A Place Of Hope And No Pain (Avenged Sevenfold)

Chapter 3

Chloe's POV

"Are you ready?" Clay asked, grabbing my cup out of my hands and placing it on the table. "Here they come."

I glanced out the window and he was right. All of the clients and Bruce were heading over to where we were. It was time to meet, then we'd split off, go to our rooms and then get to know each other before the clients started coming down from whatever the hell they'd taken today and everything went to shit. And it was going to go to shit, it always did.

"Who have you got?" Clay asked me as we headed into the room where we would meet them.

"Um." I mumbled as I got comfortable. "Matt or something, he's in a band."

"Oh damn you got M Shadows, fuck." He snapped, sitting next to me. "Why couldn't I get him."

"Why?" I asked him. "Who have you got?"

"The teen queen." He mumbled and I couldn't help but smile, it was a job we all hated.

I opened my mouth to reply, but the door opened and Bruce walked in, followed by twelve very sorry looking clients.

"Here we are." Bruce announced. "Now let's introduce everybody."

I glanced at them all, smiling and trying to work out who mine was. I knew he was 34, but several of them all looked to be around that age.

"Chloe." Bruce said looking at me. "This is Matt, show him to his room."

I stood up, swallowing ,while still trying to smile. He was big and if there was any trouble I might have trouble controlling him.

"Hi." I said sticking my hand out.

"Hey." He said returning my smile and shaking my hand. He seemed nice enough, but maybe he wasn't, maybe he was drunk.

"Come on." I told him heading to the door. "I'll show you our rooms."

He nodded following me and I turned left, heading for the stairs that led to our rooms.

"We can get settled in then I'm free to do what ever you want." I said as I climbed the stairs.

"Can we get a drink." He whispered, following me.

I knew I wasn't meant to hear that but I did. I wasn't surprised, it was something we heard often here, the clients always wanted what they needed, it became even worse for the first few weeks.

I walked to our door, opening it.

"That's your room." I said pointing at the closed door. "That's mine." And I pointed to the open door. "And this." I said indicating to the couch. "Is our common area."

"Nice." He said looking around.

"Your bags are in your room if you want to unpack." I told him, getting comfortable on the couch.

He nodded, turning and heading into his room.

I flicked on the TV and waited. I was waiting for him to come back out and say the same thing everyone always said.

"Hey." He said walking back out, frowning. "Someone's been in my stuff."

I nodded, looking at him. "Yeah, your stuff was searched." Everyone's, including ours, was searched.

"What for?" He snapped.

I sighed. "What do you think?" I said. "Someone always tries to sneak something in."

"I guess you're right." He mumbled. "The thought crossed my mind."

I watched him walk back into his room and sat there, listening to him unpack.

Hopefully we'd get on, it would help and make this so much easier, for both of us if we could be friends.

"What now?" He asked, walking back out and flopping on the couch next to me.

"What do you want to do?" I asked him, flicking the TV off.

"Can we use the gym?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

I nodded. "Yep, let me get changed."

"Me too." He said and we both headed off to our rooms.

I grabbed my gym gear, getting changed. I had the impression that Matt and I would be spending a lot of time in the gym, I mean you just had to look at his physique to see he liked to work out.

I went back to the living area and Matt was changed and waiting, so we headed down to the gym. I noted the corridors were deserted, everyone else still getting to know each other in their rooms.

The gym was empty and I headed straight for a treadmill, getting on and starting it. I was a little surprised when Matt got onto the treadmill next to mine and started it.

"So." Matt said, picking up speed. "Do you like this?" He said waving his arm around, indicating to our surroundings.

"The gym?" I asked him.

"No." He said. "This kind of work."

"Oh, well, I only do it part time." I said softly. "I'm a nurse."

"Nice." He mumbled, pressing a button and starting to jog.

I kept walking as he kept increasing his speed until he was in a full on sprint. He just kept running and I let him. He was angry and for now he was taking it out on the treadmill, in a few days it would be me he'd start taking it out on.

I shut my treadmill down, stepping off and leaving him to run out his frustration. If it made him feel better I was happy for him to run all day.

I sat on a bench and grabbed a couple of weights, working on my arms. I wasn't a fitness fanatic, but I didn't mind going to the gym a couple times a week and this time it appeared I was with someone who liked it, so I guessed I'd leave in pretty good shape.

"I'm glad there's a gym." Matt said, shutting off the treadmill and joining me at the weights. "Working out is I something I need."

"I understand that." I said. "When did you last have a drink?" I wanted to get straight to the point, there was no need to dance around the real reason we were here.

"This morning." He muttered and he shook his head. "I hid a bottle in my laundry basket, my fucking laundry basket."

I shrugged. "That's normal."

He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. "It's normal?"

"Fuck yes." I told him smiling. "The laundry basket, the water tank in the toilet, under the linen in the cupboard, people hide their shit everywhere."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?" He mumbled. "Fuck, you just named all of my hiding places. How the fuck do you know?"

I took a deep breath, standing up. I might as well tell him. Now was as good a time as any.

"Because." I said softly. "I was an alcoholic, wait no, I am an alcoholic, it's something you never get over."

And it wasn't. Everyday was a battle.