Shane jumps up at the sound of my voice and beats me back down to Dana. Alice is still sleeping I dont bother her as I turn and go back downstairs.

“Their all gonna know, Shane their all gonna know, when Conrad gets arrested, it’ll be in all the papers, I can’t let them find out about it.”

Shane wraps her arms around her, whispering words in her ear that I can’t hear.

What’s Dana talking about? What is Conrad going to get arrested for?

A million questions hit me and I want to ask but Dana is in no shape to answer them.

She’s still rocking back and forth even with Shane wrapped around her.

I walk over “What’s going on?”

Shane looks at me and I know that this is bad, what did he do? What did he do to her? It has to be something really bad if he’s going to get arrested.

A word pops into my head but no that couldn’t be it, could it? Did he, no he couldn’t have.

“Shane….what did Conrad do?”

“I can’t tell you Tina.”

“Can’t tell me what? Did…did he hurt her?”

No answer comes, oh god please don’t let what I’m thinking be true. Please tell me that he didn’t…do that to Dana.

“Shane did he…..”

Dana pulls away, looks at me, and in that moment I know, he did something horrible to her.

“Did he hurt you?”

A strange laughter comes from her and she stands “Did he hurt me…no Tina..he didn’t hurt me…he killed me.”

“Wh…what?”

“He….he….”

She falls to the floor and I run to her, Shane has her held tight.

“Dana…whatever it is…you can tell me.”

“I can’t…you’ll look at me…..what will you see? If I tell you that he….he….raped me…..how will you look at me?”

Did she just…I lock eyes with Shane, tears are running down her face.

I can’t form thoughts, Dana was…this sweet wonderful woman was….raped…how could someone do that to her?

I join Shane on the floor , we hug her close.

I want to tell her how sorry I am, how I wish I could take this away but I just hug her tight.

A few minutes later we’re sitting on the couch, Shane’s still holding her.

I want to ask her when it happened, but I don’t I just sit and watch the two of them, how long has Shane been her shoulder to lean on? When did this happen to her? Why didn’t she tell us?

“Honey” Shane breaks the silence “I think we should tell them now…”

Dana cuts her off, before anymore words can be said she shakes her head “No..I can’t….”

“Is it ok if I tell them?”

Did I just ask her that, those words didn’t really come out of my mouth did they? They must have because she’s looking at me with a face that can’t be read.

“I…Tina..I don’t know…what to do.”

“I think you need the people you love right now, Do you want me to call them.”

“Bette..call her…”

“Is there any one else…Marina…Lara?”

That was a mistake, bringing up Lara, Dana’s shaking her head.

“No..please don’t call her, she won’t love me..when she knows.”

She can’t really believe that, I’m about to tell her so but a shake of Shane’s head warns me to leave it alone.

“So only Bette…”

“Ever…everyone but Lara..”

“Ok…”

I leave the two of them alone and walk into the kitchen, I dont know what to tell the people Im about to call, I pray I can find the right words.