Chapter 9
Meanwhile at the bottom floor of the parking lot, Jeff and Matt stuck their bags in the trunk of the rent-a-car." "Guess she really is gone. Oh, well I'll talk to her tomor..."
"AAH!" A surprised scream interrupted Matt and both brothers looked up at the second floor in shock then both jumped into the car and burned rubber up the ramp. Matt could feel the anger burning his blood. He could feel that something was very very wrong in his stomach and looked at Jeff who was already holding on the door handle, ready to jump out. Matt focused his eyes and was shocked to see Corinne being pushed up on one of the cement poles of the parking lot.
"Shit Jeff, it's Corinne, grab the wheel!" Matt yelled, placing the car in neutral to slow it down and opened the car door even as the car was going.
It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion in his head. He could see Corinne struggling with the man as he held her hands up on the pole and kissed her roughly, his hands pulling at her clothes. He could see her bringing up her knee to kick him in the balls but the guy stood feet apart as if he expected her to do that. He could hear her struggle against the man and his mind went blank in rage and all he could remember was Jeff pulling him off of the guy as Bobby, who had run out in the commotion held Corinne in his arms. As soon as Matt was off of Ben, Bobby let go of Corinne and punched Ben.
"You asshole! I can't believe you did that!" He yelled at his brother.
Ben held up his hand to his nose, which was now bleeding, and his right eye was already in the process of turning purple. Matt continued to struggle against Jeff, his anger still not in control. He just wanted to pound the guy until he couldn't see the fear in Corinne's face anymore. She walked over to him and touched him softly on the shoulder.
"Matt." She said softly, still in shock of the attack.
Jeff let go of his brother sensing a lot of the anger in Matt go away at the simple touch of the girl and looked down at her, knowing that he had never seen this happen to his brother before. Her hands were shaking and Matt could see the fear in her eyes but somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, knew that killing the guy in front of her wouldn't help the situation.
"Corinne, I'm so sorry. I'll call the..." Bobby began, but unable to finish his sentence. While he knew that what Ben had done was wrong, he still didn't want to be the one to call the police.
"No Bobby. I'm not pressing charges." She said faintly.
"What?!" Matt and Jeff said simultaneously.
"Corinne, please, I know he's my brother, but you should report this. It's wrong. I understand." Bobby said.
"No, just let me talk to him for a minute alone."
"But!" Matt protested but was stopped by the anger in her eyes.
Gone was the fear and now was a fiery anger he had not witnessed yet. Jeff pulled his brother about two feet away form them, and Bobby followed suit. Corinne grabbed Ben by the lapels of his shirt and pushed him up to the pole. She kicked his balls and then took out her mace, and as soon as he looked up from holding his crotch, she sprayed his eyes with the mace and kicked him once again. He fell to the floor clutching his crotch and his eyes, screaming in pain. Corinne stood back in a stagnant pose, as Bobby picked up his brother and walked away with him.
She clenched and unclenched her fists, and refused to the urge she had to cry, refusing to let him see the tears. Matt and Jeff, unsure of what to do or say, stood back and watched as the brothers disappeared from view and then Corinne sat down on the floor of the parking lot and started crying, her shoulders trembling at the strength of her sobs. Matt quickly sat down next to her and pulled her to him.
"It's okay, Corinne, it's okay. Breathe honey, breathe." He murmured against her ear.
Jeff went back to the car and pulled out a t-shirt, which he quickly handed to Matt.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm being stupid, I mean he didn't really do anything, I was just so scared." Corinne said against his chest as he helped her stand up.
"No, you have every right to be upset. Come on, let's put this shirt on you," Matt responded, trying hard to keep his voice mellow for as he looked down at her and saw the naked fear and anguish in her eyes, and the shirt almost ripped off of her, he could feel his anger swelling again.
"Do you want to call someone? Your parents, a friend?" Jeff said, taking out his cell phone from his pocket.
"No, I don't want to upset them. I'll be fine, I just need to get away from here. I'll call a cab." She said, her voice shaking.
"Well, I'm not letting you go anywhere alone. You're coming with us."
"I don't even know you. Why would you want to help me?" She said, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, oh god, you just saved me from...I'm sorry. I just..."
"It's okay. Come on, let's go." Matt said.
"Let me just get my..." Corinne began.
Jeff, who had been quiet during the whole ordeal stood up and said, "No, just get in the car. I'll get everything for you. I don't want you going near that place." She smiled gratefully to him, knowing that she probably would not have been able to handle going near the car either.
"Umm, I need to go home and get some clothes and take shower and..."
"Don't worry about it, just tell me what exit it's on."
"Exit 9 on I95," she mumbled taking her bags from Jeff and climbing into the back of the car as Matt climbed into the driver's seat and Jeff into the passenger seat, and drove in silence.
"Make a right at the end of the ramp." Corinne said softly, the first words spoken since they had pulled out of the garage.
As they pulled out Matt looked and saw the WWF building just about a block away from the exit. "Do you live really close to here?" he asked.
"Uh yeah, just turn right over here and go straight."
Matt followed her directions, pulling into a road called Courtland Avenue and looked around. He passed by a small church, and some houses, a huge difference from the urban like setting the Titan Tower was in. As they drove over a short bridge, he stopped at a red light.
"Make another right here please and just go down the next street on the left."
"Oakdale Rd.?" Jeff asked as they drove closer.
"Yeah, that's it. The 5th house on the left is mine," She said pointing out a small yellow house. Matt pulled into the short driveway and waited as she got out of the car.
"Umm, you guys can come in," Corinne said, leaning into the door with an attempted smile on her face.
Matt and Jeff climbed out of the car as Corinne took out her keys, but her hands were shaking still from the ordeal and couldn't quite get the key inside the keyhole. She turned around to ask one of them to open the door, but Matt simply took her hand in his and helped her inset the key. She smiled gratefully to him and turned on a light in the small hallway. Matt and Jeff stepped in, surprised at the décor of the house since from the outside it had looked so small and feminine, and inside it was decorated rather in a homey but eclectic manner with scattered rugs on the hardwood floor and funky portraits on the wall.
"I'm just going to go take a quick shower, umm you want me to make some coffee before I go?" She asked.
"No, just tell me where the kitchen is and I'll make some coffee," Matt said.
"Umm, thanks, it's right over there, and the living room is right here, so if you need to make a phone call, the phones right there," Corinne answered walking to back, "Oh and guys, thank you so much again, I just... I'm sorry I kind of freaked out on you back at the arena, I just..."
"Don't worry about it Corinne. We understand," Matt answered as Jeff nodded in accord. She smiled again and walked away. "Let me go make that coffee." Matt said, leading the way to the room she had pointed out.
Meanwhile at the bottom floor of the parking lot, Jeff and Matt stuck their bags in the trunk of the rent-a-car." "Guess she really is gone. Oh, well I'll talk to her tomor..."
"AAH!" A surprised scream interrupted Matt and both brothers looked up at the second floor in shock then both jumped into the car and burned rubber up the ramp. Matt could feel the anger burning his blood. He could feel that something was very very wrong in his stomach and looked at Jeff who was already holding on the door handle, ready to jump out. Matt focused his eyes and was shocked to see Corinne being pushed up on one of the cement poles of the parking lot.
"Shit Jeff, it's Corinne, grab the wheel!" Matt yelled, placing the car in neutral to slow it down and opened the car door even as the car was going.
It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion in his head. He could see Corinne struggling with the man as he held her hands up on the pole and kissed her roughly, his hands pulling at her clothes. He could see her bringing up her knee to kick him in the balls but the guy stood feet apart as if he expected her to do that. He could hear her struggle against the man and his mind went blank in rage and all he could remember was Jeff pulling him off of the guy as Bobby, who had run out in the commotion held Corinne in his arms. As soon as Matt was off of Ben, Bobby let go of Corinne and punched Ben.
"You asshole! I can't believe you did that!" He yelled at his brother.
Ben held up his hand to his nose, which was now bleeding, and his right eye was already in the process of turning purple. Matt continued to struggle against Jeff, his anger still not in control. He just wanted to pound the guy until he couldn't see the fear in Corinne's face anymore. She walked over to him and touched him softly on the shoulder.
"Matt." She said softly, still in shock of the attack.
Jeff let go of his brother sensing a lot of the anger in Matt go away at the simple touch of the girl and looked down at her, knowing that he had never seen this happen to his brother before. Her hands were shaking and Matt could see the fear in her eyes but somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, knew that killing the guy in front of her wouldn't help the situation.
"Corinne, I'm so sorry. I'll call the..." Bobby began, but unable to finish his sentence. While he knew that what Ben had done was wrong, he still didn't want to be the one to call the police.
"No Bobby. I'm not pressing charges." She said faintly.
"What?!" Matt and Jeff said simultaneously.
"Corinne, please, I know he's my brother, but you should report this. It's wrong. I understand." Bobby said.
"No, just let me talk to him for a minute alone."
"But!" Matt protested but was stopped by the anger in her eyes.
Gone was the fear and now was a fiery anger he had not witnessed yet. Jeff pulled his brother about two feet away form them, and Bobby followed suit. Corinne grabbed Ben by the lapels of his shirt and pushed him up to the pole. She kicked his balls and then took out her mace, and as soon as he looked up from holding his crotch, she sprayed his eyes with the mace and kicked him once again. He fell to the floor clutching his crotch and his eyes, screaming in pain. Corinne stood back in a stagnant pose, as Bobby picked up his brother and walked away with him.
She clenched and unclenched her fists, and refused to the urge she had to cry, refusing to let him see the tears. Matt and Jeff, unsure of what to do or say, stood back and watched as the brothers disappeared from view and then Corinne sat down on the floor of the parking lot and started crying, her shoulders trembling at the strength of her sobs. Matt quickly sat down next to her and pulled her to him.
"It's okay, Corinne, it's okay. Breathe honey, breathe." He murmured against her ear.
Jeff went back to the car and pulled out a t-shirt, which he quickly handed to Matt.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm being stupid, I mean he didn't really do anything, I was just so scared." Corinne said against his chest as he helped her stand up.
"No, you have every right to be upset. Come on, let's put this shirt on you," Matt responded, trying hard to keep his voice mellow for as he looked down at her and saw the naked fear and anguish in her eyes, and the shirt almost ripped off of her, he could feel his anger swelling again.
"Do you want to call someone? Your parents, a friend?" Jeff said, taking out his cell phone from his pocket.
"No, I don't want to upset them. I'll be fine, I just need to get away from here. I'll call a cab." She said, her voice shaking.
"Well, I'm not letting you go anywhere alone. You're coming with us."
"I don't even know you. Why would you want to help me?" She said, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, oh god, you just saved me from...I'm sorry. I just..."
"It's okay. Come on, let's go." Matt said.
"Let me just get my..." Corinne began.
Jeff, who had been quiet during the whole ordeal stood up and said, "No, just get in the car. I'll get everything for you. I don't want you going near that place." She smiled gratefully to him, knowing that she probably would not have been able to handle going near the car either.
"Umm, I need to go home and get some clothes and take shower and..."
"Don't worry about it, just tell me what exit it's on."
"Exit 9 on I95," she mumbled taking her bags from Jeff and climbing into the back of the car as Matt climbed into the driver's seat and Jeff into the passenger seat, and drove in silence.
"Make a right at the end of the ramp." Corinne said softly, the first words spoken since they had pulled out of the garage.
As they pulled out Matt looked and saw the WWF building just about a block away from the exit. "Do you live really close to here?" he asked.
"Uh yeah, just turn right over here and go straight."
Matt followed her directions, pulling into a road called Courtland Avenue and looked around. He passed by a small church, and some houses, a huge difference from the urban like setting the Titan Tower was in. As they drove over a short bridge, he stopped at a red light.
"Make another right here please and just go down the next street on the left."
"Oakdale Rd.?" Jeff asked as they drove closer.
"Yeah, that's it. The 5th house on the left is mine," She said pointing out a small yellow house. Matt pulled into the short driveway and waited as she got out of the car.
"Umm, you guys can come in," Corinne said, leaning into the door with an attempted smile on her face.
Matt and Jeff climbed out of the car as Corinne took out her keys, but her hands were shaking still from the ordeal and couldn't quite get the key inside the keyhole. She turned around to ask one of them to open the door, but Matt simply took her hand in his and helped her inset the key. She smiled gratefully to him and turned on a light in the small hallway. Matt and Jeff stepped in, surprised at the décor of the house since from the outside it had looked so small and feminine, and inside it was decorated rather in a homey but eclectic manner with scattered rugs on the hardwood floor and funky portraits on the wall.
"I'm just going to go take a quick shower, umm you want me to make some coffee before I go?" She asked.
"No, just tell me where the kitchen is and I'll make some coffee," Matt said.
"Umm, thanks, it's right over there, and the living room is right here, so if you need to make a phone call, the phones right there," Corinne answered walking to back, "Oh and guys, thank you so much again, I just... I'm sorry I kind of freaked out on you back at the arena, I just..."
"Don't worry about it Corinne. We understand," Matt answered as Jeff nodded in accord. She smiled again and walked away. "Let me go make that coffee." Matt said, leading the way to the room she had pointed out.