I know my near miss is relatively mild compared to the stories of uninterrupted assaults and rapes posted here. And I now know I haven’t lived up to my responsibilities by simply running home and chastising myself. Not after all you’ve been through, dear viewers. That guy could’ve done that same thing to a dozen other girls by now, and maybe no one showed up to give them a window of escape. My comfort in silence might be helping him assault other women, so I’m not being silent anymore.

I reported him to campus authorities this morning. Passed on the name and phone number he gave me when he was pretending to be nice and sweet. I’ll keep you posted on what CU does to protect women in this case. If you’re a CU student and want to know more about the reporting process, DM me. For those of you not on campus, but still want help, DM me. And if you’re a man who isn’t a piece of shit like “CharlesSnarkly666” then check other men. Y’all don’t listen to us, maybe you’ll listen to each other.

That’s enough for one night. Until next episode . . .

I paused. Closed the MacBook. Stunned.

Mom said, “I’ve known that story since the day after it happened.”

“Dad?” I said.

“Since last night, when your mom showed me that video.”

“Why?” My voice cracked and I took Mom’s phone so I could talk directly to my sister. “Why didn’t you say something when you were home?”

“I wasn’t ready for Dad to know. I knew it would hurt him. I knew once you knew, he would, too.”

“But it’s online? It’s got like”—I reopened the MacBook, checked—“like fifteen thousand views.”

“You’re not one of them. Or you weren’t. So I was safe.”

Something in that made me feel supremely shitty. More so than any conversation I’d had over the last two days. Which was saying something.

“It’s hard to talk to you two about anything,” Mom said. “You’re never really concerned about what we think, or do, beyond half-assed criticism. All these months I’ve been going to church, neither of you asked me why the sudden change.” To Dad, “You made it very clear that you thought it was silly.” To me, “I was dragging you, I was a nag. You never considered there was a reason I sought a renewed faith in the Lord.” She pointed at the MacBook. “It was that. My oldest child—my girl—would be leaving my home and encountering any number of things, and there was nothing I could do to protect her. It consumed me. Because I know what it’s like for a woman. Doesn’t matter age, looks, what we wear, where we go. There’s always danger, because of, well, you.”

You, meaning men. Hearing my mom say it made me bristle, even after what I saw.

Tears leaked from Dad’s eyes. Mom didn’t soften. “I know you’re upset, Del. But it shouldn’t have taken something like that happening to your daughter for you to get close to understanding what I’m saying.”