I Will Always Be By Your Side

Chapter 6: The Aftermath

Chloe’s POV:

I looked into the mirror, slightly tipsy after all the rose, I had my black sports bra and shorts on to go to bed in and an old hoodie for warmth, my hair was in a tight messy bun on top of my head and my face slightly wet and bare of any trace of makeup. It had been an interesting night, but I could not stop thinking about Eric’s friend Jaxon. I didn’t understand why, but part of me almost longed to be near him.

Suddenly I heard a loud banging coming from my front door. Shocked I started to hurriedly move to the top of my stairs to check what was going on. I heard a furious voice start to yell ‘CHLOE! You better be in there!’ I stood still for a moment; I was scared stiff. ‘CHLOE!’ I heard him scream, I ran down the stairs to my door and clumsily fiddled with the locks to open it. When I finally unlocked the door, he pushed it with such force throwing it open and knocking me back in the process, he pushed past me letting the door slam shut. ‘Is he here?’ he accused as he stormed up my stairs searching for something

‘Who, what are you on about Charlie? Why are you even here?’ I said anxiously and confused. I had never seen him this angry, his eyes dark and narrow.

He came thundering down the stairs and ended inches in front of my face ‘Do not lie! I saw the way he looked at you Chloe! What did you say to him!’ he shrieked in my face, he moved closer making me back up into the wall behind me, I winced. ‘You slut! Did you f**k him!’ He whispered in my ear his hand planted on the wall right by my head. ‘No’ I whimpered, my eyes brimmed with tears and my hands shaking not knowing what was about to happen. He grabbed me by the throat ‘DON’T LIE!’ he yelled ‘You slag! You absolute b***h. Do you know how lucky you are to have me?’ his grip tightened on my throat. I pushed his shoulders back trying to get him to let go but it just made him squeeze harder. ‘You have no idea how many girls throw themselves at me every day and I choose to be with you Chloe.’ He let go and turned his back to me. I gasped at the sudden release and bit back the tears I could feel welling up.

‘If there is so many of them go be with one of them. For f***s sake Charlie we are over! Finished! Done.’ I could hear the uneasiness in my voice, but I was not going to let him get away with making me feel like s**t over something that had not even happened. He turned slowly back around his eyes emotionless ‘What? You would like that wouldn’t you, I’d go, and you could bring your new little thing over. Is that what you want?’ he hissed at me ‘IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?’ and with that he slapped me. Hard with the back of his hand, I hadn't expected him to be so strong but there was weight and strength enough to stun me and nock me to my knees. As I tried to catch my breath, his boot connects with my ribs as he kicked me, as if I was a rugby ball. I felt the wind being knocked out of me has he proceeded to kick me. 'Your mine! Understand MINE!' He grabbed me by my hair and lifted me to my feet ‘You are nothing without me understand’ he hissed into my ear and threw me down, like I was a ragdoll, hitting my head on the step as I hit the floor. I could taste the blood from my lip on my tongue and the stinging on my face from his first hit, my rids throbbed each time I took a breath, he walked into my kitchen, and I knew then if I didn’t run now, I would never leave.

Get up! I heard a voice in my head say Run now! I felt dizzy and wasn’t sure what was going on. RUN! The voice yelled and with that I flung open my door and sprinted out on to my road, it was raining, and the wind was icy I was unsteady and scared, but I kept running. As I turned onto the main road, running with no shoes on my feet to God knows where, I saw a car pass me, it turned around and sted up to pull up ahead of me, a figure climbed out.

‘Chloe?’ Of all the people I would have never thought I would see him tonight.

Eric’s POV:

After a long and painful meeting that seemed never ending, it had been decided that I should talk to Chloe to see what her view of Jaxon had been. I had felt awkward going to hers after not being able to for so long. But I would have never guessed to of found her running up the road bare foot, bruised and bleeding. She had run to me I could see the tears streaming down her face. As She finally reached me, I tried to hide the look of horror on my face. ‘What happened, are you okay?’ I spluttered. As I did, I heard Charlie yell, I turned to see him storming round the corner. ‘Eric, I need a favour’ she pleaded. Without hesitation I nodded ‘I need a lift’ before she could even tell me where she wanted to go, I bundled her into the backseat of the car, I slid into the seat beside her and nodded to the driver, he sped away leaving Charlie trying to sprit after us.

I stared at her as she sat next to me in the car. Not believing what I had just seen. She looked at me as if upset with herself and quietly and shakily said ‘Just drop me off at Abbie’s’

I looked at her stunned. ‘No.’ I said without really thinking my reply through. She glared at me worryingly. ‘That’s the first place he’d go’ I said still shocked that I was having to worry about her safety from Charlie. ‘Why don’t you come to mine, he would never go near there.’

‘Thanks’ she said the unshed tears brimming in her eyes. She looked at the floor and then back at me and added ‘He’s never hit me before… just so you know.’

It almost angered me the way she said it I snapped ‘Don’t defend him, Chloe!’ she winced, I softened my tone ‘It does not matter whether this is the first time he is hit you or the hundredth time. Neither is okay.’ She smiled at me and whipped the tears away from her eyes.

‘I’ve missed you’ she said with a smirk. ‘I’ve missed you too.’ I paused for a moment trying to decide whether or not to mention why I had actually been coming to see her, I looked over to her, she was sat with the sleeves of her hoodie pulled over her hands I could already see the marks where he had hit her on her face, and I glanced down and saw the red marks on her ribs. She had been through enough tonight there was no need to confuse her further. I cleared my throat, and she looked back at me ‘When we get there will you wait in the car, just for a short while, so that I can explain to my parents what has happened.’ She nodded and went to look back out the window, she glanced back at me and shakily asked ‘Eric please don’t tell them about Charlie I do not want people to know. Just keep it between us for now please.’ I nodded back and looked down at the floor desperately trying to think of what I was going to say to my family and worse what I was going to say to Jaxom when he saw her.