CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Chloe's P.O.V




I took Colby hand, my head is still very dizzy but he's keeping me up right as he unlocked the door.

I feel safest when his hands are in mine it's only when Colby leaves when Alastair beats me. Maybe when I'm with Colby I accidentally do bad things.

We began walking down the stairs and a bunch of voices were getting louder and louder with every step, and out of fear I stopped in the middle of the stairs.

What if it's a trap, what if I'm being taken back down stairs so they can hurt me?

Tears began to rise in my eyes, Colby stepped in front of me blocking the end of the stairs.

"Everything is going to be okay," Colby caressed my cheek wiping the tears from my eyes, and took my hand once more. 

I took a deep breath before tightening my grip on his hand back, walking down the rest of the long staircase and turning the corner.

I stayed close behind him as 23 sets of eyes stared right through Colby onto me, my swollen face heated up with a level of uncomfortable I never felt before, and I'm beginning to miss the darkness of what they call the basement, and what I call my safety net.

Colby let go of my hand walking towards a table and pulled out a chair waiting for me to sit.

I quickly went and took a seat, and everyone stared at me, my face swollen and bruised. I bet they all are making fun of me shakily. I placed my hands on my lap and kept my head down.

"What the hell did you do to that poor girl Colby?" The guy across from me asked, Colby took the seat next to me and sneered with anger.

"How about you ask my father what 'he' done to her," Colby spat across the table, all eyes went from me to Alastair; all eyes but mine I kept them fixed on the empty plate in front of me.

I'm scared, I'm scared to move or blink. I'm scared to even breathe, is this what the rest of my life will consist of?

"You know what?" Colby spoke, getting up from his seat.

"I think I'm going out for dinner tonight," Colby stated, throwing down the napkin that he placed on his lap moments before and taking my hand to go with him.

"Not tonight Colby, we have business to take care of tonight," Alastair sighed, taking a sip of wine.

"Great take care of it then," Colby said, bringing me to my feet walking me out the dining room into the dark night.

Once we were outside he turned toward me solemnly.

"You stole my smokes and lighter didn't you?" I swallowed hard, I only took two but I guess he noticed.

I slowly nodded, squinting , waiting to be hit, but instead he wrapped his arms around my waist and placed a kiss on my forehead. "It's been a stressful week for you, hasn't it?" It wasn't a question, it was a statement. I fell against his chest and closed my eyes.

Heart beats, I hear his heart beat through his chest. The one thing that tells us we are alive, that we feel stress, pain, even heartbreak and love.

These arms I never want to leave the warm embrace, I never want to lose this feeling of security and comfort.

"Are you ready?" He asked quietly, I nodded against his chest as he let go.

"Alright let's go get dinner," Colby smiled walking towards his car.

He opened the door and I got in, then put my seat belt on as he closed the door and got in the driver's seat.

He took a cigarette from his pack he seems to keep in the car but then paused and looked at me with it between his lips, then grabbed the pack again and passed me one.

I copied his movements and placed it between my lips as he brought up the lighter and with a swift click a flame appeared in front of my face, slowly burning the tip of the cigarette.

I took a slow inhale making sure I don't cough on the smoke this time.

Staring into his eyes the entire time, the tip of the smoke turned into fiery ash and even as he took the lighter and lit his own.

As he leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes taking a deep inhale of the cigarette as I exhaled. 

His short messy black hair fell further away from his face, swallowing hard as he brought it back to his lips and took another puff.

I looked away for a moment looking in the darkening sky, he put the car into drive and we went through the gate. 

I began taking longer inhales watching the cigarette burn down; I flicked the ashes out the window.

Sitting in silence I began to wonder if what just happened was my fault.

I'm not sure where we are going but silence is beginning to be uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry," Colby said so quietly I almost didn't make it out.

"For what," I wondered.

We stopped at a red light, looking me in the eyes before he answered.

"For everything," He threw the cigarette out the window and held my hand tightly but lovingly as he drove us into a nearby parking lot.

"That's a lot to be sorry about," I joked and caressed his hand with my thumb. 

He smirked a little at the joke staring down at our hands intertwined.

"Are you ready for dinner?" Colby asked, right on que because my stomach made a loud growling sound and I blushed and nodded.

Taking one last puff, I threw out the smoke and got out of the car walking toward the restaurant, walking hand in hand.

The restaurant was written in cursive so I couldn't read the sign. He held the door for me and the place was packed. 

Dim lights dangling over tables and bench seats at every table except the ones who seated ten or more had candles placed in the center of the tables.

A lady at a podium was writing something on a piece of paper before noticing us.

"Table for two?" She asked not to look up.

"Yes," Colby confirmed.

"Follow me please," She said walking away from the podium in a long skirt and an apron wrapped around her waist.

We followed her to a secluded table in the back of the restaurant, and sat down across from each other as she placed the menus in front of us, and thanked her as she placed a fake smile on her face.