Beat Heal Love

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Finally, all the ashes are out of the warehouse and thrown away. Day after day, Max and I are here, cleaning up. I haven’t heard from Smith to Nathan since they left, but that’s okay. They left behind their lives there for me.

Since winter break finished, I go to school everyday, Max following me wherever I go. The teachers don’t even care enough to tell me to leave him at home.

The nightmares still attack when I’m asleep, but not as often. I’m slowly getting more sleep as the weeks pass.

By the time February rolls around, I’ve got the bays set up for the equipment and our bedrooms finished.

On Valentine’s Day, I send an I love you text to Nathan but don’t receive anything in return. I don’t worry.

March comes and I’ve finished the office, kitchen, bathroom and the finishing touches of the bedrooms. Now it’s just a matter of getting all the equipment.

April springs around and goes without any nightmares. I’m finally sleeping in my own bed with Max still by my side. The bullying has stopped at school since now, I’ve got the body of a fighter.

May is the month I open for public. Smith never got to this point. He didn’t get the chance to.

June appears with me graduating on the honor roll. Still no word for Nathan or Smith though.

My mother and Scott haven’t tried messing with me since January so I don’t know what happened to them. I do know that Peter was charged guilty and has multiple years to serve.

I see Darrell around town sometimes, and we talk but it’s only friendship between us.
The doctor–whose name is Mark–and I have a friendship going on. He listens when I need him to and vice versa.

It’s July now and I’m back to myself; the me before the abuse. I’ve got good friends with me, and forever Max. Only Smith and Nathan are still missing from this picture.
That’s why I’m in Smith’s truck with Max driving to Portage la Prairie to see them.

The first stop I make in my old town is Nathan’s place. Max was so excited to be home again after months of not being here. He runs to the door and starts scratching it, trying to get inside. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. I knocked but no answer. Where’s Nathan?

The next stop I make is Smith’s house but no one answered the door as it was locked. Okay?

I’ve been trying their phones since I left Kamloops but never got through. I’m forcing negative thoughts out of my head. They’re probably at the gym and their phones are in their lockers.

So that’s my final stop, the gym.

I see Smith immediately as I walk in and so does Max as he sprints off and tackles him to the ground. Smith is looking around but I’m in the shadows so he doesn’t see me. I decide to go see if Nathan’s in his office.

The lights were off in the office, but I could see a shadow lying on the couch so I walk in, expecting it only to be Nathan napping. What I did see though shocks me to the bones. He was on top of another woman, fucking her thoroughly. I flick the lights on and notice the woman is his ex-fiancé. Or so he told me. My, I was really gullible to actually believe him.

When Nathan realizes that the lights are on, he stops and turns to face me. My face falls even more when I see the pleasure turn to shock. I just walk out of the room.

My eyes are flooding with tears so I walk straight into Smith. I push past him and walk with my head high until I’m outside in the truck. Then I let the tears flow with my head in my hands on the steering wheel.
“Charlie,” my window’s open so there’s nothing blocking Nathan’s voice from reaching me. I roll the windows up and lock the doors. Let’s see what he’ll do now.