SHE (bk 1)

THIRTY FIVE

Harry had talked to his family while Clementine snuck into her room, not wanting to interrupt something that had nothing to do with her. She sat on the bed as a book occupied her hands, eyes paying no attention to her phone vibrating next to her.

On the third time around she finally looked over to see Claire had called multiple times. Cursing she put her book down and called the older woman back in a hurry, it had to be an emergency.

"Hello? Clementine?," the older woman sounded panicked as something loud smashed in the background behind her. She sat up even more in the bed and began to painfully put a pair of shoes onto her feet in a hurry.

"Claire? What's going on? Are you okay?," her questions go unanswered for a minute as she hears more loud sounds this time metal clanging together. The blondes heart was beginning to race as a whimper left the older woman's lips.

Grabbing her coat Clementine left her room to discover the apartment empty, "Where are you?," she finally barks into the phone, wanting to get to her as quickly as possible.

"The diner," her voice came as a whisper but she heard her loud and clear as she grabbed the note lingering on the counter.

Clementine,

Went out to grab some dessert as a family, will be back soon.

-Harry

She was slightly glad they were gone so they wouldn't have to see her in such a hurry. "Stay on the phone with me I am on my way," Clementine felt like her heart was going into a frenzy as she pushes the pain shooting through her heel away as she ran down the cold streets.

People looked at her as if she was crazy, the blonde holding the phone up to her ear as she pushed through people rudely. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Claire, she had nothing to do with this.

Clementine let her breathing slow down as she stopped in front of her Diner, red paint written on the window. "WHORE" written messily, with the glass broken right below it. She pushed the door open and immediately was hit in the arm with something being thrown.

She cried out in pain as the phone dropped from her hand, "Max what-," her words are cut of by another pan being thrown her way. This time she was able to dodge out of the way so it wouldn't hit her.

Her eyes were wide with adrenaline as they stared at one another, "Clem here you are i'm so glad the old lady listened to me and called you," she could see how blood shot his eyes were and the way he swayed slightly when he stepped forward.

"Do you like what I've done with the place?," he gestured around the diner and she felt her stomach lurch at the sight. Tables were flipped and chairs broken in his rage, the counter top smashed to bits and the kitchen thrown around completely. He had destroyed the place.

She covered her mouth, "Max what...why did you do this?," her words broke but she kept the tears in, Clementine would not let him see he had gotten to her. That's what he lived on, her fear and the tears he had made her cry.

"I saw you earlier," Clementine stumbled backwards as he moved around the counter top. Her foot aching as she hit the edge of a table that had been flipped, "I saw you with that guy earlier walking...he was holding your hand. That should be me not some self absorbed pop star," she let out a small squeal as his hand swiped at another table knocking it across the tiled floor.

Clementine stood tall as he peered down at her, "Where is Claire? I swear to God if you hurt her-," she didn't want to get into the fact that he had been watching her when she wasn't aware. It was terrifying that she was living in fear everyday as he continued to pry himself into her life.

His brows furrowed, "She's fine...in the kitchen cowering like a baby," he chuckles as a bottle is brought to his lips in a long drink. Whiskey. "I'm here to hurt you not her."

Clementine immediately moved to get away from him as he reached out, "Max please stop," she pleaded moving between tables as he laughed, the sound sending a chill up her spine. It felt as if she was in a horror movie, the lights to the Diner were dim and the only light was from the moon outside.

Her foot caught onto a table as she tried to dodge his grabbing hand, "Clem just stay still and this won't be as bad," his words shot fear through her body as he grabbed the collar of her coat. Lifting her slightly she reached behind her to grab a piece of the chair that had broken. Slamming it up into the side of his face she watched as he flung backward in pain.

Clementine turned to crawl away but his hand caught her foot, cheek bone slamming onto the ground as he dragged her. "Get off of her!," she recognized that voice, Claire.

The older woman was standing with shaking hands, a knife hanging from her fingertips. "Claire go back into the kitchen!," the blonde demanded as the man turned his attention to the older woman. "Claire get in the kitchen and call the police now!," her words came out fevered and strong as she scrambled to her feet again.

She would not let him hurt anyone besides her, Claire would not be collateral damage.

"Awe she has to go so soon? I wanted to play a little," as soon as he moved toward the kitchen Clementine moved without thinking. Her body jumping onto his back so he couldn't get to the older woman who was on the phone. "Get off of me you bitch," she let out a small wheeze as the bottom of her spine connected with the counter top but it only made her grip stronger.

"Clementine I already called the police before you got here but I called them again," she didn't have the time to answer the woman as she was thrown from his back and onto the tiled floor. The small girl looking up as his fist winded backward, a stream of blood pouring from her mouth as his knuckle hit her tooth.

She used her nails to claw at his shoulders and rip up his face, leaning her legs back to give him a kick in the face. Springing backward he laid on the floor sprawled out, red and blue lights dyeing the moonlight.

Clementine let out deep breaths as she heard people storming into the Diner, flashlights making her eyes squint. "Ma'am can you hear us?," she gave a slight nod before resting her head back again.

She felt like she was going to pass out, but as darkness enveloped her vision she was comforted with the fact Claire was now out of danger. It was over.