Charlie |Complete|

Chapter 8 - Opening up.

Charlies' POV:

It took me by surprise when Zay took my hand in the restaurant and called me his girlfriend, not because he'd used the word girlfriend, but because he was actually taking my feeling into consideration.

After dinner I agreed to a drive, it was only 10 PM and I really wasn't ready to go home yet. It took about half an hour but finally we reached our destination. I step out of the car and make my way to the front overlooking the ocean below us.

"How'd you find this place?" I ask turning to Zay who soon joins me leaning against the hood of the car.

"I drive a lot when I'm clearing my head." He pulls a cigarette from his pocket. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." I shake my head and take a seat on the hood of the car.

Zay lights his cigarette and takes a long drag. "I should really quit." He laughs softy after blowing the smoke out.

"I'm used to it." I shrug "My Dad and brother both smoke, my Mom used to as well before she fell pregnant with Lane."

"Have you ever tried it?" He asks taking another drag.

"Once, I didn't like it." I nod

"Good girl." He grins at me.

♥

We talk pointlessly like this for some time, only it doesn't seem pointless because slowly we are getting to know each other more and more. After finishing his cigarette Zay joins me on the hood of the car sitting next to me.

"Cold?" He asks

I look down at the small goosebumps appearing on my skin "A little, it's always colder near the water."

Zay turns back to the car for a moment. "I don't have a jumper, but you can have my shirt?" He offers.

I laugh softly at his offer. "Then you'll be cold."

"Come here then." He places his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him.

I place my head down on his shoulder and snuggle in close. "Thank you for tonight."

"I owed you dinner, after all, you did get me a job."

"I mean thank-you for making me feel like I matter." I mumble "The entire time I was with Tyler he made me feel like I was nothing." I begin, staring out at the ocean in front of us.

"I didn't realize until it was finally over but even before he was putting his hands on me, he was abusing me. We'd go out for dinner and if the waitress would flirt with him, he'd flirt back, he never wanted me to wear make-up or heels and he'd kill me if I stepped out in a dress like I have on now." I sigh

"He used to tell me I didn't need to dress like a slut to look good, yet his eyes were always on girls in short dresses. I don't understand how wearing a dress and feeling good about yourself makes you a slut, but in his eyes it does." I take a breath.

"Sometimes he'd be yelling at me one second and then someone would come close and he'd flip his switch and start being nice to me. Like the day I met you, he had just hit locker right near my head and was yelling in my face but when he saw Shay on her way over, he kisses me and told her how lucky he is to have me." I roll my eyes and sit up finally looking at Zayd.

"But a few months ago he starting putting his hands on me. " I look down "The first time was at his place, I got in the way of his video game. The time after that was at school when no one was around, then again at my place when I told him I wasn't in the mood for sex and a stack of times in between that and then last week when you stopped him." I take a deep breath.