CHAPTER EIGHT

Colby's P.O.V

The light up above over our heads are making her bruises more prominent, and people around us were beginning to stare.

The booth was secluded but they were watching from afar.

"Can I get the two of you anything to drink?" The waitress asked for her face in her note book ready to write down our order.

"Can we get your finest rose', please?" I asked with a smile.

"Alright, coming right up," She said scribbling in the notebook with a fake smile and gave Chloe a side glance.

I took Chloe's hand gently in mine with a small smile, and her smile could light up the sky.

That's what hurts the most, no matter how much she hurts, the way she looks at me, and only me never changes no matter what my family has done to her.

The thought made me sick as she rubbed the back of my hand with her fingertips.

"Thank you for taking me away from that place," She said quietly.

"I don't like them either, the only people I care about there are my mother and the baby," I sighed.

She nodded and looked down at the menu.

I let her hand go and picked up the menu, the top read 'Borealis', one of my favorite restaurants in this town but every time I come here they always have new staff.

I looked over the menu, what should I have today?

I looked up at Chloe who seemed to be having a difficult time reading the cursive letters.

"So see anything you'd like?" I asked knowing she's having a difficult time reading but didn't want to embarrass her.

"Um, can you help me?" Chloe asked with confusion written all over her face.

She's cute when she's confused, I smiled and nodded and placed the menu between us.

"What looks good to you?" I asked, looking it over.

"This looks good," Chloe pointed to the chicken Alfredo, which was amazing.

"Good choice," I smiled, as the waitress came back with the wine and two wine glasses.

She placed the glasses onto the table and opened the bottle of rose'; with a loud pop and fizzing sound when she tipped it into the glass making a satisfying glugging sound as it filled to the rim.

"There you two go," The waitress said, placing our glasses in front of us and placing the wine bottle onto the edge of the table.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the bottle falling but before I had a chance to catch it, it hit the floor and dispersed into pieces and wine went everywhere including onto Chloe.

With a gasp Chloe stood up soaked and looked at the waitress with her hands in the air.

"Oh my, gosh, I'm so sorry!" The waitress apologized, attempting to clean up the mess.

"God damn it Hayley, you broke another bottle, it's coming out of your pay cheque," The man coming out of the kitchen screamed.

"Yes sir," The waitress Hayley yelled back trying to wash the floors.

"Here Miss, let me help you come with me," Hayley said, grabbing Chloe's wrist; Chloe looked at me as if for permission so I nodded before Hayley took her away.

Chloe's P.O.V

Hayley the waitress took me into the wash room and grabbed some paper towel, then to the sink damping the paper before coming over and blotting it on the stains.

"I'm really sorry for knocking the wine all over you, but it's the only way I could get you away from him," She said, sighing.

"Why were you trying to take me away from him?" I asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"You don't have to pretend anymore, I get it. I can help you if you let me," She said with a sad smile.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," I said, still confused.

"I mean that he beats you," She said, frustrated now.

"Oh, what, no he doesn't beat me," I said half laughing.

"It's kind of obvious that he does," She eyed.

"You mean my bruises?" I asked making sense of her accusations.

"Well yeah what else would I be talking about," Hayley said crossing her arms; I shook my head viciously before replying.

"He doesn't hurt me, it was someone else who gave me all these bruises," I explained.

"Wait what?" Hayley asked as realization took color out of her face.

"He's the one who stopped the man who beat me," I explained more.

"Shit," She said under her breath before she threw out the paper towel and ran out of the bathroom and I followed behind.

When we went back out into the restaurant the place was filled with men in navy blue clothes, and hats that were making Colby wear bracelets that were linked together by a chain.

"What the hell am I under arrest for," Colby yelled angrily.

"Under...arrest?" I paused looking between everyone in the room.

"Let him go," Hayley said regretfully.

"Miss, you know we can't do that," The man in blue said.

"I misunderstood, let him go." Hayley said once more.

"So he doesn't beat her?" The man asked with his hand on his belt.

"What the hell, I'd never lay my hand on this beautiful woman, Chloe tell them!" He yelled angrily.

I looked at the men in the navy blue and shook my head violently, they made me nervous.

"N-no he doesn't beat me," I said uncomfortably.

"How do you explain the bruises?" The man asked.

"It was someone else," I said looking back at Colby.

"Can you give us a name of who did it?" He asked another question.

I bit my lip and looked up at the man as I shook my head no one last time.

"Okay, well without a name we still can't let him go," The man and blue explained.

Scared, I looked at Colby as he was being taken away. "No," I said, tearing up.

"Please don't take him away!" I cried running up to Colby and wrapped my arms around him.

"It's okay Chloe," Colby said, kissing me on the forehead while his hands were stuck behind his hands by the bracelets.

"No, no don't leave me," I cried as the man took him from my grasp and began to walk him out.

"It's okay Chloe, I won't be gone long, I love you," He said before disappearing out of the restaurant I still can't pronounce.

Hayley continued to swear under her breath behind me, I turned around. "Why did you make them take him away, he didn't do anything wrong," I shouted at her with tears falling down my face.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I misunderstood the conversation," She explained.

Hiccupping tears I tried to swallow back the sobs that came with it making a scene.

"You know what, I'll come home with you and make sure you're safe okay," Hayley said rubbing my back.

I nodded as I headed out the door as sobs echoed in the restaurant.

"Okay so where do you live?" Hayley asked as she put her hands into her pockets, her face orange from the sun going down behind us.

"I-I don't know," I admitted crying.

"Okay, okay. Um, do you remember which way you came from?" She asked sweetly.

Colby's P.O.V

Sitting in the back of the police car I laid my head back, I don't blame the girl for calling; if I was her I'd probably call too.

Well I guess she will be safe while I'm gone now that she's out of the house.

I decided to rest my eyes as we drove to the police station.

The hard plastic seats aren't the best place for a nap, but I haven't been sleeping well with everything going on.

Suddenly the car door opens and I nearly fall out of the car, the cop snickered and I got out of the car.

I didn't even notice half an hour went by as he led me into the station.

This isn't the first time I got arrested, but it's not to the point where they know me by name.

"Alright, kid, the phone is over there," The officer pointed to a phone on the wall.

"Yeah I see that but I can't call anyone with my hands cuffed behind my back," I said, sighing.

"Smart ass," The cop said, turning me around and unlocking the hand cuffs.

I then rubbed circulation back into them as I walked over to the phone and began to punch in my mother's number.

One ring, two rings… "Hello?" My mother's voice whispered.

"Mom, I'm in jail I need you to come get me," I said into the receiver.

"What why?" My mother panicked.

"I'll explain everything, did Chloe go home?" I asked hoping she didn't, I tried to swallow the vile that came up into my throat.

"No, she didn't, your father is furious," She whispered back into the phone.

"Don't tell dad that I'm in jail, just get me out and I'll go get her," I explained.

"Alright," She sighed and hung up.

The cop came back and handcuffed me and walked me to the cell, I went in and took a seat on the metal bench.

I leaned my head in my hands, this isn't anyone's fault.

I just hope I find Chloe before anyone else does.

Chloe's P.O.V

Hayley and I sat on the bench as we sat by a beach looking out onto the water. "So you really don't know where you live?" She asked bewildered.

"No," I said after I calmed down.

"Sorry I don't mean to be rude but how?" She asked confused, I began to wonder maybe I should tell her.

I thought about it for a couple minutes before answering. "Can I tell you a secret?" I asked instead.

"Sure, anything," Hayley said, nodding.

"Okay, well I've only been allowed outside for a couple weeks, before that I stayed in the dark room under the house." I said honestly.

"Dark room under a house, you mean a basement?" Hayley questioned.

"Yeah that's what they call it too," I replied matter of fact.

"So you lived your entire life in the basement and you are now allowed out before a couple weeks ago?" She clarified.

"Yeah exactly," I agreed.

"So the bruises were from your parents?" She raised her voice a little.

"No, they are Colby's parents. I don't have parents," I explained.

"Then why are you with him?" she asked.

"He's the reason I'm outside," I said reminiscing.

"Still, why don't you just run away?"

After she said those words I heard a beep of a car behind me making me jump, I turned around and Colby's car was there.

"Colby, you're here!" I screamed running to the car, he got out and kissed me on the forehead as I hugged him tight.

"Thank you for looking after her while I was gone," Colby spoke to Hayley.

"Yeah whatever," She took a piece of paper out of her pocket and scribbled down something, folded the paper and passed it to me.

"It's my number to call me anytime," She said before she walked away.

I opened the piece of paper with a bunch of numbers on it, with her name above and a note under the numbers which read; 'If you ever need help just call me.'

Colby wrapped his arms around my waist gently and hugged me.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asked worriedly and I shook my head no.

"Want to have a picnic with me then?" Colby whispered the question and I leaned my head back against him, my eyes closed.

"As long as you don't leave again," I replied.

"I won't, I promise," He whispered in my ear.

I turned around in his arms, leaned up on my toes, and for the first time I placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

He wrapped his arms tighter around me pulling me closer as he kissed me back; he tasted like tobacco and smelled of gasoline. "I love you," I said, barely audible from the sound of crashing waves behind me.

"I love you too, Chloe." He whispered back.

He let me go and smiled as he went to the back of his car and opened the trunk, there was a blanket and a big basket with a cooler on top.

"How did you know where I was?" I was confused.

"I went back to the restaurant and they told me you two went this way," He explained.

"Oh okay," I said back as he passed me the blanket.

He picked up both the cooler and the basket out of the trunk and placed it down on the ground to close and lock the car.

He picked them back up and nodded toward the beach. "Lead the way, beautiful." I blushed at his words and went down to the sands of the beach.