Charlie Ever After

53

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It's been a little over two months since we went to the cops and turned in even more dirt on that scumbag but we still haven't heard a single word. I have watched Charlie deteriorate more and more every single day.

She started off hopeful. She seemed happy, but then as the time went on without any news, her mood declined day by day. She was a shell of her former self and I felt helpless. I tried everything in my power to make her feel safe and secure, but I still caught her looking over her shoulder and wondering when that dirtbag was going to come for her next. He was psychotic and it took everything in me not to hunt the fucker down and make sure he could never harm Charlie again.

Each night that passed I've watched her nightmares get worse. I've watched her become more secluded and hide inside herself. Some days I saw glimpses of her old self, but others, it was like I barely recognized the girl she had become. I still loved her nonetheless, but I missed the girl I first fell in love with. I knew she was going through one of the toughest times in her life, and I was there for her. I held her on the nights that she couldn't get the memories out of her head, or helped her scrub her body raw when she said she could still feel him. It made me sick, but I would do absolutely anything for her. I would do anything to bring my Charlie back.

We were laying in bed when I felt her stir next to me. I was still wide awake, scrolling on my phone. At first it started off as a few small mumbles and movements but then she started thrashing around, breathing heavily and bordering on screaming. I didn't know what to do, my only reaction was to grab her to stop her from hurting herself, but she struggled even more.

"Get off of me." She yelled out and I panicked, quickly ripping my hands off of her and moving as far away from her on the bed as I could.

I felt like I had been slapped in the face. I knew she was sleeping and she didn't know what she was doing or saying, but the fact that she had told me to get off of her, it scared me and I completely clammed up.

After a few moments, I took a deep breath, coming to my senses before I tried again. I hesitantly scooted in towards her, and placed a gentle hand on her. "Charlie baby, it's okay. It's me." I leaned in, whispering in her ear, hoping to coax her back to me.

"You're safe, baby. It's okay. You're safe." I repeated again softly and after what felt like an eternity, her breathing started to relax and her eyes fluttered open.

There were tears glistening in her eyes and when she blinked the sleep away, they fell.

I instinctively leaned forward, wiping the tears away before placing a soft kiss to her lips.

She looked confused for a second but eventually she crawled into my lap and wrapped her arms tightly around me. She didn't tell me about her dream, but I already knew. It never changed. I knew he haunted her dreams every night and even her conscience during the day.

I just held her, trying my best to soothe her in whatever way she needed me to. I gave her kisses every once in a while and rocked her gently and when she didn't fall back asleep, I put on her favorite comfort show as we laid in bed, wrapped in each other. After a while, she slowly drifted back to sleep, and only then did I allow my eyes to fall shut and sleep to take over.

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Midterms finished up with ease and spring break was about to be in full swing but Charlie was still withdrawn and depressed. She's been falling deeper into her black hole and I've slowly been running out of ideas on how to pull her back out.

"Why don't you guys come spend a few days here?" Trish offered up her advice over the phone held between my ear and shoulder as I held not only my books from class but also a coffee for Charlie and I.