"It was you?" I asked, and immediately reprimanded myself for the question. I had been doing a lot of this lately. Having no sort of verbal filter, rhetorical questioning, expressing my stupidity. I absolutely had no sort of self preservation at all with the way I had been behaving for the past few days.

The girl looked at me, confused for a moment before she nodded.

So yes.

What? Of course, its her. What the fuck is wrong with you, Toni?!

I grimaced at the simple idiocy that I had been portraying and I asked, "Sorry. I just was...well, are you all right? You're not hurt are you?" I asked as I began to reach over to the small compartment beneath the dashboard for a first aid kit when she looked at me, narrowing her eyes.

I had to admit that I was feeling a bit self conscious. What was happening?

I repeated my question, a bit more apprehensive to talk, "Are you hurt?"

And the girl seemed to understand now. She wiped a few stray tears off her cheek and she looked down before giving a me a watery smile before shaking her head in negative.

Okay, so she wasn't hurt but why wasn't she talking?!

I heard her screaming in the alley so I knew she could. A person couldn't exactly be mute if they could scream their guts out.

Just as I was about to pose another question, she reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a card. In it, was an address, written in a beautiful calligraphy and I squinted my eyes as I tried to read it in the dim lighting.

After a moment, I nodded and asked, "So you just want me to take you home?"

She bit her lip and I felt my knuckles tighten around the steering wheel. Then she nodded and I knew I couldn't back out now.

I swallowed and turned on the ignition of the car, set it to drive and I pulled into the streets of the city.

A few seconds of unspoken silence passed between us when I spoke up, "Do you want to talk about it?"

And I was met with the same fucking silence.

I turned my head to face her again when I saw her burying her face in her hands as her elbows rested on her knees. As I continued to stare, yet again, at her, I noticed the small sobs that escaped her mouth, every time her shoulders moved a bit.

Oh.

I had expected that reaction of her feeling bad about the issue, but even so, I hadn't exactly thought about what I was going to do about it. So I did the first thing that came to my mind. I pulled over to the side again.

I sat in my seat, stunned by the events occurring. Sure, I had anticipated this but I hadn't exactly planned into the future that much about what I was going to do when it happened.

I let my hand rest on her back. Her shoulder blades moved indicating that she knew that I had placed my hand on her back and she seemed to stiffen. I wouldn't blame her for doing that, after a mental trauma like the one she just had.

Immediately, I had a sounding slap echoed to the side of my face.

What the FUCK?!!

I was just fucking trying to make her feel better and this is the sort of respect I get?!

I was still reeling in from the hit as I turned my head to face her. I was still dazed as I turned to face her, when I actually noticed what she had been going through. Any sort of verbal insult I was about to hurl at her, died down in my throat.

She was full blown crying. Her eyes were red, tears flowing from them like a never ending stream. Her cheeks were tinted a rosy pink, due to the cold and her emotions, her hair that fell occasionally before her eyes, her lips puffed up to a low shade of red.

I couldn't do that. I shouldn't have done that.

And at that moment, I empathized with her situation. Of course she was feeling touch - averse about the entire dealing.

I ought to have known that.

I couldn't look at her straight in the eye after that. But if I didn't, it would mean that I was guilty.

I wasn't.

Summoning, my years of willpower and strength, minimal as they may be, I forced my eyes to meet with hers.

And at that moment, I knew that there could be nothing more true than what I was going to tell her.

"It's okay." I whispered, keeping my gaze on her.

She seemed confused now, her eyes spit fire, like she wouldn't hesitate to hurt me if she had to. She defiant expression just made me feel more concrete about my resolve.

"It's all right." I whispered and her eyes remained focused on my every move.

"I'm not going to do anything, okay?" I asked, as I extended my hand, palm facing the sky.

"It's okay. I'm just here to help." I said as I let my hand linger. If she didn't want me touching her to comfort her, then I wanted to know that she could reach out to me if she wanted some.

It was her choice.

"It's okay." I repeated, my voice barely audible.

She looked at my hand and back at me, before she nodded and slipped her hand into mine. Her hand was small and mine completely enveloped hers as I reached over to hold her other hand too.

"Its okay to cry." I murmured after a few moments.

I guess that was all she needed, because the next moment, she slumped against my shoulder, her head resting on my chest as cried. The small space of the car amplified every sound made, its effect getting reverberated.

We stayed in that position for quite a while, not moving or not making any sound. It was just my breathing and her sobs that were to be heard.

"It's going to be okay." I whispered for almost the 7th time.

"I promise."