Broken

||Chapter Two||

I woke up the next morning, or should I say afternoon, with a slight headache and the sudden inclination to go to the newly opened bar. I'm not sure why but I think I just needed to get out. When I go to bars I usually don't pay for drinks. There's usually a few guys who eye me from the other side of the club, they start smiling at me, I smile back, they signal someone I'm assuming is a waitress, then she leaves, gets a martini or some other drink and points to the guy who she was coming from saying it was compliments of him. The poor saps who think buying a girl a drink buys them a good time.

I took a quick shower to wash the smell of vodka and lazed around for a few hours until it got around 6 in the evening. I got out of bed and decided to head out, the new bar wasn't too far away like the others, which I think will bring in more people this way.

I soon got to the entrance and I noticed a sign- karaoke night. Really? The opening of a bar is a karaoke night. I scoffed as I started turning around, opting to leave, maybe try one of the other bars. When I heard...

"Now singing on stage, Destine! Ladies and gentlemen give her a hand."

What the?

I rushed inside to see Destine on stage with a microphone, clutching it with both hands nervously. She looks so cute.

Shut up.

A slow beat started to play that I didn't recognize. I listened intently as she began singing.

"It's dangerous to fall in love

But I want to burn with you tonight

Hurt me

There's two of us

We're bristling with desire

The pleasure's pain and fire

Burn me

So come on

I'll take you on, take you on

I ache for love, ache for us

Why don't you come

Don't you come a little closer

So come on now

Strike the match, strike the match now

We're a perfect match, perfect somehow

We were meant for one another

Come a little closer..."

As I watched and listened to her singing that song I got the uncanny feeling that she was singing to me. And I wanted it to be me.

Wait! What am I saying? I just met this girl. Remember what happened last time Amelia. Stay away from this kind of stuff.

By the time I got out of my own head Destine finished that beautiful song and climbed down the stage. She went over to a table with a well-dressed man and immediately started laughing. Probably her boyfriend. They soon went out the back door and I just decided to leave too. My mood for the night crashed.

While starting down the road I heard yelling. "Let me go! I said no! Ahh!"

Destine.

I felt my heart rate quicken and my stomach drop. I rushed to where the screaming was coming from, fueled by my rising anger and adrenaline.

I bolted to the back where I saw Destine being hauled away by the same well-dressed man. He was pulling her to a red Subaru. His intentions? I didn't want to know, I bolted over to where they were and said. "The lady said let go." I squeezed my hands into a tight fist, my short nails digging into my palms, I was fairly sure they were small cuts there by now.

They both looked my way, both shocked. "W-who are you?" The man slurred, obviously drunk.

"Amelia! This is not your battle!" Her eyes pleaded with me to leave. But I also saw... hope, hope that I would ignore her words and help her anyway. I stepped forward stubbornly.

"Let her go and I'll tell you who I am," I said in reply to the man.

"Get outta here you b***h!" He slurred once more.

"Let. Her. Go." I felt my anger bubbling to the surface, my heart rate keeping the pace of a jackhammer and my breath short and shallow. "Or else."

"Or else what?" He asked, amused. He thinks I'm joking.

I clenched my fists even tighter if that was humanly possible. I felt a dull stinging in my palms but chose to ignore it. "You don't want to know..." I seethed, feeling my anger surge and my body starting to tingle, taking away any fear or reluctance.

He flung Destine aside and I felt something in me snap. I lunged at and straddled him and started punching him in the face repeatedly. Everything got blurry soon as I blacked out.

Darcie and I became really fast friends even though she never spoke. She was the only person that wanted me around and the silence between us was always comfortable.

One day though, a man and a woman came and took her. I was back to being alone. She hugged me goodbye and whispered something I couldn't make out. I was so shocked that she had spoken that I stood there in the middle of the threshold, dumbfounded.

After a while everything became clear and I realized I was being dragged off the man whose face was now swollen, bruised and bloodied. I looked at my hands but as soon as glimpsed at my aching hands they were deftly brought behind my back.

I was thrown in the back of a car, and they soon drove off with me. I heard Destine's voice as they carried me away...

"She saved me!"

I soon arrived at the station and they threw me in a cell. "You'll be spending the night here if someone doesn't make bail. You need a phone call?" The tall officer asked. I chuckled slightly at him. I had no friends nor family. "No no, I'm fine." He looked a bit taken aback at my decline but eventually shrugged it off as nothing. They didn't even care to ask what had happened between me and the man, they just left me here.

This is all because of Destine, if I had just heeded her warning, I wouldn't be in this predicament. At the same time though, I shuddered to think where that man was taking her, or what he was planning to do with her. I didn't want that on my shoulders, not when I know I could've done something.

A couple hours passed and I soon dozed off on the hard bed.

Every day after Darcie left I lay in my bed doing one of two things; crying my eyes out or wondering what she told me on the day she left.

The other kids there, one especially, Peter, would always pick on me and called me a baby. It made me so angry, but I never did anything... until one day when I punched him in the face. Miss Vermont was very disappointed, but none of the other kids ever bothered me ever again.

A year later a man with blonde hair and a woman with similar hair color came up to me and started talking to me, asking me questions. I soon realized that they wanted me to be apart of their family. I wasn't very excited to go with them but a month later I was in their home, apart of their family.

I was startled awake by the cell door being opened. I groggily sat up and looked at the wall clock in the station.

12:13 am.

The officer who opened the cell spoke, "It's your lucky day, someone made bail."

I was shocked at the aspect that someone paid my fifteen hundred dollar bail-at least that was the charge the last time I found myself here.

I had to do a double take when I saw Destine walk into view. "Hello Amelia, you look tired."

A feeling of relief and sudden anger washed over me. "What are you doing here?" I said harshly. I wasn't sure why.

"Someone is cranky, no? Otherwise, I do not see why you aren't happy to see me." She said coyly.

I scoffed. "I'm not happy to see anyone."

"Well, that can't be true."

"Believe it French toast," I said getting up and walking out of the cell. "It took you three hours to decide to get me out of here?" I said standing before her, I was a good two or three inches taller.

She stepped closer, "No. It took me three hours to answer questions from the police and find what station you were. I'm new here remember?"

I was about to say something when an officer spoke. "Alright, paper work's finished, your girlfriend's free to go." He said nonchalantly. I was shocked at his assumption but maintained my stance, in front of me though, Destine's face burned bright red and she turned around. "She is not my girlfriend." she spoke, then seemingly calmed down, "She's not my type, she's merely a friend."

"Hey!" I said offended. But then I wondered what she meant by 'not my type' did she mean because I was a girl? Or I wasn't her type of girl? I mentally kicked myself for even thinking about these possibilities.

"Well, thanks for bailing me out. I'll see you later French toast." I said brushing past her.

"How are you getting home?" She suddenly inquired as I neared the exit.

I looked over my shoulder at her and stated a-matter-of-factly, "By walking."

"It's almost one!" She stated.

"And?" I was beginning to get annoyed.

"AND...I will not have you walk home, I'll drop you home." She ordered rather than asked.

"You had a car?"

"It's a rental." She stated taking her key out of jacket pocket.

It suddenly came to mind of the house that I lived in. I didn't want her to see the condition of my place. I had to go.

I turned fully and walked away without saying another word.

"Amelia!" She fumed.

I ignored her and continued, starting my two-mile walk to my house.

I was a good distance up the road when a car pulled up next to me and started driving slowly. The window slowly winded down.

"Amelia get in the car," Destine ordered.

I'm not one to take orders. "Oh, I'm sure you can ask a little nicer," I said still trudging along.

She sighed audibly. "Amelia, please get in the car."

"Well at least you asked nicely, but I'm still gonna have to say no."

"Amelia this is a sketchy neighborhood. I won't sleep well tonight knowing I left you here." I heard her frustrated, desperate voice pleading with me. I decided to give in but have one last say before I gave in, just to mess with her.

"I live in a sketchy part of the neighborhood you know," I stated mock hurt.

"I'm sorry, I never meant anything by it, just please-"

I softened completely making sure she knew I was serious when I said, "OK." smiling a smile I hope would be read as sincere.

She sighed, relieved that I finally gave in. She stopped the car and I climbed in the back seat.

"You could've sat in the front seat you know, I don't bite."

I decided to tease. "That's too bad, I like it rough." I laid crossway in the backseat in such a way that I could clearly see her face. Right now her cheeks burnt tomato red.

"Would you stop it." She giggled.

"Fine... for now," I said mocking a sinister tone.

She giggled and I took notice of that amazingly crooked smile she has. it was adorable. The little moonlight we got from the sky with a mixture of street lights gave a fascinating glow and seemed to highlight her features perfectly. The outline of her hair glowed gold, making her seem almost angelic. The mixture of lights also seemed to hit all the soft angles of her face. Her cheeks being held by the light. I wish I could see her eyes in this moment. She would look breathtaking.

"Why so quiet around there, aren't you gonna tell me your address?" Destine said breaking me out of my thoughts.

I panicked inwardly. I didn't have an address really. I then remembered that she doesn't know around here so she doesn't even need to know.

I sat up to see where we were. "Just take this next right. I'll let you know where to stop." This is it, she'll see where I live.

She drove down the road for about five minutes when I saw the abandoned lot come into view. "OK, pull over here."

I saw her eyebrows scrunch up in confusion. "This is where you live?"

"Yes..." I sighed. "Look I don't need your sympathy alright, I've been doing fine here for years."

"Amelia this house does not look safe." She said, her voice oozing concern.

"Well, it's too bad French toast, not like I can crash with you," I stated sarcastically, making my pride fueled movements out of the car.

"But you can!" She said hastily, as if, if she didn't say it now she would never say it.

I was taken aback by this. "Say what now?"

"Would you like to stay with me for a bit?" She asked herself rather than me.

I laughed at the insinuation or even the thought of staying with this girl. Are all French people this accommodating? This trustworthy? "You're not serious right? I don't even know your last name, we've barely known each other for a day."

"Amelia just pack your things and come on. You could be a masked marauder, but I trust that you won't kill me." She laughed.

"Did Frenchie just make a funny?" I laughed in spite of the situation.

"Yes, I'm catching on to your jokes." She smiled.

I suddenly got serious and walked up to the car window and bent down. "Are you sure about this? You don't have to do this. I don't need your charity."

"This isn't a charity Amelia. I'm concerned about your safety in this building. I'm not judging you and I'm not taking pity on you."

I was left speechless for a while, I never thought she'd actually know what I was thinking. "I don't wanna inconvenience you."

She tilted her head to the side. "No inconvenience. I live alone, I could really use the company."

"Look... I'm really not comfortable with this."

"Amelia get your damn things, I'm not arguing about this. It's just for a few days, and I'll start helping you to find somewhere... safer to stay."

I felt my resolve break and I sighed dropping my shoulders. "OK." I realized I've been saying that a lot lately.

Her smile couldn't get any bigger. "Good."

"Be right back." I straightened and turned on my heels, walking back to my house to get some clothes.

I returned shortly after with a duffle bag of clothes and my toothbrush. I was still in shock that Destine is actually having me stay at her house. She's too trustworthy, I don't understand why.

I decided to sit in the passenger side of the car this time. I had the sudden urge to figure her out, to be closer to her. To find out more about her. What if she's the psycho? Or at least that's the reason I wanted to think.

"Got all you need?" she asked.

I nodded in response and she drove off.

We were a ways down the road and she took a left and drove up another road. The whole journey I was unusually nervous. I kept wondering what it was going to be like staying with her. I also wondered where she lived and it kind of intimidated me. Her address was an uptown part of town and more than likely she has a nice place. I realized I was thinking about her too much and decided to turn up the volume of the radio and changed it to a station that had music.

We soon arrived at her house-flat and we got out of the car grabbing my stuff. She arrived at her door and she was fumbling with her key and it fell to the ground as she tried to find the right key. I bent down in an attempt to retrieve the key for her. I didn't realize that she had also stooped for the key. I paused in that moment and looked directly across me as our hands touched, she quickly pulled hers away though.

She straightened and opened the door and I allowed her to step in first. I shoved my hand into my pocket and whistled.

"Nice place you got here," I said still looking around.

"Thank you. I inherited it from my parents before they died." She had a sad smile on her face as she picked up a picture frame of her and her family staring at it. "They died in a car accident a year ago and they left all their houses and everything they owned with me."

I began to feel awkward. I never usually feel empathy for anyone, but in this moment I felt nothing but empathy for her and I wasn't sure how to act on it. "I'm sorry." I simply said, struggling to find anything to change the topic. "So, if you had other houses, why choose to live here?"

She sat in a nearby chair and had a thoughtful look on her face. "I'm not sure...but I felt as though I needed to be here in Massachusetts. I feel like something or someone needs me here. So, here I am."

Without permission- I didn't care for social niceties- I sat down across from her and took in what she said intently. "So you haven't found what you've been looking for yet then?"

"Oh, well...I don't know, I'm not sure." She said tilting her head to the side. I realized that she does that when she's thinking or confused now.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "How can you not know?"

"You have gorgeous eyes, did you know that." She said referring to my blue-grayish eyes. I felt my cheeks heat up at the compliment but then I calmed myself.

"That's not what I asked french toast."

"I diverted from the question because there is no clear way to answer that question."

I shrugged, choosing to forget about what she said for now. "So, where am I sleeping?" I said looking around taking in the size of her flat.

"I only have one bedroom, so you have two choices."

"And the choices are..." I urged her to go on impatiently.

"You sleep on the couch or you sleep with me."

******************************

Clearly, I chose the couch, how awkward would it have been if I slept in the same bed with her. And plus I'm used to sleeping alone.

She gave me two blankets and I used a couch cushion as a pillow. The leather squeaked as I settled myself in. It was a bit uncomfortable but it could do.

After staring at her ceiling for what seemed like forever I finally dozed off.

I was startled awake when I hit the floor with a loud thud.

"Argg! Damn it." I mumbled a few more profanities as I got up, opting for the couch. I must've rolled off.

Before I knew it Destine ran downstairs and stood behind the couch. "Are you alright?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah yeah I'm alright." I looked up taking in her form, she had on a purple robe she no doubt threw on over her pajamas to come down here to me. The thud probably startled her out of her sleep. "It's nothing, I just rolled off, go back to bed."

"Oh no no no, you are not sleeping on this thing again. It must be terribly uncomfortable." She shook her head feverishly.

"It's fine French toast."

She came around grabbing my hand pulling me up and dragging me upstairs. "You're sleeping with me. Or if that makes you feel uncomfortable I'll get some blankets and sleep on the floor."

"I could sleep on the floor you know." I retorted.

"Nonsense, you're a guest, I will not allow you to sleep on the floor." We got to her room and it was huge. Queen sized bed, a desk, and chair over one side of the room and many different drawings plastered on the walls all around. Her room was a light purple, or so it looked in the dim light. "My bed is big enough for the both of us to sleep comfortably. Plus it's dreadfully lonely in this big bed."

She stepped over to the left side of the bed and started removing her robe. I nearly fell to the floor when I saw what was under it.

She was naked.