I Will Always Be By Your Side

Chapter 15: Facing everyone.

Chloe’s POV:

I felt sick. The idea of having to see everyone knowing that some of them had registered a formal complaint with work, which had resulted in me getting fired, made my stomach flip and my head pound. It didn’t help that last night I couldn’t sleep at all. I had tossed and turned all night trying to get comfortable, but for some reason I was not able to sleep at all. I clutched at Jaxon's hand as we turned into my workplace parking lot. I was thankful he had come with me, even though I didn't know what was going on with my emotions or my own thoughts. I knew he made me feel calm, and that was definitely something I needed right now! I was fearful about what I was going to face. For some reason, just him being here made me feel as if everything was going to be okay. As we pulled into the car park, I looked up and the giant grey building that I had referred to as my safe space for so long. I honestly never thought I would be leaving this place on bad terms.

‘You ready’ Jaxon said, looking down at me. I nodded, took a deep breath and got out of the car. I could see Hayley waiting at the main entrance. As she saw me walking up with Jaxon, she raised an eyebrow. ‘Hey Chuck, you okay?’, she asked whilst eyeing my neck and face. I’d tried to cover it up as much as I could but you could still see the hint of bruising and my lip was obviously split. I smiled and nodded. I wasn’t going to get upset or hysterical again. I’d already cried more than I liked the past few days and was sick of it, if I was honest.

‘I’m guessing you’re here to escort me whilst I get my stuff?’. It was policy, but I could see at my question Hayley looked uncomfortable, it had to be awkward for her, she had been the closest thing to family I had for so long, she'd been round my house, I’d spent Christmas with her and her partner, celebrated milestones with her, but I knew this wasn’t her fault. ‘It is policy Chuck. I do not agree with this at all, but I cannot do anything Clo, my hands are tied.’ she paused and eyed my neck again ‘You got anything you need to tell me before we go up?’ Jaxon went to speak but before he could get a word out, I smiled ‘No Hayl’s, don’t worry, I brought some muscle just in case’ she smiled and looked at Jaxon.

‘I don’t know you, but I swear if anything happens to her I’ll be coming for your neck.’ Jaxon smirked ‘I’m Jaxon Hail, I promise you’ve got nothing to worry about, nice to meet you by the way.’ I realized at that point I hadn't even asked Jaxon his last nem. I had spent the night with this man and I hadn't even known his last name. What was going on with me? I was normally so much more cautious when it came to guys.

Hailey nodded and opened the door. ‘Let's get this over with Chuck.’

Jaxon’s POV:

I couldn’t help but be slightly amused and proud of how my mate was dealing with the situation. She was smiling and laughing with the others at her work whilst cleaning out her locker, with everything she’d gone through the past few days, let alone the last 24 hours. She was so strong, I couldn’t help but smile whilst holding her things. I would do anything to be able to see that smile for the rest of my life.

Her friend that had been at the party the night I had first seen my mate was standing next to me glaring at her neck. She had not said a thing since we had arrived, but I could see the pure vexation pouring out of her.

‘He did it, didn’t he?’ she whispered to me. I was taken aback by the sudden question, and she hadn’t moved her glare from my mate's neck, she had tried to hide the clear handprint bruised on her neck with her top but you could still see the top of the mark, it still hurt me to look at it. ‘I’m sorry what.’ it was not my place to say anything, but I also had no idea of this girls' intensions, she had been stood with that pathetic excuse of a man when I’d met her.

She turned to look at me ‘I can see her neck and, for some reason after meeting you, 48 hours ago you’ve come to help her move her things out. She’s not someone to ask for help for things like this unless it was something serious, something's not adding up to me, so please tell me what he did!’ She cares for mate. I like her. I could feel AJ smiling in my mind at the fact that our mate was so well cared for. ‘I think that is a question you need to ask her.’ I said she looked happy and annoyed at my answer but she nodded ‘her brother would of like you.’. she said whilst looking back at my mate, I was shocked at the comment. Chloe hadn’t mentioned a brother the other night when we had talked about anything and everything. Come to think of it, she hadn’t mentioned anything about her family? ‘Would of?’ I asked. ‘Yeah, he was always protective of Clo, he always wanted her to find someone who was the same as him in that sense. She thought for a while that Charlie could have been that but...’ she trailed off looking back up at me ‘She has not spoken about them to you, has she? Has Eric even told you?’ I shook my head. What has Eric not told us about Mate? I don’t know AJ, but I am sure as hell going to find out!

Just as I finished the sentence, 2 women and a man walked into the office. The two girls were slim, one blonde and the other brunette. They both looked almost gleeful as they walked in. The man, on the other hand, looked nervous, he was about the same height as Chloe. His grey hair and beard gave away the fact that he was obviously older than most in the room, he looked over at Chloe and went to say something but he shook his head and nervously fiddled with his cuff. ‘Rob, it’s okay. Don’t worry. Business is business, I get it.’ my mate said sweetly as she closed her locker.

‘I’m sorry Chloe, I really am, you’ll be missed!’ he said, trying to offer an encouraging smile.

‘She’ll be on to bigger and better things, our Clo’, the woman who greeted us at the door said.

‘Yeah, we always knew she was destined for better things than this place’ a middle-aged man said, smiling at Chloe.

As the others in the room joined in with words of encouragement, I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. I turned to see the blonde-haired woman who had just walked in standing behind me, looking at me with a pure look of lust ‘And who are you?’ she slurred in an attempt to seem sexy. I think? What on earth is this AJ laughed in my head and I could not help but smile, which made the leech in front of me seem to think that I was interested as she reached out and stroked my arm. She was nothing compared to Chloe, her peroxide blonde hair was obviously damaged from the number of products she had used, her face was plastered with a thick layer of foundation and the air around her was thick with a sickly-sweet smell. I could see the desperation in her mud-brown eyes, which just added to her unattractiveness. I could see why some men would be drawn to her, but next to my mate she looked like a butchered barbie doll. ‘I am here to help Chloe with her things’ I stated whilst moving my arm out of her grasp, her ridiculously long fingernails tried to cling to my shirt as she looked bewildered at my rejection.

‘You're a friend of hers!’ The brunet woman spat out in disgust whilst also looking at me. She stared at me with lust mixed with anger. I smirked and looked at my mate, who was glaring at them with pure jealousy. Oh, our little mate looks like she could kill them. I chuckled to myself; did she not see how these women could not even begin to compare to her, ‘You could say that’. I smirked, not taking my eyes off my little mate, who blushed at my words and looked back down at the floor. I could sense the smirks and knowing looks floating round the room from her ex-co-workers. Other than these two random she-devils, everyone was happy for Chloe, especially the woman who had greeted us at the door and her friend stood next to me.

‘Oh god Chloe’ The blond leach said with a nauseating grin ‘what would Charlie think?' My fists clenched at the sound of his name, and I glared at the woman who was sniggering at my mate. HOW DARE SHE TREAT MATE LIKE THAT! AJ roared in my head. But my mate just beamed back at the woman ‘Oh Fran, don’t worry, Charlie is a free agent now, what he thinks about my life doesn't mean jack s**t to me anymore.’ The way this woman held herself so confidently and calmly had me falling even harder for her Mate will be a great Luner! Aj laughed and I had to agree with him.