Charlotte Peters hasn't always been uncomfortable and fearful of men, but after a harsh past, she can't help it! Being kicked out of her house and with no where to go, she walks around at night, trying to avoid every man she goes by and try to find...
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~ Charlotte's P.O.V. ~
"I'm glad you're eating." Archer's voice spoke.
I jumped a little at the suddenness and the rush of anxiety. He was standing at the doorway with his hands in his pockets. I was pretty sure that he was angry about my attempt to escape. He had a scowl on his face, but there was something else but I'm not sure what it was.
Was it relief? It was a weird thought and I had high doubts that that was a possibility.
Archer started making his way closer to the bed that I had been sitting on. It frightened me, so I started to back up until my back was placed flat against the wall. I didn't want him to touch me or get any closer. There would be too many chances for him to harm me.
"Please calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." He spoke slowly, in a softer tone that I was used to.
I looked at him wary, "Y-You . . . You're an-angry."
His eyes had widened just a bit, "What would I be angry about?"
I looked down at my lap as I circled my thumbs around each other, "I-I tried to run away."
"I'm not happy about it," He sighed, "but you were scared, so I'm not angry."
I wasn't going to let my guard down one bit. I mean, I had to be honest here. The man that was sitting in front of me had taken me here without consent and now I wasn't allowed to leave. When I had tried to, I was only brought back. It was stupid of me to go walking through the woods alone, but I didn't have anyone else to walk with. Which would have been the better idea? Walk in the woods alone or be on the sidewalk on a barren road where anyone could pick me up. Well, in retrospect, someone had picked me up in the middle of the woods.
My voice was shaky and quiet, "H-How do I-I know that?"
It was his turn to look down at his lap, "You don't," He started, "but I do hope that you learn to trust me. I can't get you to just understand and forgive me off the bat. What I did doesn't make anything better, but I'm not angry and I will never hurt you. I will gain your trust, I promise."
What was there that I wasn't getting? What was I supposed to understand?
I'd be lying if I said that it didn't make me feel better that he made a promise to me, but at the same time, that made me even more nervous. The last time a person made a promise to me, they ended up breaking that promise by beating me. It scared me at the possibility of Archer breaking his promise, but I think he knew that too. I knew that I was a very timid person. It wasn't like I was oblivious to that fact. Deep down inside me, I knew that he made the promise to make me feel better. I can't remember the last time I trusted a man.
"Do you understand my promise?" He asked softly.
I don't think that I have ever heard a man that looked as Archer did speak so softly. It made my heart race, but not in the usual way. No, it was like a calm and weird feeling at the moment.
The only thing that I could think of doing was giving him a nod.
I've been told that I needed to open up more to men. It was said by several people at school who thought I was ridiculous for this fear, them not realizing the cause. Maybe this could be the moment that I start to work on that very issue, though my very being here was an issue as well.
What was I thinking? The likelihood of my getting to the point of not being frightened around Archer was very slim.
He'd let out a small sigh and stood up from the bed, "You were asleep for three days after I had brought you here and then another two when you got out and fainted, but I wouldn't be surprised if you were still exhausted. I'm sorry that I have put you through all of this and I will always be sorry for it."
He turned towards the door, "I'm going to get you some change of clothes that you could sleep in from Summer's closet."
I didn't say anything as he left the room. My body relaxed a bit once he closed the door behind him. Slowly, I moved my body away from the wall.
I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. To be honest, I'm not that tired, but I was too scared to tell him that I wasn't. For now, I think I'll have to do whatever he said.
If Archer's promise was true, he would do his best to get me to trust him. He wouldn't be the only one working on the promise, I would be too. Even though I never had a side to the promise, for some reason, a part of me felt like I had to work to trust him. I didn't know why. Though, if I did get him to believe that I trusted him, then maybe I would be able to get out of this place.
The first time I tried to escape, it didn't work because of that wolf. I shivered at the thought of it. The animal could have killed me if it wasn't for Archer and now that I think of it, he had called it by a name. I think Noah was what he called it.
Was that wolf a pet of his or something? Maybe it was some weird guard dog. Either way, that thing was terrifying and I don't think anyone should have a thing like that and give it a human name or one that a normal pet would have.
Soon enough, Archer came back into the room with a pair of leggings. I sat up on the bed, making sure he wasn't going to make any sudden movements. I watched him as he made his way to his closet and then came back with the leggings and a sweatshirt that he didn't have with him before.
"Um, here you go. It gets a bit cold in the house at night because we keep the air on," He said as he reached the clothes out to me.
As he was doing so, I saw more of the tattoos on his arm. He had sleeves that had to reach about his mid-bicep and so when he had reached out, the shirt sleeve went up to his shoulders, showing even more tattoos. Wow, he really did have a lot. He had them on his arms that had reached just to his neck. In all honesty, I had never really liked tattoos, but they looked really good on him. What was I thinking? I needed to stop having these thoughts.
I slowly took the clothes out of his hands. "Thank you," I mumbled.
He gave me a small smile and nodded, "I'll leave the room so you can get changed."
He left the room and then I started to get changed. As I slipped the sweatshirt on, I smelled the familiar scent of Archer. I found myself liking the scent that was coming off of the sweatshirt.
I sat back down onto the bed and that was when Archer knocked on the door, "Can I come in?"
I bit my lip for a moment, "Y-Yeah."
He came back in and then just looked at me for a bit. His eyes stared at me while I sat there.
Archer cleared his throat, "Um, let's get you to bed."
I nodded my head slowly, listening to what he said. I got under the covers.
"Goodnight, Charlotte." He said.
I don't know what, but for some reason, I find myself feeling very tired.
I had this urge in me to respond and I was now too tired to stop myself from speaking, "Goodnight."
