Chapter Eight of Strength to Make it Through
"So what did Ms. Oh need to talk to you about with Officer Turner?" Eli asked as we sat down at a bench in the park. We had just got out of the hospital. The nurse convinced everyone that I needed to go and get my head checked out to make sure that I didn't have a concussion. Dr. Lee was excited to see me for my check-up. Now, I will admit, I'm not proud of what I did. As a matter of fact, I try not to do this at all, but in the end: I lied to her. I told her that I had to go back to school for a big class project and I needed to leave as soon as possible. So, the only thing that got checked out was my head injury and she put me in a wrist brace.
So far, I had been able to keep Eli from thinking about the talk I had with Ms. Oh. He was really worried about me, I knew. But I like to live in denial. I like to convince myself that Eli didn't see me walk into the girl's bathroom and stay in it for twenty minutes crying to Katie and Alli about the conversation that I just had with the two adults that convinced me to go to the police in the first place.
Alli and Katie were able to calm me down and convince me that this was not the worst thing that could happen. "Officer Turner said that he would protect you." Alli reminded me.
Katie nodded, "Yeah, and we're here for you too. You know that Eli won't let anything happen to you. And Jake will be at home to protect you."
I sighed and looked at them. "What happens when I'm alone? What about when there is no one there to protect me?" I was getting hysterical. I knew I was, but I was freaking out. I had felt safe when I knew Asher was behind bars and couldn't hurt me. Now that he was out, I had all these horrible thoughts running through my head about what Asher meant when he said 'you're going to pay for this'.
"Clare, you will have police officers following you. They know what Asher looks like, they will protect you. And as for being alone: you don't need to worry, you will never be left alone again." The way Alli said the last sentence didn't reassure me; it made me feel…wrong.
Katie must have seen my discomfort…or might have been uncomfortable herself, because she said, "What Alli meant was, where ever you go, a friend will be there too."
I nodded. I could see it; maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But, as always, I still felt nervous. And I was scared of Asher, of what he might do to me.
I looked at Eli, noticing for the first time that I had zoned out on him for a minute there. I smiled nervously at him and said, "Don't get mad okay?"
Eli looked at me with a raised eye-brow and a cautious look, "I will try."
I sighed and looked down, I know that this was as good as I was going to get. Eli knew better than to promise me something he wasn't sure he could really do. "Asher is out of jail." I said softly hoping that maybe he didn't hear me.
But he did; Eli had gotten used to me and knew that when I didn't want to tell him something I would talk really softly. He had gotten used to it and could now understand me whenever I did it. I loved him for it, but at the same time I wished he couldn't read me-or hear me-so well sometimes.
"What do you mean Asher is out of jail?" Eli asked softly. This wasn't good. This was the voice Principle Simpson used earlier in his office. Eli was MAD.
I swallowed. "The judge looked at his file and said that he is not a flight risk and doesn't see him as a threat."
Eli looked at me in astonishment, "He wrote you a note threatening you. I would deem that as a threat."
"The judge said that it might not have been Asher who wrote it. It was typed from a computer, it wasn't signed. There is no hard evidence at the moment."
Eli stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe this." He began to pace in front of me. I knew he would be angry, I had just hoped that he wouldn't be this angry. I knew that this was nowhere near how he would have acted if this had happened last year. For that, I was grateful. And I KNOW he deserves to know about my cancer too, but I think it's best if we take things one at a time. There is going to be time later…I hope.
"Eli, it's not a big deal. There is a police car right across the street. I'm safe and the forensic lab is doing everything they can to see where the letter was typed at. They already ruled out my computer, my parents, yours, and Alli's. Soon, they are going to rule out completely that I wrote the note and have that argument thrown out."
"This is not okay, Clare. This guy SEXUALLY HARRASED you and other interns. You were only sixteen at the time. A minor…and you still are a minor. Asher deserves to sit it a jail-cell for the rest of his life. Asher deserves to be in jail population with the inmates knowing that he sexually harassed little girls. Do you know that they do to men like that in jail? Do you know what those guys would do to him if he was found guilty and sent to prison?" Eli asked as he continued to pace back and forth.
I sighed, "Yes, Eli, I know. I watch The Closer." I pointed out to him. I can proudly state that I have seen every episode of that show and Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson got better and better with every conviction. I've seen other cop shows too, like NCIS, Rookie Blue, and Criminal Minds.
Eli sighed and sat next to me. He ran a hand over his face and then turned to look at me. I smiled sadly at him and he took my hands. "I just…felt better knowing that Asher was locked up and couldn't hurt you," Eli confessed.
I closed my eyes and rest my forehead against his. "I did too." He sighed heavily and I knew that he was finally beginning to calm down. "If it makes you feel any better, I like the fact that I have my very own body guard's watching out for me."
Eli laughed and pulled back, "It doesn't. But if you feel better, then I can accept that."
"Good because I am starving." I wasn't hungry at all. The only reason I even remembered that it was time to eat was because Bianca 'kindly' texted me and told me that it was dinner time and I needed to eat at Little Miss Stakes. Like I was a child or something; she was really starting to get on my last nerve with all her hovering. But, it was also sweet that she was thinking of me. It made me feel better.
Eli smiled. This was a real one, not the fake ones I've been seeing so often. "Nice change in topic."
My eyes grew big and I placed a hand on my chest dramatically, "Me?" I asked looking around as if to make sure that he was really talking to me, "I would never change the topic." Eli laughed with me for a moment before I grew serious again. "I know you're scared. I am too. But, knowing that there is a police officer following-"
"Stalking," Eli cut in.
"Me," I continued like he didn't interrupt. "I feel better. PLUS, I have you. My huge, muscle bound boyfriend that will knock the chocolates right out of people."
Eli shook his head and groaned, "Please stop trying to quote movies. PLEASE!" He begged. I laughed and hit him in the arm. I wasn't THAT bad. "And by the way, I have muscle. I have a runner's body; even if I wanted to, I couldn't get all beefy."
I smiled at him and nodded, "I love you just the way you are. I don't need a huge beefy guy. I just need a guy who will be there for me, protect me, and love me. All I need is you."
We smiled lovingly at each other and we kissed, right there on the bench where anyone could see us and I didn't care. "Just so you know: it didn't go unnoticed to me that you said the names of two different songs in that little speech of yours." I laughed as I punched him lightly in the arm. "But I have to admit, I loved it any way."
"Good," I said and kissed him again. Man, I could kiss him forever. His lips were so soft, and I loved running my fingers through his hair, even after he cut it. Eli was an amazing kisser; I would give him a gold metal if I didn't think it would go to his head and the world would never live it down. I've kissed a few guys but I have never felt anything when I kissed them, not the way I do when I kiss Eli.
Eli Goldsworthy gives me butterflies just by walking into a room. He makes me blush with a few words or a raised eye-brow. Eli makes my heart beat ten times faster by just giving me a hug. When he smirks at me, my stomach does this topsy-turvy thing. And when Eli tells me he loves me, my heart stops and then starts back up again in what seems like the same moment.
I love him. I love him more than I thought I could ever love anyone. And I know that he loves me too. I know that he loves me just as much as I love him by the way he looks at me, the many times he tells me he loves me, the fact that he is always there for me. I love Eli Goldsworthy and he loves me, Clare Edwards.
"So where do you want to eat?" Eli asked as we pulled back.
I was about to answer when I felt another text message. I pulled it out of my pocket and opened it. It was from Bianca, "Stop sucking face and join me. This weird guy keeps looking at me."
Eli laughed as he read the message over my shoulder. "I don't know how you guys started to talking, but she does bring…something to the group." I laughed at his remark and let him help me up when he offered his hand.
"You won't believe me if I told you." I told him truthfully. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer.
"Will you answer my question truthfully, because I've been nice all day, but it is killing me?" I looked at him curiously. "What is Dallas doing hanging out with us?"
I smiled at him, "He and I talked yesterday and we're fine. Now you and him," I shrugged at him letting him fill in the blank.
"So I still have a problem with him?"
"You have to resolve your own issues with him." I nodded at him as we turned the corner that would lead us to the restaurant. "Plus he helped me out yesterday in the angry mob."
"Yeah, Adam told me about that." Eli said begrudgingly.
"See, he's not that bad."
He rolled his eyes and opened the door for me to walk in. I smiled at him and walked in before him. When I entered the dining-room I froze and stared at the man standing before me. Eli came in behind me and bumped into me. He caught me before I could stumble very far. I could tell by the way he was tensed up as well, that he was looking at the same man as I was.
"Asher," I whispered. Asher turned to look in my direction and when he saw me, he smiled.
END!
Just kidding! This is only the end of the chapter. We have more to go.
