Save Me

Chapter Ten

"Emma?" I stood frozen, Charlie hovered in the door way with Justin.

"Charlie?" I asked my voice coming out just louder than a whisper.

"Where are you going?" Justin asks, interrupting the awkward stare down Charlie and I were having.

"For a- for a run." I mumbled, suddenly finding a spot on the floor very interesting.

I hear a little laugh escape someone's lips. I look up and see Charlie trying to fight back his laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" I can feel my bottom lip begging to tremble. He has the same affect on me from before, always has and always will.

"Oh nothing, just a..., funny thought popped into mind. It involved you actually. You and the thought of running." Charlie whispered the last part. Justin had gone back to the truck to grab Charlie's bags and was on his was back.

"What's wrong?" Justin asked, the second I came into view.

"Nothing." Forcing a smile to my face I put my headphones back in and start playing the music. "Just going to go for my run." I wave my phone in his face and he nods.

"Be back soon okay. I'm sure Charlie wants to spend time will all of us."

"Yea, I missed you so much." A sly smile covers Charlie's face.

"Charlie? Is that you I hear?" I can hear Lucas shouting.

"Yea man, where ya at?" Charlie yells back.

"Here I'm coming." Lucas quickly comes into view as Charlie pushes his way past me and into the foyer, where Lucas now is.

They give each other a hug, the awkward one that guys do. Where they pat each other's back with one hand, close their hands around each other's with the hand they have left and pull themselves together.

"I'm going to go." I slip my way around them and sprint as fast as I can down the street.

I run down the board walk and to the beach, my sanctuary. There's a pier about three miles to my right, and a shop called "Dave's Records" two miles to my left. I never understood why it was called "Dave's Records. I was in there so often I knew all the workers names of by heart, and they knew mine. And no one who worked there was named Dave.

Usually I would only go one way, either run to my right or left but today was the first day of my weight plan, so I would cover the distance of both.I started to my right, lifting my legs as high as I could and stretching them as far as they would bear.

Charlie had been back for what, five minutes? And he had already had me near tears, they had started to form in my eyes but I blinked them back. I thought he might be different. That he might have changed and actually had grown a heart! But my hopes and dreams were shut down quicker then you can say "Charlie's trying to ruin my life." I kept thinking about Charlie and all of the awful things he had done to me in the past, and all of the awful ways he would make me feel this week. With each upsetting thought I pushed myself a little faster, trying to outrun these horrid thoughts.

The next thing I knew I had made it to the pier and pivoted on my foot, turning back the way I had came.

How was I supposed to have him living at my house when I could barley stand looking at him without feeling self-conscious or disgusted? This wasn't going to work! Maybe I could go stay at a friends house? Or hope that Charlie and Lucas would be out doing stuff the entire time he was here.

I continued to run and work out all the thoughts cluttering my head. I had made it to "Dave's Records" and was half way back when I ran into someone.

I looked up and saw familiar eyes staring down at me.

"Hey babe! Sorry for running into you there!" Nathan, smiled down at me.

"No worries. Sorry I didn't answer your text, I've been uh super busy." I lied.

"It's okay, what happened on Friday? There's so many crazy rumors going around I don't know what to believe." He looked down at me with concern in his eyes.

I let out a deep sigh, "Well, believe me. Come sit down and I'll explain it to you."

I took his hand and lead him to an open spot on the beach, where the water just reached your toes and was then pulled back into the Ocean.

I guess it what time I told Nathan and let the cat out of the bag.