Scared to Be Loved by You

She sat there in the back of Brian's car not saying anything, while Brian drove. Jimmy was in the passenger seat and Matthew, Zackary and Jonathan sat in the middle seat. She looked at her phone and Patrick had still been calling. She thought, ‘Better get this over with.’ So she called Patrick.

* = Patrick
~ = Zoey

* “It’s about fucking time you answered your phone!”

~ “What do you want?”

* “Where the fuck are you?”

~ “That’s none of your business! Patrick, it’s over. I’m gone, no more us anymore!”

* “Stupid Bitch! Tell me where the fuck you’re at! Or I’ll fucking...”

~ “You’ll what!? Oh wait, I have nothing there anymore that’s mine.”

* “When I find you I’m going to make you wish you never left!”

~ “Oh, is that a threat?”

* “Shut the fuck up Bitch!”

~ “Stop calling me a bitch! My name’s Zoey fucking Riddler! Keep making your damn threats, as long as they make you happy. I’m with a new group of friends, so you can kiss my ass!”

She hung up the phone. She felt so good to be free from that asshole. When she looked up all the guys were looking at her weird.

"What?"

"What was that all about?" Jonathan asked.

"My past…"

"I don’t like whoever was talking to you that way, who was it?" Brian asked looking through the rearview mirror at her.

"He was my ex. Look I really don’t want to talk about this right now."

"Ok. Well we’re here!"

She looked outside the window… It was a nice place. Not like hers and Patrick’s house in Las Vegas, but it was cleaner and more decent here. The guys got out and headed to Brian's apartment and she followed. Jonathan asked to help her with my bags, but she said “No, it’s fine I got it.” She held on to her suitcase as they went in. Standing there in a daze, she admired the neat structure of the house. It was beautiful. She thought it was going to be a "guy’s house", clothes everywhere and empty beer cans on the floor. Nope, Brian’s house was clean!

"Ummm Zoey?" Brian snapped her out of it.

"Yea, yeah?" ‘Man that cutie has a great smile! Wait, no Zoe snap out of it. Don’t fall for this guy he might be all nice one day and next he might end up like Patrick the next. Don’t put your guard down!’

"Ok."

He showed her the bathroom and told her where the towels were and if she need anything just knock on the wall.

She took a shower and got a towel. While wrapping the towel around her body she got out and looked in the mirror. She stared at all the bruises that Patrick left on her. The biggest one was on her back. As she was looking at it, there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?"

"Zoey it’s Matt, can I come in?"

"No, not yet."

"Ok." She got dressed and put a tank top on and some jeans. She walked out and saw Matthew on the bed looking at me.

"Wow Jimmy was right, you’ll look good wearing that top and you definitely do!" He smiled.

"Ummm, thanks?"

"Oh my bad."

"What did you need?"

"Oh Brian said that you can stay as long as you want here, until you get on your feet."

"Tell him thanks."

"Ok, he just wanted to tell you that."

"How come he didn’t tell me himself?"

"He’s busy with getting the stuff in the truck."

"What stuff?"

"Our band stuff…"

"Wait… All of you are in a band?"

"Yeah, I’m lead, Brian is on guitar as well as Zacky, Jimmy is our drums and Johnny is bass."

"So what the name of the band?"

"We don’t know yet, it’s either ‘Avenged of Angles’ or something with Avenge. We don’t know yet, it’s still in process."

"Oh cool."

"Yeah, so are you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Ummm, I think you forgot something?"

"Like what?"

"You’re going to a show with us and you have no shoes."

"Oh…" She sat on the bed next to Matt and bent down to tie her shoes. I guess he saw the bruises…

"How did that happen?"

"What?"

"Who did that to you? Was it that guy?"

"No, it wasn’t!"

"Then what was it?"

"I don’t want to talk about it!" She left the room and bumped into Brian "Oh, I’m sorry." He said.

"It’s ok, I don’t watch where I’m going. My bad."

"Don’t worry about it. Did Matt tell you the good news?"

"What news?"

"That you can stay here as long as you want, until you get on your feet."

"Oh yeah, he did. Thanks."

"No problem. Here I’ll show you where your room is. Rent free!" He showed her the room she would be staying in and it’s a room with a view of the water.

"It’s so beautiful!"

"Yeah you are... I mean yeah it is." She looked at him with a strange look.

"Oookkk…"

"So how do you like it here in Cali?"

"Yeah it’s beautiful here."

"You like to use the word beautiful a lot don’t you?"

"I never got the chance to say that word since Pat..."

"Is that his name? Pat?”

"No his name is Patrick."

"Did he hurt you?" He got close to me almost to my face like a foot way.

She looked in his eyes, his eyes looked like he wanted in, but she couldn’t tell him.

"I... I... can’t tell you, he's looking for me as we speak."

"You don’t have to worry, trust me!"

How could she trust someone with her secrets? She just can’t.

"I can’t trust you, I barely know you."

"But you can get to know me, your now living here with me. We have to learn to trust each other." He was now holding her by her arms, she got scared. He was holding her like Patrick would when he was about to slap her.

"Don’t touch me, let me go!!!"

"What?" He let go.

"Please don’t touch me."

"Did he abuse you Zoey?"

She started to cry, he grab her and held her in a hug.

"It’s going to be alright. You’re here, safe from that guy. He’s not going to hurt you anymore."

"How can you say that, you don’t know Patrick. I can’t trust anyone anymore. They said that they will be there for me and then they left me all alone."

"You’re right, but I’m letting you know this now, that I’m not letting him touch. He’s going to have to go through me and the guys before he gets to you. But I do know this, he hurt you and I’m not going to let him get away with this." She looked in his eyes and felt he was telling her the truth. His eyes were comforting.

They hugged for a few more minutes, until Zacky came in and said;

"Oh Brian... Oh my bad, I’ll come back."

"It’s ok man, what did you need?" They broke the hug.

"Where’s the keys to the truck?"

"Next to the counter."

"Ok."

Zacky left and Brian looked back at Zoey.

"Are you going to be alright? You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, maybe next time you can come.”

"No I want to go."

"Ok, I’ll let you get ready."

"Ok." She turned around and looked in her suitcase.

"Ummm, Zoey?"

"Yeah."

"Did he do that to you?"

He was looking at her back.

"Yeah. He did."

"Do you want to talk about it? The show doesn’t start for another 3 hours from now."

"I don’t want to. I don’t have that trust with you yet."

"Ok, I understand. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here."

*Two Hours Later*

Jimmy knocked on the door.

"Hey Brian, Zoey, are you ready to go? The show’s going to start in about an hour. We have to get there now."

"Ok, Zoey do you still want to go?"

"No, I want to settle in first, plus I’m kind of tired already."

"Ok I’ll see you when we get back then."

"Ok. Thanks again."

He smiled as he left the room. She unpacked her stuff. It was nice to have a place to stay. She’d gotten ready for bed and hoped into bed. She laid there staring at the ceiling, thinking about what had happened today... ‘I wonder what the boys are doing and how the show is going... but on the other hand what am I going to do about Patrick?’ These thoughts kept her up all night. She even heard the guys come back. There were footsteps near her door and she shut her eyes pretending she was asleep.

She heard the footsteps getting closer and then then bed sunk down on one side and she felt a kiss on her cheek and a voice said in whisper, "Sweet dreams, beautiful." The footsteps faded as the door close and she couldn’t hear them anymore. She got up and touched her cheek and looked at the door... She didn’t know who kissed her cheek but she fell quickly asleep with a smile on her face that night. The only thought wondering through her mind was, ‘Who kissed me?’