Reach out for me - TNN Story

Chapter 2 - Catch me up

Trigger warning: Mentions of Abuse and Ed's (not as major) swearing

Charlotte's POV:
We both walked into my house and I settle Maeve's bags down at the front door, seeing that she's also done the same as well. I worry about her sometimes, we've been friends for ages and something just doesn't look right. Her hair is all over the place, the dark circles under her eyes and I can see that she hasn't taken care of herself, as her clothes loosely hang off her body. I wish Maeve would open up at least a bit more to people - especially Marjorie. I can always feel like Marjorie wants to ask how she is, but a part of me thinks that whatever happened in their childhood Marjorie feels guilty for not being there or doing as much as she could have done.

I walk into the kitchen and grab two wine glasses and a bottle of wine, it's always helped just ease our nerves. "So, tell me what happened Maeve?.." I ask, I don't want to poke too far into the surface but she looks at me as if she's almost... scared? That face won't be forgotten, how scared she looked to talk, did she think she would get into trouble? I sit opposite her on the kitchen island and gently hold her hand, reassuring her it's okay. "Maeve whatever it is I want to help...,I know it's been a long day but I'm - I'm worried about you" I glide my thumb over the top of her palm slowly tracing patterns into it. "It's.... There's so much Charlotte and I don't want to bother you, you have enough to deal with - all those creepy dads" she barely even mutters this, as a tear slides down her face.
"What's wrong Maeve? Tell me.." I coo slightly, trying to give someone like Maeve who is always full and strong, now shattered to tears in my kitchen.
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There was silence. For the first time tonight there were no words exchanged between either of the women. The subtle glances back and forth had reassured Maeve that she wouldn't judge, right?
Then she zoned out, Charlotte's lips were moving but Maeve couldn't hear anything she was talking about and it all become a blur.
Normally when Maeve would zone out she'd remember how not long ago she had been found on her bathroom floor by a colleague, after she had still been with Nick. Maeve shivered as she thought of him and ran her finger across the adhesions on her skin, still raised and prominent.  He had beaten her up after she hadn't complied to her regulated eating plan he gave her.

Or she would think back to her childhood when her and Marjorie's parents blatantly favoured Marjorie in front of her and when people didn't look it was the worse. Her mother would always try and throw her into these activities like ballet and modelling. Though young Maeve would plead their mother to let her do martial arts, she'd always seen how good Autumn was at it. So she then asked Autumn if she would teach her and not tell her mum she was learning it. Her mother was the worst to her during her childhood, she would only be able to eat tiny meals a day, as her mother said it was because "dancers need to have thin stomachs" or she'd repeatedly say "if you eat that you'll get a belly, you'll be ugly to all the model agencies".

Maeve stared down at her wine glass, how much could she really tell Charlotte what happened? Too much too soon may cause Charlotte to leave, Maeve thought as she swished her wine in her glass, barely smiling at the sound it made.
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Maeve's POV:
I smiled at the sound the wine made against the glass, slosh, wiping my tears in my jumper I look up at Charlotte and she smiles at me. "I think I can tell you.., but I can't say it all" I sigh as I tell her, she refills my glass before adding, "It's alright, you don't have to tell me it all right now".
I thought about how caring and sincere Charlotte always was around people and how she was so bubbly and kind with the kids.

A small break of silence happens then I begin to tell her some parts, the last thing I wanted was her to know our whole childhood, not yet.
"You know my fiancé Nick?, well ex fiancé now." I grumble, she nods back allowing me to talk, "I thought it was normal at first with what he'd do to me, I mean our mum and dad made it seem that way too.." I could see Char's once softened gaze contort as she scans my face, "Maeve what did you think was normal?" She gulps back a cry as she grabs my hand again. "All of our relationship, he didn't want to bruise his ego outside of the house but when we were behind closed doors..." I take a breath "..He would ridicule me down to my bones, telling me that I'm worthless and the only place a woman should be is in the kitchen". I look up and realise that I hadn't really voiced what happened to me with Nick, I hadn't told Marjorie either she blamed herself for our childhood as it is.

"Don't tell Marjorie Char, please. She thinks I don't know that she blames herself for our growing up.. but I know" the last thing I want is for Marjorie to find out like this. Char looks back at me with a warm smile biting back rage, "I won't.., but if you need me come and talk don't be afraid, I talk to Carly too" she smiles.
I look down at my phone and see the endless messages both my parents and Nick have sent me, I turn over my phone and bite back a smile.
I look at Char, wondering what she's thinking about.

Charlotte's POV:
I looked at Maeve as she looks down at her phone, a look shared that was the same as she told her story. Fear. Disgust. Annoyance. I am met with Maeve's brown eyes looking at me. I smile back at her, "How about I tell you about all the nursery drama?! You'll need to know it when you start work there tomorrow~" I coo trying to uplift the situation and lift her mood. "Fine.. but I know there will be loads so... do you have any snacks?" She rubs the back of her neck.

A couple hours pass and we are a tiny bit drunk from my wine. I've caught Maeve up with all the nursery drama, and boy was she surprised at how many things are going on! "What the fuck-" she says I tell her that Marjorie and Reece are together. "Wait really Marjorie is actually with Reece? Is she being nice to him?" She questions and I find it cute how protective she is of Reece.
And I've told her about mine and Marjorie's fall out and I could tell she wasn't impressed.

We start to settle down and I can tell tomorrow will be a rough day for us. I have a guest room so Maeve sleeps in there, as I sleep in my own bed, listening to the birds chirping in the night.

A/N - this one is a bit of a long one and I didn't realise how much I was writing. There will be an interaction between Maeve, Marjorie and the other staff soon. I'm just getting my bearings with writing this story.