Safe Haven
Chapter 4
When Cristiano dropped Charlie off at the bakery, he didn't know how to react around Avery. Did he tell her that he knew about the past abuse, or did he say nothing. But the choice was made for him when Avery noticed that Charlie had been crying. "What happened?" Avery demanded to know as she sent Charlie to her room. Cristiano sighed as he thought of how to tell her. Finally he decided to just be blunt about it. "Charlie told me." Avery stared at him confused, "Told you about what?" "She told me the truth about why you two moved here. And about your ex." Avery stared at him in shock, "What?" "She told me about the abuse and that he will kill you if he finds where you are." "How did she know about that? I thought I kept it hidden from her? Oh god!" Avery started to have a mini panic attack. Cristiano quickly sat her and himself down on the couch as he started to rub her back, "It's OK Avery, just breathe. It's OK." Avery started to cry as Cristiano kept rubbing her back, "No it's not OK! I didn't want her to know! She shouldn't know about this, she's only 3!" Cristiano didn't know what to do, so he did the only thing he could think of, he pulled her in to his arms and comforted her.
Later that evening, after Avery had calmed down and put Charlie to bed, she and Cristiano sat on her couch with a cup of coffee each, and Avery began to tell him all about herself. "I was born on December 13th 1989. I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. I have a younger brother, and a mom and dad who I was really close with. I had a good life, but I always felt like something was missing. Shortly after my 17th birthday, I went to a concert with some friends and that's where I met Toby. He was 26 and the best looking guy I had ever seen. When my parents found out that we were dating, needless the say, they didn't approve. In fact they forbid me from seeing him. When I went to end things with Toby, he told me that he was moving to Seattle and wanted me to come with him. So that's what I did. I went home that night and packed up most of my belongings. My parents were asleep, so I just opened their bedroom door and whispered goodbye, and then left the house. That was the last time I saw them. When Toby and I first got to Seattle, everything was amazing. He worked as a mechanic while I worked at a coffee shop. But then everything changed. I had been working at the shop and I had been fighting a headache all day. During one of my breaks, a male coworker started giving me a shoulder massage, hoping that would help with the headache. It was working. I had put my hand on top of the guy's to tell him thanks; Toby chose that moment to walk in to the shop. He started ranting and raving, accusing me of cheating on him, calling me a bunch of nasty things. I sent my coworker to the back, hoping that I could calm Toby down with him away. But that didn't work; I never saw the hit coming. He called me a whore and walked out. I was too in shock to do anything. I almost didn't want to do home, I was terrified of what I would be coming home to. But when I walked in to the apartment, he was sitting on the couch with roses and he was crying. He begged for my forgiveness, swearing that he would never hurt me again. I shouldn't have believed him, but I stupidly did. After that, things only got worse. Not only would he beat me, he would rape me as well. That's actually how Charlie was conceived. When I found out I was pregnant, I cried. I almost got an abortion, but I knew that even though my baby was a part of the man I hated so much, it was also a part of me. When I told Toby I was pregnant, he was so happy. During my pregnancy, he was so sweet. He was the Toby that I had fallen in love with. But a week after Charlie was born, the abuse started again. A week before my birthday, he beat me so bad that I wound up in the ER. I could have told them the truth, but instead I told the doctor that I had fallen down the stairs. When I got out of the hospital, I told myself that I wasn't going to put up with it anymore. So a week after Charlie turned 3, I packed all of our clothes and I prepared to leave. The night I left, Toby beat the crap out of me. I waited until he had passed out, and then I grabbed Charlie and our bag and got the hell out of there. After stopping at the bank and draining my bank account, I bought 2 tickets to Madrid and never looked back."
When Avery finished her story, Cristiano couldn't believe all this woman had been through. "He'll never hurt you again. I'll protect you." He vowed to her. Avery smiled at him sadly. This man was a saint, but unfortunately, he was a saint that she couldn't have in her life. "Thank you Cristiano, but unfortunately you won't be able to." Cristiano looked at her confused, "What do you mean?" "I mean you can't because you won't be in our lives anymore." "What?" "Oh come on Cristiano! You're a famous athlete. You have people taking your picture and putting it on the Internet or in a magazine all the time! What would happen if me or Charlie were with you and a picture of that wound up somewhere for the public to see? Toby could potentially see it and find out where we are and come kill me! It's the same reason I haven't tried to get in contact with my family. I can't risk it. Even for a guy that I really like." Cristiano stared at her in shock before a smile formed on his face, "You like me?" Avery shook her head, "It doesn't matter if I do or not because I can't risk it." She tried to turn away, but Cristiano stopped her, "I like you a lot too. You're all I've been thinking about since I first met you. I've never felt this way about someone before. Don't throw this away just because you're scared Avery. I'm not going to hurt you and I'm not going to let Toby hurt you again either." Avery shook her head as she fought back tears. She really wanted to give him a chance, but she couldn't risk it. "I can't." Cristiano was running out of ways to convince her, so he tried the only way he had left; he kissed her. It was the kind of kiss that movies are made about. A kind of kiss that she had never before experienced. Avery moaned in to the kiss as Cristiano lightly nibbled on her lower lip. When the lack of oxygen made Avery begin to feel lightheaded, she reluctantly pulled away. "Wow." She whispered with her eyes still closed. Cristiano laughed at that, "That's just the first kiss. Imagine the rest of them." Avery smiled as she did just that. But then reality came back to her. "I can't." "Yes you can." "Why would you want to date me? Do you know what that would entail? We'd have to hide. No going out, no telling people we're together or that you even know me. Why would anyone want that kind of relationship? Why would you want that kind of relationship with me?" "Because you're worth it." "But what if it doesn't work out?" "But what if it does? All we can do is try. So tell me Avery, are you willing to try? Or are you going to miss out on something potentially life changing?"
Later that evening, after Avery had calmed down and put Charlie to bed, she and Cristiano sat on her couch with a cup of coffee each, and Avery began to tell him all about herself. "I was born on December 13th 1989. I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. I have a younger brother, and a mom and dad who I was really close with. I had a good life, but I always felt like something was missing. Shortly after my 17th birthday, I went to a concert with some friends and that's where I met Toby. He was 26 and the best looking guy I had ever seen. When my parents found out that we were dating, needless the say, they didn't approve. In fact they forbid me from seeing him. When I went to end things with Toby, he told me that he was moving to Seattle and wanted me to come with him. So that's what I did. I went home that night and packed up most of my belongings. My parents were asleep, so I just opened their bedroom door and whispered goodbye, and then left the house. That was the last time I saw them. When Toby and I first got to Seattle, everything was amazing. He worked as a mechanic while I worked at a coffee shop. But then everything changed. I had been working at the shop and I had been fighting a headache all day. During one of my breaks, a male coworker started giving me a shoulder massage, hoping that would help with the headache. It was working. I had put my hand on top of the guy's to tell him thanks; Toby chose that moment to walk in to the shop. He started ranting and raving, accusing me of cheating on him, calling me a bunch of nasty things. I sent my coworker to the back, hoping that I could calm Toby down with him away. But that didn't work; I never saw the hit coming. He called me a whore and walked out. I was too in shock to do anything. I almost didn't want to do home, I was terrified of what I would be coming home to. But when I walked in to the apartment, he was sitting on the couch with roses and he was crying. He begged for my forgiveness, swearing that he would never hurt me again. I shouldn't have believed him, but I stupidly did. After that, things only got worse. Not only would he beat me, he would rape me as well. That's actually how Charlie was conceived. When I found out I was pregnant, I cried. I almost got an abortion, but I knew that even though my baby was a part of the man I hated so much, it was also a part of me. When I told Toby I was pregnant, he was so happy. During my pregnancy, he was so sweet. He was the Toby that I had fallen in love with. But a week after Charlie was born, the abuse started again. A week before my birthday, he beat me so bad that I wound up in the ER. I could have told them the truth, but instead I told the doctor that I had fallen down the stairs. When I got out of the hospital, I told myself that I wasn't going to put up with it anymore. So a week after Charlie turned 3, I packed all of our clothes and I prepared to leave. The night I left, Toby beat the crap out of me. I waited until he had passed out, and then I grabbed Charlie and our bag and got the hell out of there. After stopping at the bank and draining my bank account, I bought 2 tickets to Madrid and never looked back."
When Avery finished her story, Cristiano couldn't believe all this woman had been through. "He'll never hurt you again. I'll protect you." He vowed to her. Avery smiled at him sadly. This man was a saint, but unfortunately, he was a saint that she couldn't have in her life. "Thank you Cristiano, but unfortunately you won't be able to." Cristiano looked at her confused, "What do you mean?" "I mean you can't because you won't be in our lives anymore." "What?" "Oh come on Cristiano! You're a famous athlete. You have people taking your picture and putting it on the Internet or in a magazine all the time! What would happen if me or Charlie were with you and a picture of that wound up somewhere for the public to see? Toby could potentially see it and find out where we are and come kill me! It's the same reason I haven't tried to get in contact with my family. I can't risk it. Even for a guy that I really like." Cristiano stared at her in shock before a smile formed on his face, "You like me?" Avery shook her head, "It doesn't matter if I do or not because I can't risk it." She tried to turn away, but Cristiano stopped her, "I like you a lot too. You're all I've been thinking about since I first met you. I've never felt this way about someone before. Don't throw this away just because you're scared Avery. I'm not going to hurt you and I'm not going to let Toby hurt you again either." Avery shook her head as she fought back tears. She really wanted to give him a chance, but she couldn't risk it. "I can't." Cristiano was running out of ways to convince her, so he tried the only way he had left; he kissed her. It was the kind of kiss that movies are made about. A kind of kiss that she had never before experienced. Avery moaned in to the kiss as Cristiano lightly nibbled on her lower lip. When the lack of oxygen made Avery begin to feel lightheaded, she reluctantly pulled away. "Wow." She whispered with her eyes still closed. Cristiano laughed at that, "That's just the first kiss. Imagine the rest of them." Avery smiled as she did just that. But then reality came back to her. "I can't." "Yes you can." "Why would you want to date me? Do you know what that would entail? We'd have to hide. No going out, no telling people we're together or that you even know me. Why would anyone want that kind of relationship? Why would you want that kind of relationship with me?" "Because you're worth it." "But what if it doesn't work out?" "But what if it does? All we can do is try. So tell me Avery, are you willing to try? Or are you going to miss out on something potentially life changing?"