Chapter 23

2:00 pm

No one's POV

Charlotte woke up first when she heard voices muttering lowly. She was quickly alarmed but then quickly realized it was his parents and Piper, she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist her face was buried in his chest. She could feel his warm puffs of air coming out his nose onto her hair, she opened her eyes slowly they were both covered with a blanket.

"Let's take a picture before they wake up," Piper whispered before snapping a picture of the couple, Charlotte quickly closed her eyes so she looks asleep.

"No, let them sleep, Piper." His mom scolded her, Piper sighed and walked to her room before a quiet 'whatever'. When she heard everyone upstairs she slowly moved out of his hold and stood up and stretched out her cramped joints and yawned,

"Whoo, I needed that nap." She walked towards the bathroom and peed. She flushed the toilet and looked in the mirror she looks healthier than the person she was 3 weeks ago. This time she smiled at her reflection glad that she was getting better but the dooming feeling not leaving her she only had 3 days to make a choice and that didn't sit well with her. Detective Warren called her earlier this morning to tell her that they needed to go to the station to figure out a plan before Wednesday. Charlotte just wanted to vanish wishing this situation didn't exist maybe she could have been better off not dating him, if she'd seen the signs earlier she could have done something quick before he stole something that she valued. She looked away from the mirror in shame she wanted to run away from this bad place with Henry but she knew God didn't listen to her wishes. She left the bathroom and walked back to the couch to find Henry still sleeping, she took this as an opportunity to look through his room.

She carefully walked up the stairs and down the hallway, she saw pipers door open she peeked in,

"Hey, Piper!" Piper looked up from her phone, her eyes wide with excitement. She jumped up and hugged her.

"Hey, Charlotte! How are you? I missed you, this is like the first time I have seen you in months."

"I'm okay I've just been on a rough patch for the past year but I'm fine. How are you?" Charlotte dodged the question she knew it would be best if none of his family knew. It's not because she was embarrassed she just wasn't ready, but when this was over she can tell them.

"No how are you and my brother?" Piper asked with a smirk, Charlotte just laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we are dating."

"How long?" Piper questioned looking at her watch for emphasis.

"I don't know maybe a week, yeah a week." Piper looked at me with wide eyes and grinned.

"Oh my god! Wait what about-"

"He broke up with her a while ago." Charlotte cut her off, Piper sighed in relief.

"Oh good, I never did like her. Oh! Did y'all kiss yet?" Charlotte nodded. Making Piper squeal Charlotte jumped and covered her ears. Piper stopped quickly,

"Oh shit, I'm sorry." Charlotte took a breath,

"It's fine. I'll leave you back to what you were doing and I'll be looking in his room."

"Alright holler if you need anything."

"Will do," Charlotte said walking into his room. She went to his closet first, his clothes neatly hung on the rack, she looked at the bottom of his walk-in closet all she saw were pairs of shoes when a dark blue shoebox caught her eye.

"Oh what this?" She mused as she reached down to grab the shoe box. She glanced out the closet door to see if he's walking in the room when she didn't see anybody she turned her attention back to the box. She slowly took the top of the box, it was filled with old notebooks and a pair of gloves that I lost when I was 12. There were pictures of and me and him at various places, school dances, and summer camps the winter formal they went together last year it was before Jasper was controlling her every move. She

Grabbed the notebook that he used to write in during middle school, he called it his 'inner thoughts log' she would tease him and call it his diary. Henry never let her read it for some reason, the old worn spiral notebook was covered with drawings of various things. She flipped through the old pages with curious eyes,

"God I didn't think he still had these." She laughed as she flipped through the pages, she flipped to the middle and started reading a random entry.

' Dear Journal,

Aug 23, 2013

Today was the first day of middle school! The school is so big but luckily my best friends are by my side. I, Charlotte, and Jasper ate lunch together, and right before the 4th period started Charlotte kissed me on the cheek! I melted on the floor, well not literal but I felt like it. I'm so in love! Alright bye!'

Charlotte chuckled as she read it, she put the notebook back in the box with everything else and set it back in the place she found it, she wasn't going to be nosey like Henry. When everything was back in the way she found it, she turned off the lights and walked into his room she saw his laptop sitting on the edge of his bed, she grabbed his computer and was about to open it when a voice startled her.

"Hey don't look at my computer," Henry said with a yawn rubbing his eyes. Charlotte looked at him with a confused look.

"Why not?"

"Because it's a surprise I'm getting you."

"Well okay, what is it?"

"None of your business. It's a surprise for a reason." He muttered as he grabbed his laptop from her and opened it closing whatever window he had opened and opening a new window for her to look at.

"Okay honey." She said as he handed her his laptop. He sat his phone down on his nightstand.

"What were you doing in my room?" He asked walking into his closet to grab some clothes to wear to the police station.

"Nothing I was just looking around a bit." She smirked as she pulled up youtube typing a song in the search bar.

"Okay just don't look too hard." He muttered, pulling his shirt over his head now shirtless, she just stared at him and smirked. And pressed play, the song Don't take it personally by Lyrica Anderson

"You know I love this song!" Henry nodded and smiled as he looked for a shirt.

"I know you probably hate me, for always fucking with your head." They both sang, she stood up and put her socks on that were on the floor.

"I just don't know if you want me, or if you're really after my bread." She wrapped her arms around his neck,

"I do this to everyone so don't feel special yeah!" She kissed his cheek and laughed,

"You know we have to go to the station later on today." She said trying not to touch his bare chest she instead put one of her hands on his waist.

"I know. Are you ready?"

"Not really, I don't feel like going but she said that it was very important. What if he is there or something?"

"Baby I doubt it. If he was there he would be on the news right now."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But I'm still nervous." she chewed on her nail he pulled her hand away from her mouth.

"Don't bite on your nails, Char."

"It helps me ease my nerves." She muttered.

4:00 pm

At the police station

Charlotte, Henry, and Ray waited anxiously in the lobby of the police station. It's been an hour and a half since they got there and they haven't heard a word from anybody and it was making the trio more nervous. Gracia walked in greeting the trio,

"Good evening guys, I am here to lead you into the interrogation room. Warren will be in there in a few." they stood up as she lead them to the same room she was in a week ago. They all sat down in the metal chairs,

"Alright if you need anything just let me know. Warren will be here soon." Garcia said brightly closing the door behind her leaving the trio alone in the quiet room.

"Wow her attitude is very contagious. I love her hair." Ray said breaking the silence.

"Yeah me too. Do you think I could pull off red hair?" Henry asked facing Charlotte, she grinned

"I think you could pull it off. Just a little red but not full red like hers." She said laughing, Ray nodded agreeing with her. Someone knocked on the door and Detective Warren opened the door with an evidence bag in her hand with an unread look on her face. Charlotte knew it wasn't good news.

"Good evening Charlotte, Henry, and Mr. Manchester. Last night in the next county over there has been a brutal killing of a young woman, her body was found in a dumpster wrapped in a trash bag. There were signs of rape and post-mortem stabbing she died of strangulation."

"So what does that have to do with me?" Charlotte asked with a shaky voice, that what he liked to do. Choking Charlotte with his bare hands.

"Well in the dumpster with her body there was a letter written to you. Do you want to read it?" Charlotte felt her throat swell restricting her breathing, based on the type of killing she knew Jasper was probably pissed off. And that made her scared for the next time she's going to see him.

"Yeah, I guess so." She said wearily. She knew it was something in there that wasn't good. Warren handed her the evidence bag, in the bag, there was a piece of paper blood splattered on its corners.

'This is an example if you trying anything next time I see you. This one wasn't as good as you, she was too boring you react way better than she did. She fought back too much that's why I had to hush her up a bit. Can't wait till we love again serum meum.'

Charlotte dropped the evidence bag on the floor and rush out of the stuffy room. She wanted to throw up, she ran out the front doors of the station and threw up in a nearby bush. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, she bends over again to throw up but she was just dry heaving. Tears streamed down her face, her hands trembling she backed up to the brick wall and slid down to the floor. She cried silently why did she put herself in this situation? She knew God hated her. Charlotte wanted to disappear into thin air, she knew what he said was something to get under her skin. Charlotte was so embarrassed she couldn't believe that he would say something like that, both Henry and Ray were going to read it. She jumped when she felt someone touch her knee.

"Sorry, Char I didn't want to have you out here by yourself." She wiped her tears and looked up at him.

"I'm fine." He sat down on the ground beside her and wrapped an arm around her side and handed her a water bottle she accepted it.

"Thank you." She said taking a sip of water and spitting it out in the grass.

"What did the note say?" Charlotte looked at him hesitantly.

"You didn't read it?" Henry shook his head.

"No neither did Ray. When you ran out of the room we were sure you probably didn't want us to read it. And we didn't want to read it without your permission." Charlotte sighed in relief.

"Well, he just said that the victim was a warning and he wrote that he wasn't as good as I was. And she fought back too much he called me serum meuem."

"What does serum meuem mean?"

"It means 'my slave' in latian. He made sure I knew what that meant." Henry tightened his grip on her torso not to where it hurt just to prove a point

"He's a sick, and twisted person who needs to die. He shouldn't have laid a hand on you, I am going to make sure you will never be harmed by him again." Henry made her feel at ease, but she knew deep down that someone was going to get hurt if it wasn't her it was going to be Henry and that was her worst fear.

End of chapter 23...