How Could You?

Chapter 4

^Jaycen above (;

Jayden

"You don't have to thank me, Vivian," I tell her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"But I want to. You've done so much for me and I haven't done anything for you," she says, pulling away to look out the window, "I'm going to miss this place," she says solemnly.

"I know, babe. But you have to leave or they'll end up killing you." I tell her.

"I know, but that doesn't stop the feeling."

"Just look at it as a fresh start. You'll be surrounded by people that love you." I say, starting the car and driving away from her abusive parents home.

After a long pause, she finally says, "it feels so wrong too. After years and years of they're abuse, and finding out that they're not my real parents, I'm going to miss them."

"Viv, listen," I put my hand on her knee as I say, "It's okay to miss them. They raised you into the strong, beautiful girl you are. It doesn't make you a bad person."

"Okay," she whispers, "I'm kinda tired," she yawns. Damn she's adorable.

"You can sleep if you want. We won't be getting to the motel for about another," I look at the time. We left at one thirty and it's six thirty. That conversation was hella long, "a half hour. I can wake you up when we get there if you want."

"No, it's okay. I can wait to sleep." she says unsurely.

"Are you sure?" I ask her.

"Yea," I give her my are-you-sure-or-just-covering-it-up look, "Jesus, Jay, I'm sure."

She only really calls me Jay when she's sad or as she says it, vulnerable.

"If you say so."

"I do say so," she says defiantly with a giggle.

I laugh a little, "Damn your cute."

She immediately turns shades of pink and red, "n-nuh uh."

"Yes, you are. You blushing like that is hella cute."

"Stop. Please, stop." she shuts her eyes tightly.

"Why, what's wrong?"

She grabs her head and pulls her knees up, "Stop! Please, Stop!" She screams.

Since the motel parking lot was only a few feet away, I kept driving, "Vivian? What's the matter?"

"STOP! PLEASE! STOP!" She screams even louder over and over again.

I pull into the parking lot and park my car quickly, "Viv, hey, baby, what's wrong?" I say as I unbuckle us both.

I get out of the car and run over to her side, throw the door open and pull her into me.

"Stop, please, stop..." she says faintly.
"Shhhh, Vivian, what's wrong?"

Even though her faint screams have been replaced by silent, violent sobs, I can still hear her screams.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I ask softly, not wanting to scare her with my own fear.

Vivian
"Baby, what's wrong?" a soft, calming voice asks, bringing me back into reality.

My head starts pounding and I start crying again.

"Vivian? Are you okay?" a familiar voice asked. It's the same voice.

"W-w-w-what happened?" I ask them.

"You tell me, love. You started screaming and I don't know why," It's Jayden. How could I forget that?

I wrap my arms around his back and tell him everything...

"My father, as you already know this, is a terrible man. I was around ten years old and he brought some friends home from the bar. They were all drunk. He grabbed me by my hair and threw me against the wall. His drunken friends pulled out pocket knives and removed my shirt. They cut my stomach, my breasts, my shoulders. When my mother walked in with another man who had her lipstick all over his neck and the collar of his shirt, my father became furious," I stop to collect my self, "he blamed it all on me. He kept saying 'you're the reason the woman I love is sleeping around with other men' and kicked me in the stomach. I kept getting cut and beat that by the time I couldn't take it anymore, my father said 'make a sound and I'll kill you.'" I stop and shamefully look down at my lap and found that I was basically straddling him, "I started screaming at him to stop but he wouldn't. He said 'I warned you' and dragged me by my neck down to the basement. He chained me up and beat me so badly that I should've died. But I didn't. You saved me. You're the only reason why I'm still here."

"I'm glad you're not dead." He says soberly.

"Me too. Thank you for saving my life, Jayden. Twice." I say.

"You don't have to thank me."

"I want to, so let me," I say.

"Okay," He says to me, giving in to me, "hey, Viv?"

"Hm?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask," I say, placing a kiss on his cheek teasing him.

"I know I don't, I just felt like it," he says with a small smile and kisses me, "as much as I like this, your going to need to get off before I lose my self-control."

"I don't wanna move though." I tease.

"You're going to need to. Please?" he gives me puppy dog eyes.

"Fine," I groan.

"I'm going to go check in, okay?" I nod, getting off of his lap, "get your stuff out of her car and I'll meet you guys over there.

"I was comfortable, you know," I mutter under my breath.

"I know you were, but I was starting to... Nevermind," he says, turning a little red.