Torn

11 - Car Radio

Ava's POV

I sat huddled on the sidewalk, growing colder by every passing second. Cars and people passed yet not one stopped to ask if I was okay. In a way, I was happy by that but part of me wanted to be cared for and wanted to be noticed. I was done with being the ignored.

You'd think that being an actress and having a fan base, someone would have recognised me as they usually did but no one did. They carried on as normally as they could at 2am.

I was ready to stand up and go home when a car pulled up in front of me. The door opened and Josh's face greeted me.

"Hey Ava." He said casually, crouching down and then sitting beside me.

"Hi Josh."

"Can I ask why your sitting on the side of the road and not in that party eating Ashton's face as I have previously seen."

"I left."

"I can see that." I remained silent.

"How about we get you out of the rain and warmed up?" he suggested and I nodded. He led me to the passenger side and opened the door. I slid into the seat and stared ahead of me, tears blurring my vision. Josh got in the seat beside me and started up the engine.

The car was silent.

I hated the silence. But I loved it. It helped but it didn't. It made me think, and sometimes I hated thinking. Life suddenly comes together, when you think.

"I'm sorry." Josh said to me.

"Why?" I replied.

"It's quiet so you have to think and I know you don't want to."

"Can't we put the radio on?" I asked him.

"There would be a slight problem to that..."

"Why?"

"Someone stole my car radio."

"Didn't you write a song about that?"

"Uh yep. It was on our last album. That reminds me, are you buying our new album?" I laughed at him, he was good at distractions.

"Sure, I'll buy it Josh." I told him.

"Yay! I'll even buy another of your films to watch."

"Another?" I raised my eyebrow at him. "I didn't know you were into chick flicks Josh."

"Uh I never said that." He denied. "Oh look a pig," he said pointing wildly out of the window. By now, I'd cheered up considerably, maybe I needed a bit of Josh in my life. It certainly would be useful.

"I know this cosy little diner, do you wanna go there to get warmed up?" he asked me and I nodded, suddenly noticing how cold I was.

He pulled into a car park and turned off the engine of the car. I opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"Where are we anyway Josh?" I asked him.

"Downtown LA. The diner's called Hal's Diner." My heart stopped in my chest.

"Wh-what?" I stuttered.

"Hal's diner?.. What's wrong with that?" he questioned. I didn't answer, instead all my flashbacks came back to me at once.

I hadn't been here in seven years; ever since it had happened. I had avoided it at all costs and now here I was.

Josh carried on talking to me but I couldn't hear him, not that I was trying to listen. Instead I did the only think of; I screamed.

Calum's POV

I paced back and forth in my room, rubbing my thumbs around my temples.

"It's not your fault Calum." Ed told me. I knew he was right in a way but I still felt it was my fault that she ran from me.

"Why did she run?" I asked him.

"I can't tell you. Sorry." This frustrated me even more.

"Please, Ed. You know how much she means to me. Please." I pleaded with him.

"Don't tell her I told you."

"Of course I won't."

"Okay then. You know who that man from the other night was don't you?"

"I don't. I just thought he was like a crazy pervert fan or something."

"The man was her dad." I gasped. What sort of sick fucker would do that to his own daughter? If he ever came near Ava again, I swear to god.

"When she was younger he used to hit her, she got covered in bruises always, and there was the boy next door who saved her one night. You might know him, he's called Michael." Was it Mikey? He would have said something if he knew Ava.

"One night when her dad was about to hit her, Michael dragged him off and the police were called. Her dad was arrested and put into prison for seven years. When she was 15 he was released and when she was going to a friend's house, she saw him. He dragged her into an alley and raped her."

"Oh god no." I cried into my hands. I felt terrible. Why the fuck did I have to ask her that.

"Yeah he got released a couple of weeks back and I didn't want to tell her just in case." He finished.

Ed's phone started ringing and he pulled it out of his pocket. Answering it, he placed it to his ear.

"Oh my god are you okay?

Josh?

No no I'll be right there.

Honestly.

I'll be there soon.

Okay okay bye."

"So?" I asked.

"That was Josh. He's got Ava but she's having a panic attack, I'm going to pick her up now." He said casually and started walking out of the room.

"I'm coming with you." I told him.

"No, you're staying."

"No I'm not." I barged past him and made my way down the stairs, feeling satisfied when Ed's heavy footsteps followed me.

The group were still sitting in the circle they were in when I left to go upstairs, except they were considerably more drunk.

"Hey Ash can I have your keys."

"Sure Cally!" He shouted, running over to me. He gave me a tight hug, leaving me struggling to breathe and whispered in my ear.

"You've always been my favourite,"

"Thanks Ash, now the keys?" he pressed them into my hand and placed a kiss on my cheek. He giggled to himself and went back to where he had been sitting.

"Come on Ed." I said throwing him the keys for Ash's truck.

The drive was silent. I drummed my fingers on my leg, I was nervous for some reason.

"I'm sure she'll be okay." He told me and I just nodded.

Soon we pulled into a diner in downtown LA. It looked cosy.

I spotted Josh immediately, trying to console a frantic Ava. I ran out of the truck and ran to her but Ed got there first. He took her from Josh and cradled her in his arms. He looked like he loved her so much and I felt sorry for him as she'd never feel the same way about him.

"Av are you okay?"

"You!" she screamed, pointing at me "Get the fuck away from me. Do I look fucking okay to you?"

That was when her fist hit my face and I fell into darkness.

A/N: I HAVE FINALLY USED THE CAR RADIO REFERENCE YASSSS BITCHESSS.

anywayyyyy thanks for over a 100 reads. doesnt sound a lot but ot means a lot thankyou so much <333333