CRAVING THE FORBIDDEN

Chapter 007

Chapter 007

After driving for what felt like forever, the taxi finally came to a stop, pulling Chloe's mind back to the real world. The cruelty that she has been trying so hard to escape because the harsh truth was soul-crushing.

She raised her head slowly and looked out of the window. Darkness had enveloped the earth, and it was raining heavily, a perfect reflection of the turmoil that has been looming inside her..

Chloe didn't have any idea how many hours had passed, but she was pretty sure it had been a couple because now she was in another town—a faraway town from her hometown, the town she grew up in, which had now become her nightmare.

“Young miss, are you sure this is the right address?” The driver asked with concern. He was a little bit older, perhaps in his forties. Even though he didn't have any clue who Chloe was, he was concerned about her because she had been crying in the backseat throughout the journey. He tried to inquire what was wrong but she said nothing. Not even a single word.

Chloe stared at the tall apartment before her, then turned her teary eyes to the taxi driver who had worry plastered all over his features. She nodded to his question, words clogged in her throat.

She dipped her hand inside her pants pocket and pulled out her credit card, giving it to the taxi driver so he could deduct the travel fees. The driver took the card, swiped it, and when he was done, he gave it back to Chloe.

Without waiting for the driver to open the door for her, Chloe pushed the door open and alighted the vehicle.

She didn't care about the heavy rain and the cold that was chilling her to the bone. Not to mention she was only wearing a thin short-sleeved blouse which didn't do any good in shielding her from the menacing cold. She sucked in the cold air as the rain pounded on her hair and cascaded down her body.

“Are you sure you're going to be okay, miss?” The driver asked, but Chloe didn't say a word. She turned around and walked to the tall apartment before her. The streets were deserted. Silent. Not a single soul around.

A normal person would be scared walking around this late at night when it was raining heavily. Yet, the young lady seemed too broken to care. The rain washed away the tears that poured down her cheeks.

Standing at the massive gates soaking wet, Chloe entered the password, and the gate clicked open. She walked through the gate and headed straight to the elevator.

Chloe stared at her reflection in the elevator’s glass walls, and she couldn't recognize the person looking back at her. Her hair was dripping wet and a tangled mess. Her eyes were puffy from too much crying and bloodshot, and her shoulders drooped. She couldn't believe when was the last time that she looked so broken…

The elevator dinged, and the door slid open. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm down, Chloe stepped out of the elevator and headed in that familiar direction. The place that had become like her safe haven,a place she could run to whenever she felt it was too much to take. The place that had the calmness that she was craving so bad for. The place that had promises of safety that would never be broken. The place that would shelter her from the brutality of the world.

This wasn't the first time she had run to this place. Chloe had lost count. Whenever she argued with her mother, she would flee to this very place.

Her secret sanctuary.

Chloe didn't need to press the bell button at the door because she already knew the passcode. She entered the password, and the door clicked open, welcoming her in like it has always been.She didn't care to remove her white muddy sneakers or dry her clothes before walking in. Chloe knew too well that the owner would understand her better than anyone else.

She darted her eyes around the living room and spotted him. Her uncle, Kevin Brook. He was cuddling on the couch with another man, and he looked so surprised when he saw her.

Chloe was surprised too, since she wasn't expecting to walk into such a scene. The last time she checked, her uncle was dating a woman, a red head who was very beautiful.

However, that was less of her concern at the moment. Chloe's mind was too messed up for her to process what she'd seen. All she wanted was to be in the arms of her dear uncle, an assurance that even if the whole world turned against her, she would always have someone to run to.

“Chloe?” Kevin called in a concerned voice, gently pulling away from the comfortable couch he was lying on and carefully pushing the man he was cuddling with to the side. He didn't care to put on sandals despite the cold floor.

He walked to his niece, who was standing at the center of the living room, all soaked with rain and she was shivering uncontrollably from the cold. Kevin didn't need words to know that Chloe wasn't okay. Looking into those brown hazel eyes was enough to figure it out.

He cradled her cold cheeks, his touch warm and gentle. Chloe closed her eyes, the touch soothing against her cheeks, and the tears she had been fighting so hard to hold back ran ceaselessly down her face.

“What happened? Did you and your mother have a fight again?” Kevin asked his niece, his voice soft, coaxing. Whenever Chloe and her mother had a fight, she would always run to him for refuge. But, this time was different. It wasn't about her mother. It was about someone she had given her heart to guard. Someone she believed would take good care of her delicate heart. Or so she thought. Someone she trusted with every fiber in her body.

The same person who broke her trust as though it didn't hold that much significance. As though that wasn't enough, he played around with her heart as though it was some sort of a ball.

“He cheated on me, uncle.” Chloe choked out, the words bitter in her mouth like bile. Soft sobs escaped her lips, struggling to contain them.

Kevin wrapped his strong arms around his niece so tightly,not caring if she was drenched. He planted a kiss on her wet hair, rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her down, but she sobbed even more. His jaw twitched in anger, his hands clenching into tight fists.

He didn't need Chloe to tell him who had broken her heart because he already knew who he was…