Stolen Innocence (Stolen 0.5)

My bedroom door slammed against the wall with the force of Adrián’s entry. His shirtless form filled the threshold, his pale eyes wide and watchful, as though searching for a threat.

Panic slammed into my chest, and I drew the covers up to my chin, hiding the mess. Shame burned through my cheeks.

“Get out!” I shouted.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice heavy with concern and his brows drawn in confusion.

“Leave me alone,” I railed at him. “Go away!”

“What the hell is going on?” Mariana appeared behind Adrián. For once, her face wasn’t painted with makeup, and I could see fine lines around her eyes.

She took one look at my panicked expression, and her lips pursed. “Go back to bed, Adrián,” she said, more calmly. “This is women’s business, I think.”

He paled. “Oh.”

He moved out of Mariana’s way, slipping back into the shadowed hallway. I heard his bedroom door close, the sharp snap reverberating through my chest. I was frightened, and suddenly, I didn’t want him to leave me alone with Mariana.

She approached me, her dark eyes soft with understanding. “You started your period?” she asked, her tone uncharacteristically kind.

“I’m bleeding,” I whimpered, not knowing what she was talking about.

She nodded. “You’re a woman now,” she told me.

My stomach twisted, nausea rising.

Is she a woman yet? Vicente’s ominous question rang through my mind.

“I’m not,” I choked. “I’m just a girl.”

Mariana shook her head. “You’re still young, but you’re not a little girl anymore.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks, my emotions swinging.

She shushed me. “It’s okay. This is a natural part of being a woman. You’re not hurt.”

“My stomach aches,” I sniffled. “And I don’t want to be a woman.”

“You have to grow up at some point.” She sighed. “But I’ll make sure Vicente stays away. You’re not old enough yet.”

“Old enough for what?” I asked, my voice small.

Her full lips pressed together. “I’ll explain what happens between men and women to you later. For now, let’s get this mess cleaned up. Go take a shower, and I’ll call a maid to change the sheets. I’ll give you some tampons, too.”

“Tampons?” I didn’t know the word.

“They help manage the bleeding,” she said. “I guess I need to explain more to you than I thought. Didn’t your mother tell you about this?”

A sob wracked my chest. “I don’t have a mother. Abuela didn’t tell me about…about this.” I didn’t have the vocabulary to express what was happening to my body. All I knew was that I’d started bleeding after I’d touched myself. After Adrián had kissed me.

You’re a woman now.

My body was changing, and it was Adrián’s fault.That night, my stomach still cramped, but Mariana had given me some medicine to manage the discomfort. The tampon had hurt when I’d first put it in, so she’d given me pads instead. The thick lining in my underwear was uncomfortable between my legs, a cruel reminder of my newfound maturity.

I hadn’t gone to our tutoring session today. I’d barely left my bed. Despair weighed heavy in my chest. Mariana had explained sex to me this morning, and the very concept made nausea rise in my throat. Vicente wanted to do that to me. He wanted to put his penis inside me and take my virginity.

My eyes burned, but I didn’t have any more tears to cry; they’d dried up hours ago. Mariana had promised that she would delay Vicente for a few years. But my fate was sealed. I was trapped in his home, waiting for the day he’d claim me.

For the hundredth time that day, my mind flitted to the memory of Adrián holding me down in the jungle. I understood what the thick ridge against my belly had been now. Mariana had explained male arousal to me. My mind reeled with the disgusting information she’d burdened me with.

Only, it didn’t seem as disgusting when I thought of Adrián. Even though I was horrified by the concept of sex, my body still heated at the thought of his powerful arms pinning me down, the memory of his demanding lips subjugating my mouth.

My bedroom door creaked open.

“Please leave me alone,” I begged, my voice small. I kept my eyes closed. I didn’t want to hear anything else Mariana had to say. I couldn’t take anymore.

“I know you’re bleeding, but I don’t care about that.”

I let out a soft cry of alarm, and I jolted upright, clutching the sheets to my chest. Hugo entered my room, closing the door behind him.

“What are you doing here?” I squeaked.

“Mariana told Vicente and me. You’re a woman today. He wants to wait, but he’s a fool.” Hugo prowled toward me. Panic fluttered in my chest, urging me to flee.

But there was nowhere for me to go. His doughy body blocked my only exit, and if I got out of bed, he’d see me wearing nothing but my nightgown.