Here is the next update! Thank you Margaret, bkworm4life4, and Penlew for your reviews. I really appreciate them! Amber
Chapter 13
Claire was in the formal living room in Arlington waiting for her sister to come home. She was on the sofa waiting for the SUV to pull up. Her grandmother had called her to come eat lunch twice but she wasn't hungry. She wanted her sister. She had gotten a text from her mother that they would be landing soon. Now she was waiting non to patiently. Another minivan pulled up. Claire recognized it as the Culpepper's. She opened the door before they could ring the bell. Claire hugged Ben. Ben returned it. He soothed. "Have you been able to sleep at all?"
"Hell no...you."
Ben chuckled. "Not a wink."
Claire stepped to the side. "Come in. Hi Dr. Culpepper. Do you want a drink?"
"Thank you dear, but I'm fine. Ben just wanted to see Brooke for a minute with his own eyes."
Claire gestured to the seats. "I can understand that." She gestured to the piano. "Want me to play something?"
Ben smiled. "Sure Beethoven's fifth symphony?"
Claire rolled her eyes. "Please give me somewhat of a challenge. How about Chopin Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor. I've been working on it for my competition. It will help me practice."
Dr. Culpepper nodded. "I love Chopin, go for it dear."
Claire began to play. Her grandmother, Uncle Joe with Alex, and Aunt Vanessa with Allen came in as well to listen. Ben was pleasantly surprised at Claire's talent. She was playing the piece with relative ease. Her expressions and movements were incredible. When the eight minute movement was over they all clapped. Cassandra stood up clapping. "That was absolutely lovely dear! You play like that at your competition and you're going to win."
"Thanks." She stood up just as the SUV pulled up. "They're here!" Claire ran out the door without her shoes or her jacket. She didn't care at the moment. "Brooke!"
She threw her arms around her sister and cried. Brooke hugged her back just as hard. "Hey kiddo where are your shoes?"
"Inside." Claire sniffled. "I just finished playing Chopin. You missed it."
Frank put his jacket over Claire's shoulders. "Let's get into the house. I don't want either of you to catch a cold."
Brooke and Claire, still wrapped around each other, went into the house. Brooke saw her family and Ben and her eyes filled with tears. "I didn't think I'd see you all again. I was so scared."
Ben stood up and went and hugged her. "You survived it. Whatever happened you survived it."
Brooke couldn't meet his eyes. Did he have a sixth sense or something? "That's what Grandpa said."
Her grandmother came and hugged her next. "We love you sweetheart."
"I know Nana." She bit her lip. "Um...I don't mean to be rude but I want to take a shower."
Dr. Culpepper said. "You aren't being rude. Did you want Ben to stay or do you want alone time?"
Brooke knew she had to tell him what happened. Best to get it over with. "He can stay for a bit."
Frank nodded. "I'll make sure to get him home at a reasonable hour."
Dr. Culpepper made a tisking sound. "It's not a school night. He can stay as late as you will allow."
Brooke squeezed Ben's hand. "Meet me in the rec room on the third floor."
"Alright."
Callie said. "There's drinks and snacks up there. Help yourself Ben."
"Thank you Mrs. Hardy."
Brooke hurried up the stairs and closed the door to her bedroom. She went into her bathroom and turned on the water to a scalding temperature. She found a pair of leggings and a long sleeve t-shirt, bra, and thick socks. She washed her hair twice, then scrubbed her body three times. She was careful of the area between her legs. It was very painful, but she washed it nonetheless. She stepped out and grabbed two towels. Her skin was pink but she didn't care, she felt much better. She put on her clothes and pulled her wet hair into a ponytail and called herself done. She opened her door to find Claire standing there.
Claire raised an eyebrow. "You look like a lobster."
"Well I hadn't showered in a couple days."
"You look sad aren't you happy to be home?"
Brooke hugged her sister. "Of course I'm happy to be home. It was just a bad experience. I need a little time to shrug it off okay."
"Okay. I'm going to go practice my piano some more. Give you and Ben some time alone."
"Thanks kiddo." She watched her sister go downstairs then she went up to the third floor. Ben was waiting on the sectional. He was watching CNN. He had popped some popcorn and grabbed them a couple sodas. She sat down beside him. "Hi."
Ben replied back. "Hi. How are you holding up?"
Brooke's eyes filled with tears. "Not well. It was so awful, Ben I can't tell you in detail yet. I had to do it once with the FBI and that was bad enough. I'm going to have to testify." She started crying.
Ben took her hand. He was mindful of the distance that she had put between them. He had hoped that she hadn't been touched but he knew she had because of the way she avoided looking in his eyes. "You don't have to tell me anything if you aren't ready Brooke."
She sobbed. "But I do have to tell you some of it. It affects our relationship."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"I didn't want to. I swear! The leader, his name was Juan, he said I was a specimen, the most valuable one. He had me kidnapped because he has clients who like young girls...like to have sex with young girls. He does too apparently because he was the first. Oh Ben I'm sorry."
Ben had to bite his lip to hold back his own tears. His poor girlfriend! "Don't be sorry, it's not your fault."
"I didn't want to! But he held a gun to my head and made me."
'God she must have been terrified!' Ben squeezed her hand. It was cold. He grabbed a throw and put it around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. Your dad caught them."
"Oh god my poor daddy. He came into my cell when one of the clients was with me. I could see his face. He was so furious. I'm surprised he didn't kill him. When he didn't get off me like he said, my daddy pulled him off me and slammed him against the wall. I think he broke his nose."
"Good." Ben said.
"Ben, if you just want to be friends. I'll understand. I betrayed you and my parents. They taught me better than this. I should have fought."
Ben was gobsmacked. 'She seriously thinks I want to break up! Well no...more like hell no. He wasn't going to let these men make her feel anything other than a beautiful person. Betrayed? Seriously!' "Brooke the only one who has been betrayed is you. They shouldn't have touched you. You told them no right?"
"Yes, all three of them. I said I don't want to. I begged the second and third ones. But they still did."
"You haven't been with anyone willingly and that is what matters. You had a gun pointed at your head. If you hadn't they may have killed you. I'm glad you did what you had too. I'm a selfish guy. I want my girlfriend by my side."
"You still want me as your girlfriend?"
"Yes. I love you. I loved you the minute I met you in fifth grade."
"Oh god! Are you serious?"
"Very serious."
Brooke moved into his arms. He held her as she cried. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. I'm here, your family is here. You aren't alone."
