Noah Centineo Imagines

The Girl-Brooks Rattigan

Brooks's POV

I looked up when I thought I heard a high pitched scream coming from outside the shop. I waited for any sign of trouble or someone hurt, but nothing happened. If someone hadn't just screamed, it would have been like a normal Sunday night.

I went back to work, cleaning the counter and going through my normal list of things I have to do before we closed. I sighed when I heard the bell above the door ring, signaling that someone had come in.

"We're about to close, but I can make you something real quick." My sentence dropped when I looked up and saw a girl barely holding herself up.

Her clothes were ripped, her hair was messy, and there were bruises forming on her arms. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but her knees gave out.

I instantly jumped over the counter and ran over to her. "Are you alright?" I reached for her but stopped when she flinched. "Hey," I said gently. "It's going to be okay. My name is Brooks. I'm not going to hurt you. Okay? I can help."

My breath got caught in my throat when she slowly looked up at me. As I stared at her, I couldn't help but feel like I'd seen her before. She studied me for a minute like she was trying to figure out if I was lying to her.

After a little bit of hesitation, she nodded. I quickly wrapped my arms around her and helped her stand up. I carefully led her over to a booth, figuring it would be more comfortable for her.

I knelt down next to her and gently reached up, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Can you tell me your name?" I asked gently.

"Y/N," she said, her voice shaking.

"It's nice to meet you, Y/N." I smiled, trying to help her relax. I reached over and gently grabbed her hand. "I promise that nothing else is going to happen to you. You're safe. Are you hungry? Do you want anything? On the house, of course."

"Maybe," she stuttered. I nodded, encouraging her to continue. "Maybe just some water?"

"Of course," I smiled as I stood up. I stopped when I noticed she hadn't let go of my hand. "Don't worry," I said instantly. "I'm going to be right over there. Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise."

She nodded before finally letting go of my hand. I sent her a reassuring smile before grabbing her a water bottle from the fridge. I quickly walked back and handed it to her. I grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat close to her.

"Y/N," I said softly after she had taken a drink. She looked up at me, waiting for me to ask what she knew I wanted to ask. "What happened to you?"

She took a shaky breath as she mentally prepared herself to retell the events that happened just moments ago. "I work at the restaurant down the street and was on my way to my car when this guy came out of nowhere. He started following me. I tried to get away from him. . . But, he kept. . ."

When her voice got caught in her throat, I reached over and grabbed her hand. She looked up at me, her eyes watering.

"Suddenly," she continued, "he grabbed me from behind, put his hand over my mouth and dragged me into the alleyway. I could barely see a thing, but I felt it. I felt them. There was another guy waiting for us, hiding in the shadows. Before I could do anything, they started. . . They kept. . . They wouldn't stop."

My heart sank into my stomach as a sob escaped her lips. I jumped up and sat next to her, not hesitating to wrap my arms around her.

"It's going to be okay," I whispered as she cried into my chest. "It's over. They can't hurt you anymore. I won't let them."