"I have to get out of here, Al." Shane said with enough resolve to convince Al that there would be no wedding tonight. Muted by what she had seen, Alice helped Shane up only to find even more bruises as the sheets fell from her body. She turned her gaze away from the blood that stained the sheets that served to further cement the fact that Shane had been abused by Steve and his mexican gang. Slowly, she guided Shane to the shower.

    The water trickled out at first and then came out in torrents, cleansing Shane and her wounds. But the unseen wounds that had cut deeper would not be erased with water. Shane put her hands against the wall to steady herself. Tears flowing freely again as she bowed her head down. Water and bitter truth mingling together. The abuse alone would not have deterred her from being with Carmen. She had been abused before. Life had fucked her over in worse ways than this one. Shane was strong and would not be broken by abuse like that alone. Carmen would not be persuaded to not marry her over this alone. But though she was strong and though their love was strong, the menacing voice of Steve Jaffe rang in her head over and over again reminded her that she wasn’t strong enough to protect the one person she’d give life and limb for.

    "We’ll be watching you, Shane. And we’ll be watching her." His face popped up in her head with that sneer that promised a fate like hers or even worse for Carmen.

    Alice watched as Shane clenched her fingers into a fist and punched the wall. Blood flowed from her knuckles down the wall, joined the blood that came from her body and went down the drain. Something was tearing her friend apart and there was nothing she could do about it.

    "You can’t go, Shane. Not like this." Alice had finally blurted out. "Carmen… She’d understand, Shane." Alice said softly.

    "Al…" Shane turned to face her. Brows furrowing at the thought that Carmen would look at her with pity. Tears flowed anew as she thought that it wasn’t her pride that was at stake here, it was Carmen.