Chapter 12 - Came Out Stronger
*CeCe’s POC*
I stopped crying and crawled of Lou's lap, sitting looking at the other boys who all sat there staring at me. “I was 10 when it happened.” Harry stood up and sat back down next to me wrapping an arm around my waist as I continued. “My brother was in the Navy, and he had just come home for a week of rest, my dad had just been promoted, and I had just made a new dance team. We were out for dinner to celebrate. My mom was 7 months pregnant; it was going to be a baby girl. She was going to name her Jamie, a name I picked out. My mom was craving a burger from this dingy, old, warn down diner, so we drove 45 minuts just to eat. It was December 16, so my brother and I were in the back seat talking about Christmas, he was going to give me my present the next day because he wouldn’t be home four the holidays. My mom was in the passenger seat singing, ill be home for Christmas, it as her favorite song. That’s when it happened.”
I stopped looking at the ground as tears escaped my eyes. Harry pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist. “We were going thought an intersection, when a drunk driver ran a red light. I could see the headlights coming closer. It was so damn silent. There was no sound, yet it was the scaredest sound I had ever heard. Then the impact. It was an ear shattering bang. It hit the passengers, right next to my mom. The car slid 20 feet before crashing into a pole on the passenger side. I hit my head on the side of the car, and I blacked out. When I came back, I saw my brother lying on the seat. He was bleeding so much. He took my hand, and made me promise I wouldn’t stop dancing. I promised and slipped back into unconciousness. I woke up from a comma a week later. Arryn was at my side holding my hand, crying. When she realized I was awake I was crying. She asked me why, and I told her, I could hear her talking to me when I was sleeping. She understood what I ment.”
I paused and wiped away my tears, but now they just flew harder. I took Harrys hand and intertwined it in my own. “I woke up, and I was alone. All my family was dead. My mom and Jamie, the baby, died as soon as the car hit them. My dad died and the way to the hospital, and my brother had died in a coma, 3 days before I woke up.”
“After I was realeased from the hospital I was put in foster care. I was put in a house with a man named Jack, and a woman named Marie. Jack was abusive.” I felt Harry tense up as he pulled me closer to him. “Jack beat me every night for two years. I wanted to tell someone, but he said if I did he would hurt Arryn. Then one night I came home from dance. He was really mad and drunk. He started to beat me; I saw Marie lying on the ground and knew what he was going to do to me. I started fighting back, and then he pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the side. I fell to the ground and he ran out of the house, speeding away in his truck.” I took a deep breath, looking at the boys expressions. They each had a mixed expression of anger and sorrow. “I got myself off the ground, and stumbled down the street to Arryn’s house. I didn’t even bother to check on Maria, because I knew she was already dead. I got to Arryn’s and they called an ambulance. I lost a lot of blood (because i was stabbed), a black eye and 9 broken ribs. After that I lived at Arryn’s until I got the scholarship to here.”
“What abut the dreams?” Lou whispered. “I figured Arryn told you.” I said. By now the tears were flowing freely. It was getting hard for me to talk because of the steady stream of tears. “Every night I relive the last beating. Then I see my families faces. I hear my mom singing, I hear my brother telling me I have to wait for my presents. The silence. It’s so quite, that it’s loud. Then I see the head lights, then a bang and screaming, my screaming.” Then I started sobbing again.
Harry leaned against the back of the couch holding me tight, and stoking my hair. My head was in his sholder. I felt a tear roll off his cheek onto mine as his whisper, “I'm sorry.”
*Harry’s POV*
I leaned against the back of the coutch as she started to sob again. I shifted her body, holding her closer and tighter as she put her head on my shoulder. I couldn’t believe that she had gone through all of that. I can’t believe that man would do that to her.She went through all of that and came out stronger. After all of that she was able to pick herself of the ground, dust herself off, and continue through life. If I was in her position inhere is no way I would be able to do that. Now that I knew why she had pain in her eyes, im suprised I did not see more. Arryn was right, her life is tied together with a smile, and I wondered how she didn’t come undone.
I could fell the tears build up in my eye. I tried to fight it off but it was no use. The tears started streaming. I wanted to do something, say something to make this better but all I could say was, “Im sorry.”
