freedom can start with love

Chapter two.....Elizabeth

I was back in reality when I looked at Josh to see him smiling at me. "Penny for your thoughts" he said playfully, "I was just remembering before the party" I smiled. "Ah yes what a interesting conversation" he laughed at the thought, I ended up joining him. "Your aunt couldn't have picked a better time" he says between laughing, I smiled and laughed at it. I thought it over and decided to make sure he had everything. "Did you pack everything?" I asked him.

"Yep!"

"Money?"

"Yep two hundred thousand"
"Clothes?"

Yep about 10 pairs" I paused and thought it over to weather I should ask him if he said goodbye. I decided I might as well."Did you say goodbye to your family?"

"Yes, I told them I loved them, and that I would call soon". I always admired Linda and Greg, they were rich like family but not as cruel as them. They understood their son, and even when they didn't agree they let him make his own decisions. It was getting brighter as the sun started

to come up, and I was starting to get tired, I turned to Josh to see he was tired to. We were far enough away from the house to sleep at a hotel. "What are you doing?" Josh sounded worried, I parked the car and simply said "were in 2 states away we can sleep here tonight". He looked relieved, and got out to grab our bags.

The hotel was small and cheap, we paid $50 dollars for a night, in one room. We gave her the money, got the key, and went to our room to get cleaned and get some shut eye. While Josh was brushing his teeth,I pulled out some pajamas and got changed. I set my bag in the floor at the end queen sized bed. Josh came out of the bathroom with wet hair and clean teeth. He looked hot, but I was so tired I didn't care. "I'll sleep on the couch" he said in a tired voice, I turned around and faced him looking confused. "No your not" I said " you're sleeping on the bed". Now it was him who looked confused, "Lizzy you are not sleeping on the couch"

"No I'm not, I'm sleeping on the bed too." He looked delighted and I rolled my eyes. Boys had such one tracked minds. I didn't want him sleeping on the couch, he had paid half just as I had. We climbed in and his arms encircled me and my head was on his chest, his on my head. We fell asleep like that, but when I woke up

Josh was gone. I sat up fast and got up out of bed I went to check the bathroom and found it empty. Where the hell was he? Did he leave? Did he decide that he doesn't love me? I fell to floor and wept, I should have known he's just another person who abandoned me. That thought made me cry harder. I heard the door open and close but it was too low I thought I imagined it, suddenly Josh's arms were around me, soothing me. "Hey I'm here, I'm sorry I just went for breakfast, hey Lizzy I'm not going anywhere I'm not going to abandon you"

Josh

I rubbed my hands up and down her back, I felt so bad for leaving her alone. I know she thought I'd abandoned her just like everyone else she had gotten close to. Her arms circled my stomach, and she realized I was here for real. She slowly stopped crying, so I picked her up and put her on the bed. I got in beside her and sat with my arms around her trying to take the pain away. After a few seconds she composed herself enough to talk "where were you?"

"I just went to grab us some breakfast" she looked over to the table where I flung the ihop bag on it. "I was scared you....." I was such an idiot, I should have woken her up and told her I was going out. She was just sleeping so

soundly. I tightened my arms around her "never, I'm not going anywhere I promise". I felt her relax in my arms, so I got up and grabbed her and mine breakfasts and we ate.

Her parents had left her in arms of a gang person, who had abused her physically, mentally, and sexually. When the cops finally found her she went to live with her aunt, who couldn't give less about her. It took 5 years for me to even be able to get close to her, 7 before I could touch her. Her older brother had tried to kill her, when he was put in prison he said she wasn't even family anymore. Everyone abandoned her, but I wasn't going to be one of those people. I loved her too much to do that. I looked down at her face that was on my chest, she was fast asleep.