I Will Always Be By Your Side

Chapter 17: It’s Over!

Abbie’s POV:

Her flat was trashed. We had been here for a few minutes, but every inch of the place was covered in torn-up clothes, broken dishes, ripped photos. The coffee table had burn marks where someone had obviously put cigarettes out, all the food from the fridge had been taken out and tossed all over, there was tomato sauce on the walls, milk on the couch and some kind of brown sludge smeared on the stairs. Her bedroom was the worse. They’d painted the word ‘Slag’ on the walls and cut open her pillows and duvet. Chloe seemed to be in a state of shock. Jaxon looked as if he could kill the next person to walk through the door. I looked around and saw the framed photo of Chloe and her family smashed and torn up in the corner. It was the last picture of all of them together. I went over and picked it up ‘Why?’ she said so quietly ‘I don’t know Chloe, I’m so sorry.’ I looked at her and passed her the torn pieces ‘You can’t stay here Cloe.’ I said slowly, not wanting her to cry right now ‘You don’t even have a fully functioning door.’ It had been kicked in, she looked around ‘yeah, no lie there!’ she tried to smile, but I knew that this would be braking her even more, I didn't even know what to say, I couldn't quite believe that a person I had called a friend could do this.

From the corner I saw something glinting in the corner. As I walked over, I could see that it was a key. I froze. The key was a silver square key with a leather band attached with a small charm. Chloe came and stood next to me and looked down to where I was fixated, and I could see the colour drain from her face. ‘What is it?’ Jaxon asked. I reached down and picked it up. ‘He wouldn’t’ I said, as my eyes began to well up with tears. Chloe wrapped an arm around me as I turned to face him. ‘It’s Daves.’ I said shakily.

‘Are you sure Abs?’ I knew she was trying to be nice, but she knew I was right. I had bought this for him when I went away to Bali last year. ‘What the actual f**k’ I was still staring down at the key ring, unable to believe that Dave could actually be involved in this. Before I had time to fully think, I was on the phone dialling his number.

‘Babe! Thank God. Look, I’m sorry but Charlie is my best mate. I just...’ He trailed off ‘Babe is everything alight?’

‘We’re at the flat.’ silence ‘Her flat is trashed Dave.’

‘Oh s**t, how... are you... is everything...’ he was terrible at lying.

‘I’m gonna go with her to the police station.’

‘THE POLICE’ he sounded nervous now. ‘Why the police?’

‘Because what's happened is a crime, Dave.’

‘Right okay... so do you want me to come pick you up or...’ I could practically hear the sweat through the phone.

‘No. You go home. You’ve got your key, haven't you? I could hear the venom in my own voice. Silence. ‘You have your key, right?’ I repeated.

‘Um... I think I left it at the house this morning.’

‘Oh really...’ I could hear Charlie in the background panicking. ‘So, the key I just found... That’s not yours.’ I could visualise the colour draining from his face.

‘What?’ he asked shakily.

‘The Key. The key with the keyring I bought for you that key. The key to our house. The house we live in together. That key? The key to the house that our friend Chloe helped us decorate. That f**kning KEY’ silence once again, that wasn’t helping the anger I could feel building up inside me ‘The key I just F**KING found in Chloe’s bedroom! THAT F**KING KEY DAVE.’ There was no stopping the tears now, this man, no, this boy, I had spent the last 2 years of my life with had turned out to be a spineless, pathetic bully.

‘Babe... I... I’m sorry... It’s just Charlie was so hurt, and you know I’m his...’

‘F**k off’ I laughed ‘Is that your excuse? This is... Oh my god I can’t believe you’ve done this! I don’t want to even look at you!’

‘Babe, please come on, you don’t mean that!’

‘NO DAVE! We are DONE!’

'Seriously! Fine! You know what FINE! I’ve said I’m sorry Abbie. I can’t do anything more! And if you want to throw away our love for this, then fine, but don’t...’ I hung up, I didn’t want to hear the rest of what he had to say.

‘I’m sorry Clo’ I could feel the tears falling down my face ‘I’m so sorry I never thought...’

‘Shhhh, this isn’t your fault Abs!’ She hugged me tightly ‘Come on we’ll go get a hotel room or something for the night.’ I smiled at me, wiping away the tears from my cheeks.

‘No need’ Jaxon interrupted ‘I’ve already spoken to Eric and his parents; they are insisting you both come and stay the night with us.’ I didn’t understand why this stranger was being so kind to us, but I was grateful, I couldn''t face going home to Dave right now.

I could see how he looked at Chloe when she wasn’t looking. It was like something out of a romance novel, the kind of look people prayed for, one of pure love and admiration. Chloe was looking at me as if asking you want to go? ‘Thanks.’ I sniffed ‘I’ve always wanted to see what that house is like on a normal day.’ I laughed, trying to break the heavy tension in the room.

‘Okay Ladies, let's get going.’ Chloe went to say something, but as if he could read her mind, Jaxon jumped in ‘I've called a friend of mine at the local police station don’t worry, they will be dealt with.’ She looked shocked at the fact he knew what she was going to say. God, I hope he was the right one for her! She deserved a brake.