Everlyn shook her head and looked away. He watched as she nervously played with her hands.

"I'm tired of placing my trust in people. They always let me down in the end. I'm not like you, Noah. I asked for help. I told my family what Elijah had done."
   
He could see the pain etched onto her face as she spoke, and it was breaking his heart. "I told them, and they and they didn't do anything about it. Then dad died." her voice cracked.
   
Noah leaned forward, arms open wide. She allowed him to wrap her in a hug. "When dad died, I honestly believed a part of me died as well. He was supposed to protect me. He promised he would always be there for me. And then he just... wasn't."
   
"I'm sorry for your loss." Noah tried his best to comfort her, but but she just shook harder as she cried. After a few minutes, she calmed down.
   
"When I was nine, I met Elijah." she started off softly. "He is only two years older than me. My older brother was his best friend, so he was always over at the house." she made a small laugh. "It didn't take long for me to start liking him. I had a huge crush on him. I wrote in my diary all the time about how sweet he was to me."
  
She shuddered and Noah could practically feel the disgust rolling off of her. "I fell head over heels for him. When I was around fourteen he asked me to be his girlfriend. Of course, my older brother didn't care. Neither did my parents. They trusted Elijah. I did too."

She stopped for a short moment, and Noah pulled away. "What happened?"
   
Everlyn swallowed. "As it turns out, he wasn't the best of guys. His parents were rich. They were never really around to parent him or make him stop him from going downhill. As time went on,  and I got older, I started to see how big of a jerk he was becoming. He would always try to force me into things I didn't want to do and talk inappropriately to me. But my brother was always around the both of us so he never tried anything.

"I was sixteen when my brother went off to college. I guess he took the opportunity." she whispered. "He would..."

She trailed off from her sentence and tears filled her eyes. She didn't have to continue for Noah to know what she would say. Everlyn took a deep breath. "He told me that I would pay if I told anyone about his abuse. One day, he took it too far... I finally had enough of it. I went to my mom and dad. I told them what he did.

"They just wouldn't believe Elijah would do something like that. In their eyes, he was a saint. When we were around them he would treat me so kindly. But he changed in the blink of an eye when we were alone." she sniffled.

"One day, dad was driving to work and had a heart attack. He crashed the car and died on the way to the hospital. I was seventeen. I couldn't take the pain, so I moved away. Elijah had always told me he would find me if I tried to run away, and he did. A little over a month passed before he showed up at my front door in Milwaukee, where I had tried to start college.

"He hurt me really bad that day. I thought I was going to die. But every day after that just got worse and worse. A year later, when I turned eighteen, I ran again, and since then I have been moving from state to state. I try to get a job and just survive, but he always shows up and ruins it."

"How old are you?" Noah questioned softly.

"Nineteen." Everlyn whispered. Her face was completely crestfallen as she looked at him. "I feel like my life has ended before it can even start."

"That's where you're wrong." Noah's voice held so much emotion as he spoke. "You let one person ruin your life because you are afraid of him. Just like I let my depression literally almost take my life away. I had to let another person help me, and face my fears. You can do the same."

"I can't face Elijah." Everlyn shook her head.

"That's not what I mean." Noah stood and gently took her hands. "Elijah isn't your greatest fear, no matter what he's done to you. You fear trust. You're afraid someone else will let you down."

Everlyn thought about it before nodding. She lifted her hand to cover her bruise. "Trusting one person lead to all of this. I don't want it to happen again."

"I don't want you to get hurt, either." Noah slowly raised a hand to her face, and he could tell she was struggling not to flinch. He gently ran his thumb over the bruise and his eyes softened. "I want to help you. No one deserves a life like this. But I need you to trust me."

Everlyn frowned and took a step back from him. "I don't know If I can do that."

"Turning Elijah in would free you. It would make you happy."

It is now my duty as a friend to help you and make sure you are happy. Everlyn remembered his words from that first day she'd met him. He had been serious. He was serious about helping her.

At the thought, she felt butterflies in her stomach and her fingertips began to tingle. She clenched and unclenched her fists. "I can't let you help me." Before he could open his mouth to argue, she held up a hand. "I'm afraid he might hurt you. He's a dangerous man."

"I'm not afraid of him."

Of course, he wasn't. He had never met him. But now that she looked at him, Everlyn noticed that both men were probably the same build. They both looked strong and in shape. And Noah would tower over Elijah by at least three inches.

"I need you to trust me, Everlyn. We can go to the police right now. He will be persecuted and arrested. You won't be hurt anymore." He gave a boyish grin.

"But first I will take you out to lunch. I still haven't made it up to you for spilling lemonade on you."
Everlyn smiled. Despite everything she had initially thought, Noah was nice. He genuinely sounded like he wanted to help.

"Do you really think they will help?" Everlyn asked nervously, referring to the police. Uncertainty filled her voice as memories of the past flew through her mind.

The times when Elijah would hit and kick her.
When he would tell her how worthless she was. The way she would always look over her shoulder.
Waiting for him to attack when she wasn't looking.
Noah nodded his head quickly.

"I'm sure they will."

Again, she placed her hand on her face. Gently ran her hands over her arms where her bruises were hidden from Noah's eye. No more. She wouldn't allow Elijah to control her anymore.

She'd had enough of him. For so many years, he abused her. He had stolen things from her he could never give back.
   
Feeling a headache coming on, Everlyn took out her pony tail and let her hair fall out of her braid. She ran her hand through her hair, still thinking it through. No more. She chanted over and over in her mind.
   
Elijah was done tormenting her.