Disclaimer: 4 more days, maybe? Please? No? Okay...
A/N: If you don't already know, I changed this from a one-shot to a multi-chapter story.
Alright, this has to be one of the hardest things I've written for a few reasons. One, I've been through what Carly went through. Numerous times. So some of this is...well, you know. Which brings me to another thing. After some of the reviews that you guys left, I realize I forgot to warn you that this story will be depressing. There won't be any more drug use, but there will be alcohol later on.
This chapter contains Carly's POV of the night and the next morning. And you have a choice. If you choose not to relive the events, then skip the italics. It will pick up where chapter 1 left off.
Thank you for reading.
Chapter 2
Carly's POV
"Come on, Carly, it will be fun."He told me, holding out the joint for me to take. I'd always been the straight girl, the one who never did drugs or drank alcohol, but I'd already done the both at every party I'd been to. I hated it, but I loved John and if he did it, maybe I should too. Okay, so maybe my thoughts were a little jumbled because of the booze, but it seemed like a good idea. So I sat there and got high and drunk and the next thing I knew I was being pinned to a bed and John was hurting me. He was biting me, too viciously to take pleasure in at all. He was gripping from my upper arms to my wrists so tight I was sure he was leaving marks, along with his teeth across my body, and I struggled against him. He hit me over and over until I felt like I was going to die.
I wasn't drugged, I knew that much. He was just really strong. At some point he let go of my wrists to grab the waist of my jeans and I fought him. I didn't want this, not here, and not with him. His fingers closed around my throat and I clawed at both of his hands, trying to stop him. Thinking of what Sam would do in this situation, I kicked my knee up as hard I could, catching him in the groin, and he groaned, rolling off of me.
I ran. I sprinted out of there at full speed, past the drunk and high teenagers, out into the street and clear across town. My lungs were burning and I could feel my throat close up, but I couldn't stop. What if he was behind me? I climbed the fire escape of a familiar apartment building and opened the window of my destination. Climbing in, I looked across the room at the blonde I had been avoiding for so long. Why I had come here, I'll never know.
She reached somewhere and tossed me an old inhaler, and I tried to control my breathing. "Sam…" I gasped, and Sam's out of bed, but she didn't move after that. I felt so stupid, being here after six months of having nothing to do with her. It's not that I hated her; that could never happen. I was just confused about how she kissed me at that party and how I thought I loved John and God I shouldn't even be here, in her bedroom. I'm such an idiot. I pushed my hood back and tried to find something to say. "Sam…" I whispered and fell to my knees, sobbing. Sam was suddenly beside me, holding me close and rocking me back and forth, her face in my neck. My arms were around her waist, where they belonged even when I was being stupid.
"What happened, Carls?" she asked. Everything came flooding back, things I didn't want to remember, but I had to tell her. I knew she wanted to go and kill him, which is why I had her in the tightest grip I could manage, silently pleading her not to leave me. I couldn't take any more time without her in my life.
Sam picked me up and carried me to the bathroom, setting me on the toilet. I didn't want her to, but I made no move to stop her as she unzipped my jacket and helping me take it off. My arms were sore from where he had grabbed me over and over again. She held my hands, examining my wrists and arms and then at me, her hands reaching for the hem of my shirt. My brain screamed "no", and she knew it. The look on her face was that of fear and concern, but I was terrified. I couldn't go through this. "Sam…"
She didn't move her hands, just stared at me. "Carly, I need to see everything he did to you." I needed to trust her. I had to. But I know Sam, and I know that when she sees my body, she's going to want to go after him even worse than before. Plus, she was my best friend and she was…interested in me. She made that clear at the party when she kissed me, and I didn't know how far she would take her feelings for me. Hell, she could pretend to love me right now and then I'd be in the same situation, running from her. I trusted her more than I trusted John, but still, she wanted something from me, no matter what. What if she decided that I'm too weak to fight anymore and just make things worse? "Do you want me to leave and let you look?" I shook my head and yelped in pain. I had forgotten his hand had been around my throat. Her fists were tight at the hem of my shirt when her eyes finally met mine and I shook my head, resting my hands on her shoulders. I trusted her not to do anything. "Carly…did he…did you get away before…?" I nodded and grabbed her hands when she let go of my shirt.
"Sam…I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm sorry for everything. The way I treated you at the party…you didn't deserve that. I let a guy get between us and look how it turned out. I'm so stupid, and I'm sorry." She shook her head and I fought the tears that were coming. I pulled her hands back to my shirt, and she gently pulled it over my head and over her shoulder to join my jacket. Her eyes were closed, and I wondered if she really didn't want to see the marks, but she needed to. She wanted to. "Sam, you can look." I could see the change in her eyes, the need to kill him. She cleaned the bite marks, and I dug my fingernails into her shoulders. This shit was killing me! I bit my lip to keep from screaming out, and when she was finished she turned the knobs in the shower, checking the water. "Thank you, Sam," I murmured, hugging her. She tensed when I did and I realized she was fighting the fact that I was only half-dressed. Sam kissed my forehead and left the bathroom, closing the door.
I finished undressing and stepped into the shower, wincing as the water sprayed over my wounds and sensitive skin. The water did help me relax, though, and I tried not to think of what had happened earlier tonight. I could never go back. I needed Sam more than anything now, as my best friend because I had nowhere to go. Eventually I climbed out of the shower and found the clean clothes Sam must have brought into the bathroom. I dried off and dressed and headed back to Sam's room. The blonde stood up and pulled back the blanket for me. I slipped under the blanket and she reached for the other pillow, my hand automatically grabbing her wrist. I needed her to stay with me tonight, to keep the nightmare away.
Things were going to be different from now on. The moment I curled up next to her with my arm around her waist and my head on her shoulder, I knew that things were going to change. I needed her in every possible way, as my best friend especially. "We're both stupid," I muttered, seconds before I fell asleep.
I woke up screaming, pushing every thought of last night out of my head. I can't deal with it, with what that asshole tried to do to me, and when I felt arms around me, stroking my hair, and a voice whispering in my ear that everything's going to be okay, I cried. I don't know why, but I cried. "Shh, it's okay, Carls. I'm here." And I believed her. She lay back down, pulling me with her, holding me close and rubbing my back. I felt a little better, knowing that she was there for me, but still the nightmare wasn't just in my head. It had actually happened.
I couldn't fall asleep again. Memories haunted me, even if Sam was there to protect me. She couldn't save me from everything. I looked at Sam, who's watching me, waiting for me to go to sleep. "I'm sorry, Sam," I whispered. She shakes her head and pulled me closer, kissing the top of my head.
"You're alright, Carly. I swear I'm going to kick his ass, though. Who the hell does he think he is, trying to take advantage of a girl, his girlfriend even?" And I knew how Sam felt about me, but she didn't do anything that John ever did. Her hands didn't stray, nor did they make me uncomfortable. She didn't try to kiss me again, and I doubt she would, even if I kissed her right now. Why couldn't I have chosen Sam over that asshole? Would we even be here like this if I had?
Morning came faster than I thought, even though I hadn't slept at all after the last nightmare. Sam had stayed awake with me, trying to comfort me, and I felt bad that she had lost sleep for me. I didn't deserve that. And when she mentioned calling Spencer to come and pick me up, I panicked. I didn't want him to see me like this. "No, Sam…I don't want to go home." She just stared at me and eventually sighed, calling him anyway, telling him that I would be staying with her for a few days.
"He said it was fine that you stay with me for a few days, Carls." I nodded and she pulled me into a hug. "You know you can stay here as long as you want and need." It's these times that I never knew why Sam was so forgiving and protective of me. I guess I knew that now. "Are you hungry? When was the last time you ate?" I shrugged because I don't remember. Grabbing my hand, she led me to the kitchen and sat me down in a chair at the kitchen table before going to the fridge. "We have bacon, ham, eggs, leftover pizza…or we have toaster stuff. What do you feel like eating?"
Honestly, nothing. But I couldn't tell her that because she was going to make me eat one way or another. "Bacon and eggs," I muttered and she nodded, instantly going into chef mode, which I've seen her in so many times. She's always so serious in this mode, and if anyone even attempts to touch a single object in the kitchen while she's cooking, she'd inflict pain. I didn't even notice when she set the plate of food in front on me.
She seemed to read my mind when I frowned. "You have to eat something, Carly. I know you're…but starving yourself isn't going to help anything." I nodded slowly and took a bite, just to make her happy. Sam's ringtone blared from across the table and I jumped. The blonde looked at me apologetically and answered her phone. "Hello? Yeah…she's here…What? Are you fucking serious? Hang on." She turned to me. "Do you mind if the nub comes over?" I shake my head vigorously and yelp. "Damn it, be careful! And he's our best friend too, Carls. You know he won't judge." For the next five minutes, it was a staring contest. Finally I nodded. "Come on over, Benson. Just…come in when you get here. She's jumpy."
I waited silently until she hung up. "What's going on?" I asked her. She frowned and stole a piece of bacon from my plate, kissing my forehead before eating it. She didn't answer, just crossed the kitchen to clean up the stove. "Sam…" She looked at me. "Sam, what happened? Why is Freddie coming over?" I knew that Freddie was harmless and wouldn't do anything to me, but right now I couldn't take being around another male.
"He'll explain when he gets here. Carly…we don't want you to be uncomfortable, but we can't walk on eggshells. You have to tell us what will make you feel better, otherwise one of us might say the wrong thing and we don't want you to be upset." I nodded and she held out her hand, waiting for me to decide whether or not to take it. I pulled her into an awkward hug and kissed her cheek. "No matter what, Carls…I'm here."