Right Here, Right Now

Chapter Seven

*Charlie's pov*

"NO! PLEASE! STOP!"

Ella's sudden screaming woke me up. I quickly sat up straight, my eyes roaming the room trying to gain consciousness of my surroundings. I looked down to see Ella squirming in my lap, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. Her eyebrows were furrowed in fear.

"Ella, it's just a dream," I whispered in her ear as I gently shook her shoulder. She bolted up right immediately and ran off the bed. Her body shook as she slowly backed away from me and towards the wall. I climbed to the edge of the bed and swung my legs over. When I reached out to touch her, she screamed again.

"Please stay away from me!" Tears streamed down her face repeatedly and I felt my heart crack right down the middle.

"El, it's Charlie. I'm not going to hurt you," At the sound of her nickname she froze, no longer backing towards the wall. I watched her eyes try hard to find mine through the darkness and once they did, her face softened.

"Charlie?" She asked, her voice broken and hoarse. She collapsed against the wall and slid her back all the way down until her head laid in between her knees. I hesitantly approached her and sat against the wall beside her. After a few minutes she lifted her head up to look at me. Even in the dark I could see her bright emerald green eyes, causing my lips to uncontrollably curl into a slight smile. A tear slipped from her right eye and I brushed it away with my thumb, leaving my hand there cupping her cheek. She leaned against my hand as her lip quivered. I slowly pulled her head towards me and allowed her to fall apart in my lap.

"Hey, you're safe. It's just me. I've got you," I rubbed her back in circles with my palm as I watched it heave up in down with every sob. Once the light of dawn began to peak through the window, her breathing had slowed and the crying had become minimal. She picked herself up and leaned back against the wall staring at the ceiling. She took a deep breath in, something Ella always did when she was about to share something that meant a lot to her. I scooted my body closer so that I could hear every word.

"I was 16. We had been dating for 6 months. Those first months were good, they were...normal. But then I started to notice things taking a turn. He manipulated me into cutting off all of my friends; I wasn't allowed to go anywhere or talk to anyone that wasn't with him. He started telling me that I looked fat in everything that I wore and so I lost weight for him, an unhealthy amount of weight. But then my butt wasn't big enough." She scoffed as she spit out the words like they were poison on her tongue. I'd never seen El be angry at anyone before.

"This quickly turned into the occasional slap when I would stand up for myself. Before I knew it I had bruises all over my body." Tears fell down her face again and she quickly wiped them away. "One night he had had too much to drink, and I didn't know before hand or I would have never gone to his house. He got really possessive and-and, he um..." Her voice cracked as her head fell into her hands. I quickly wrapped my arms around her and held her as tightly as I could.

"You don't have to finish for me to know what happens next. El listen to me," I grabbed her chin with my fingers and lifted her head so that she was looking at me. "It's not your fault. I am so so sorry that he did that to you, but I would never hurt you. You know that right?" My voice faltered for a second exposing my vulnerability and El caught it. Her eyes filled with sadness as she grabbed my cheeks with both her hands.

"Gillespie, I'd never think of you like that. Promise," I bit my bottom lip gently and nodded.

"I'm sorry," I said again at a loss for words. A small smile appeared on her face and she began to giggle. The sun made its way through the window as if it was waiting for El to be happy; for everything to be right in the world again.