Need You Now (Watty Awards 2014)

Chapter 18

                    I called Chelsea in and told them everything. From Mother, to covering up the bruises with concealer to the lies i constantly told them to keep them from finding out. Chelsea wouldn't stop crying and Eddie wouldn't even look at me. He was just standing there, taking it all in. He was like a statue. 

"I didn't want anyone to know because i was scared of the aftermath. I was scared for myself. I didn't know if she would kill me before anyone could help me or if i would be sent to some horrid foster home. I just thought i could put up with it until i was 18," i said through my own tears. Letting it all out was like having three hundred tons of cold being lifted off of my shoulders. No more lies. No more secrets. I could let it all out. 

"Sarah, I'm so sorry! I'm your best friend and i couldn't even add it all up from over the years! All i would worry about was my reputation and boys and how i looked and i couldn't even see that my best friend was in hell!" she bawled, walking over to my bed and wrapped me in gentle hug, trying not to hurt me. 

"No, don't say your sorry. I should have told you. I was just selfish and scared," but before i could finish, Eddie interupted; and i could tell that he was pissed. 

"Eight years. Eight f***ing years and you never let anyone help you?!!! Sarah, how could you put up with it?!!! I offered to help you and you brushed me off like, like.....f***. I could have helped you!!" he yelled, screaming in my face. Chelsea slapped him across the face. 

"Eddie, watch your mouth!!" Chelsea is so hard about cursing. She hates the f-word. 

"Eddie, i didn't let you in because i didn't want to have to lie to you. I didn't want to have to keep secrets from another person i cared about. I thought that it would just be better to keep everyone at arm's length so no one would get hurt. After what happened with Jacob, i shunned off falling for anyone else," I said, crying harder. This is exactly what i was afraid of. Him being mad and confused and walking out on me. Leaving me alone. Just when i needed him the most he was walking away. 

"I could have helped you. This all could have been avoided. You could have been safe," He stopped himself from saying anything else and ran his fingers through his hair. 

"Eddie, I'm sorry,"

"Sarah, i can't. I just can't do this," He said softly as he walked quickly out of the hospital, not even looking back.

           I sat there frozen. This is what i was trying to avoid. I should have listened to my brain. I shouldn't have said anything at all. Now i lost him. And i had no idea on how to get him back. 

"Sarah, he's just in shock with everything that's just happened. He just needs some time to absorb it all," Chelsea said softly, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. But a comforting hand didn't have any meaning. I needed Eddie. And he just left. I told him that i needed help and he left. I hurt him. I abused him. 

               It's been two weeks since i told Chelsea and Eddie what happened. Chelsea ended up telling her parents everything i told her, and they called the police. My mom will be spending her life in jail. I will never have to suffer her cold hands again. 

           As for living situations. Chelsea didn't want me to go into a foster home even more than i didn't. She ended up getting her parent to adopt me and now i am officially Sarah Clarie Gonzales. That also means that Chelsea and I are officially sisters, which makes life even more sweeter. I am now an heiress and live in a home i would have only seen in my dreams.

:              Chelsea's parent's hired a private therapist for me. It's as if i am a new person. My self esteem is too the roof and i love life again.  Everything seemed to be getting better. 

          All except for Eddie. It was dreadful. Utterly dreadful. He never called me or texted me to see if i was okay. When i would see him in the halls at school, he would simply say hi and not make eye contact. It was like that everyday. What made it even worse is that i finally admitted to myself that i love him. So every day i have to live with the fact that the guy i am utterly and completely in love with, hates me. Perfect right? Not even close.