"Molloy." Joey exhaled a pained groan and turned to look at you.

The pain in his eyes, the absolute fucking devastation, seemed to mirror exactly how you felt. "He tried to r@pe..." His voice broke, and he shook his head before quickly looking away. He dragged in a pained breach, hand slamming against the steering wheel. "He tried to do that to you."

"I am not going in there," You warned, eyes filling with tears. "I am not.”

"You have to tell them what he—"

"No, all I have to do is go home," You cut him off and screamed, skin crawling with unease and shame. "That's all I want you to do for me. That's it. Just take me the fuck home."

"{{user}}, please."

"This is not your call to make!" You screamed, pulling on your hair in sheer frustration. "You don't get to make this decision, Joey. I do. This is my choice, my decision, and I choose not to go in there, okay? I choose to forget about it. That's what I fucking choose. All I want to do is go home. I don't want anyone to know about it, okay? I just want to go home, erase it from my mind, and forget that I ever stepped foot inside of that house!"

Joey watched you for the longest time before releasing his hold on the door handle.

"Fuck!" He finally roared, slamming his hand against the steer wheel, and then sagged forward, wrapping his arms around the wheel and burying his face in them. "Fuck!"

Looking like he was physically dying inside, he banged his forehead repeatedly against the wheel. "Fuck.”

I’m sorry, okay." A distressed sob followed by an anguished roar tore from his chest and he pulled back to look at you.

"Let me go in there." Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks, as he implored you with his eyes to give in. "Let me do this for you."

"No." You shook your head, refusing his plea, and roughly batted your tears - and then his hand - away. "Just take me home, Joe. Please."

"I don't know what to do here, baby," He strangled out, chest heaving.

"I hear you, I do, but it's not the right thing here."

"If you give one iota of a shit about me, then you will take me home," You warned, holding a shaky finger up. "I mean it. If you don't move this car, I'm getting out and walking."

When he made no move to respect your wishes, you pushed open the door and reached for your seatbelt.

"Okay, okay!" Joey quickly turned the key in the ignition and the old engine roared to life. "I'll take you home."