Happily Ever After? #Wattys2017

Chapter Four

I sat in my car, parked under a tree in the motel parking lot. Tears streaming down my face. I just couldn't take it anymore, I didn't know how to cope and I didn't know who to turn to. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and never face the real world again. 

And now I was supposed to meet Hale for dinner. Well technically I was supposed to meet him an hour ago. He probably thought I was such a bitch, and he was right. It was a bitchy move and maybe Hale could help me. I mean he was a police officer after all. He didn't really have any jurisdiction all the way out by my school, but he would know what to do. 

But on the other hand, did I even want to go to the cops? Did I want this to be handled in the most lawful way possible? Did I even want it to be handled was a better question. Maybe just hiding and trying to forget all about it would be what was best. 

A tap on the window brought me out of my thoughts. I did my best to wipe away the tears before rolling down the window to see who it was. 

"This is the second time I've caught you crying," Happy observed. 

I gave a short laugh, "You should feel special. No one sees me cry. I thought I was alone."

"Well you would probably get more privacy to do all this in your motel room," he said. 

I shot him a glare, "Shut up. What are you doing here anyways?"

"Well after you stood up the Deputy, he came around the shop looking for you. None of us had seen you all day and he left. So I figured I'd come find out why you stood up such an amazing man."

I couldn't help but crack a smile at his sarcasm, "Well thanks Happy. But I'm alright, just didn't feel like going out tonight."

"Last night I let it go that you were crying. Figured it was from that douche bag, but this is the second day in row that I've found you crying and now I'm wondering if there's a deeper reason."

I shrugged.

"Well I would kind of like to know so I can know if I was justified and knocking that guys teeth out," Happy pressed, leaning against my car.

"You knocked his teeth out because I was CRYING?" I was shocked at the admission and the reasoning behind it. 

"I thought maybe he had done something more to you before I got there," Happy said with a shrug. 

"Well I'm touched but he wasn't the reason why I was crying."

"He'll get over it then," Happy said. I could tell he didn't feel bad at all. 

I just nodded. 

"So are you going to tell me why you were crying?" Happy asked. 

"It's really not a big deal," I said, staring at my steering wheel.

"So you're not going to tell me why you are crying?"

I shook my head. Happy sighed and stepped away from the car. 

"Alright, suit yourself. I don't have time to stand here and beg you to tell me."

He turned and walked back to his bike, the gravel crunching under his feet. 

I sighed, opening my car door and getting out. 

"Can I trust you?" I called after him. 

He stopped, looking back at me, "What do you mean?"

"You said you don't have any friends. Well in all honesty neither do I. I have Jax and Opie I guess, but I can't come to them when I need someone because they'll get everyone involved even if I don't want them to."

"Okay," Happy said slowly. 

"I guess what I'm saying is I need a friend that I can trust. Can I trust you?"

Happy nodded, "Yeah. I think."

"You think?"

"Well I can't promise I won't act upon anything if I hear something I don't like, but I won't tell anyone."

I chewed on my lip. Did I really want to take that risk? I didn't feel like I could handle this alone anymore. 

I sighed and nodded. "Alright, follow me."

I locked my car and led Happy upstairs to my room. I shut the door behind him when he entered. 

"You want a beer or something?" I offered, opening the mini fridge and holding one out to him. 

He nodded and I tossed it to him, taking out another one for myself before shutting the fridge. I took a seat at the table, waiting for Happy to sit as well before I started talking. 

I opened the beer, "I don't really know where to start."

I took a sip and gathered my thought before I began.

"I have this friend named Bethany, she really likes to party. And don't get me wrong, I like to party as much as the next person, but she always took it so overboard. Well she wanted to go to this crazy frat party at the college nearby and she didn't want to go alone."

Happy leaned forward, elbows resting on his knee, taking a huge sip of beer as he listened. 

"Well we went and it was fun. For a while. We drank and danced and she went off with one of the guy. I hung out, not really knowing anyone and this guy came up to me. He was one of the frat brothers. He was charming and we talked for most of the night. Sometime in the night we went up to one of the bedrooms. We were making out. I didn't want it to go any further and I told him to stop."

I finished the rest of the beer, feeling a tears sting my eyes. I took a shakey breath before I continued.

"Well I guess he was more drunk than I thought. He was no longer a gentleman and charming. He wouldn't stop even when I tried to push him off. He- he," I couldn't find the words to just say it. 

"Just stop," Happy said. He didn't look at me, fixated on the carpet on the floor. His voice was dark as one hand flexed into a fist. 

"You don't have to say it, I can connect the dots," he said, placing his beer on the table.

I just nodded. 

"I tried to get over it, but I just couldn't. I needed to get away from school so here I am. My dad thinks I'm only here for the week but honestly, I dropped out for the rest of the semester. I know I'm going to have to tell him eventually but I just don't know how."

Happy stood up, "Did you go to the cops?"

I shook my head, "No. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. And you know we don't really go to the cops, it's how I was raised. And if I went to the cops, my dad would for sure find out and get involved and then its a mix of cops and SONs."

Happy nodded, understanding what I was saying. 

"I won't tell anyone."

I gave him a small smile, "Thanks."