Author's Note: I hope everyone's okay after the last chapter. This one isn't as graphic. Please read, review, and enjoy!

The Night Before the Sunrise

Chapter 3

Arin woke up to the dim light that filled the room. Her mind instantly buzzed with everything that happened last night. She trembled as her arms ached from where Pete had held her down. She pulled her skirt back where it belonged and smoothed it out in a state of panic then she examined her arms. They had obvious bruises on them where he had grabbed her; she covered them and shivered in the middle of the cool room. After a few moments she got up and stretched. She gave out a small yelp as a searing pain drove into her side. She lifted her shirt to find the exact pattern of the belt reddened and bruised across her side. As far as she knew he hadn't broken any ribs, but she was really hurting. She took her place back in her corner across from the door and examined herself further.

She was pretty thin but still sort of strong from struggling against Pete and occasionally John but only when he was drunk. Pete just came and did whatever he wanted to her whenever he wanted to, whether he was drunk or not. Pete was a ruthless 17-year-old she had liked in high school and John was his 'best man'. When Arin first met him she thought it was cool to have an older guy like her, especially since she was new this year. He had invited her to a party and they ended up in the back of the old van he had bought off from some plumbing company. It had no windows in the back and the third row of seats had been torn out and replaced with a small mattress. She cried lightly as she remembered how at first she was happy but soon scared after Pete wouldn't stop. She remembered how she had begged him and tried to get away but he was too strong. After he was done he just left closing the cloth curtain behind him. Then he called John.

She was jolted out of her thoughts yet again by the lock. She turned to wait for the door to open but hesitated. She didn't want to see. She buried her face in her arms as they rested on her knees. She heard the door squeal open and footsteps as someone stepped inside. The steps approached her but the voice they belonged to remained silent. They stopped a foot from her as stayed there. A hand landed gently on her shoulder with a soft voice to match.

"Rin? I brought you something to eat." Arin's heart warmed and her head shot up.

"Matt!" She smiled. He was the one joy in her life for nearly month. Matt put a finger to his lips and whispered.

"The guy's don't know I'm in here." She tensed; Matt still had his hand on her shoulder. "Sorry." He said quickly removing it. Arin could almost say she loved Matt but after what Pete and John did to her, were still doing to her, she would never trust a guy's touch again. Matt got dragged into this whole thing. Pete and John had the whole thing planned out before hand and when Peter called John, John persuaded Matt to come too. Matt had sworn to her that he didn't know exactly where he was going. He just remembered that John said something about getting to 'know some girls'. As shallow as he had been to come, Arin considered it a miracle on her part that he did. After Matt had figured out what was going on he tried to convince Pete and John out of it but Pete had been drinking and had a gun so his argument didn't get far. He came with though. That part Arin still didn't understand.

"So, how about that breakfast? Are you hungry?" She quickly nodded and Matt got up and grabbed a plate from outside the doorway and brought it in. The only reason he had to ask if she was hungry was because sometimes she wouldn't eat after a night with Pete but she passed out before most of it so she would today. He brought in a plate of eggs with fried hot dogs and a glass of juice.

"Thank you." She said gratefully but quietly. He sat next to her at what she considered a comfortable distance. She ate and he sat silently beside her on the floor. "Matt?" She asked after she finished her food.

"Yeah," He looked her straight in the eye. He knew that if he looked at her any other way it would upset her.

"Why did you stay?" He gave her a confused look but still held her eyes. "After you tried to get Pete and John to let me go. Why did you stay? You didn't even know me then." He seemed to hesitate before speaking.

"I didn't want to leave you alone, especially with them. I knew I had parents that would never stop looking for me. So if your parents gave up, as long as I was with you people would still look for us." Arin let tears slide down her cheeks. Matt wanted to wipe them away but knew she would take it the wrong way. Arin leaned lightly on his shoulder. It was the first time she had touched him like that. He started to put his arm around her and watched to see if she tensed up and felt nervous. Arin leaned closer to him and Matt put his arm around her. She gave him all her trust and loyalty as she cried.

"Matt!" A voice from downstairs called. Arin returned to her normal tensed, nervous state as Matt got up. Arin stayed sitting on the ground.

"I'll come bring you something if I can around noon, okay?" He unbuckled his belt and grabbed her plate. He nearly ran into John as he came out.

"Hey, there you are, man." John said smiling at him but eyeing the plate suspiciously.

"Yeah, I just gave her something to eat and she gave me something in return." He faked a smile back. He handed John the plate and buckled his belt for show. He faked things to him and Pete all the time just to prevent them from getting suspicious.

"It's a little early for that kinda thing ain't it?" John smiled mischievously.

"Hey, you know it's never too early for a little action!" Matt lied.

"Amen!" John said giving him a high five. Matt had a feeling John was just getting over a bad hangover from last night. Arin listened to every word through the door. She believed Matt was lying but could never really tell. She trusted him but after being abused the way she was it felt so wrong to have Matt talk about her like that. The two went back downstairs and left Arin alone. Matt returned at noon with a sandwich for her.

"I… I heard Pete come in here last night…" He looked at her sincerely, "Are you okay?" Arin looked away from him. She knew that he just wanted to make sure she was all right but she was never okay after Pete had his way with her.

"Yeah… I guess. He used his belt again. I passed out before most of it though…" She confessed, she bit her lip and held back the pain.

"I'm sorry." Matt wished above all things that he could get her out of here and heal her wounds but Pete never left the house or his gun. He sent John and Matt whenever they needed anything and was never without his pistol. "Pete wanted me and John to go get some beer for him tonight. I'll try to keep him away from you."

"Okay. Thanks." She managed to give him a small smile before he left for the night. Later that night, she gazed out the window again. At least there was a moon out tonight.