrs. Todd stated. "He became sweet again, but I was fearful that the war would turn him bitter. And it did."
Maria nodded her head. She accepted it. She knew that it was too good to be true, anyways.