Chapter 26-1

Chapter 26 "Charlie, Nathan said he could come around this afternoon." Charlotte looked towards Chase who was typing on his laptop, getting some work done while she watched Netflix on the couch. Despite having a nap, she was still emotionally tired. After the police left Charlotte slept for 2 hours before she woke up screaming causing Chase to rush into the room holding a baseball bat. When she explained it was a nightmare, he bought her down into the lounge room to watch some mindless television. "Thankyou." She whispered and turned back towards the Tv where Dynasty was playing. "You still haven't told me how Nathan Falls can help. He runs charities I don't understand how he can help." Charlotte paused the episode and took a deep breath. She had been trying to decide if she should get Chase involved and concluded that it was better he knew then didn't. "Nathan Falls offered me help months ago. He said if I ever needed to leave, he had connections. I'm not sure exactly how he can help, but what he does on the side isn't entirely legal." She stopped and waited to see Chase's reaction. She watched as he closed his laptop and turned his body towards her. "What do you mean but not legal?" Charlotte looked at her hand and looked at the blue cast. "I'm not sure if I can say. But I have nothing Chase. I don't have a dollar to my name, I don't even have any form of identification. I'm not exactly sure how Nathan can help, but he offered me help at the charity. He's a good person who has a powerful influence if he can get me back my passport, birth certificate and some money to start fresh, I would be happy." Charlotte looked at Chase, who ran his hands through his hair and listened as he sighed heavily. "If anything, he suggests put's you in danger, he is gone okay. I don't care if you can get you millions the moment you are in danger from Landon, him or anyone else he is out the front door okay." Charlotte nodded her head knowing Nathan just wanted to help her and she was sure once Chase talked to him he would understand too. "How's the movie deal going?" Charlotte asked some time later when Chase had finished up with his work and had joined her on the couch. "Good, the rights to the movie go to auction in 2 weeks. I'm nervous and excited for it, but either way I get to walk away with a lot of money. My publisher is also pushing for more chapters and is really excited about the ne book coming along. I will have to give it to you to read. See what you think." Charlotte smiled at Chase as she heard the excitement in her voice that made her a little sad. She wished she had been successful, like Chase. She wished she was good enough to sell her painting, but she was glad that at least one of them had been successful. "That's great, Chase. I can't wait to see it once they make it into the movie." Charlotte moved her legs, so they were resting on Chase's lap and she let out a sigh when he started digging his fingers into her arches that she didn't realise were sore. "How are you feeling?" Chase asked as he continued to massage her feet. She wasn't sure how she felt. She felt scared, she felt relieved, she felt sore, she felt broken, and she felt angry at herself that she let this happen. That she wasn't strong enough to leave him the first time he hit her. That she wasn't strong enough to see what he was doing to her. But mainly she hated that she let herself get into the situation for so long, that she let him control her to the point she didn't know who she was anymore. "I hurt everywhere. My face is throbbing, my ribs are throbbing. My brain hurts when I think, my soul hurts. I feel terrified about leaving your house that whenever I think I can feel my panic rising. The thought of Landon finding me makes me feel nauseous and I would rather die then go back to him. I feel ashamed that he punished me for remembering Ava and that I let him do everything he did to me, but I also know that I deserved it." Chase hummed and moved from rubbing her feet to her calves. "I will never let him take you again, Charlie. I know that you didn't deserve what he did to you. He took advantage of you when you were at your most vulnerable. He knew what he was doing the day he met you and you fell victim to his manipulation. I can't make you believe that you didn't deserve what he did to you, only you can come to peace with it yourself, but I promise I will do everything in my power to make you feel like and treat you the way he should have treated you. I will show you what it really feels like to be loved and show you that what he did to you wasn't out of love." Chase had stopped massaging her calves and was staring into her eyes as tears slipped down her face. He was staring at her with so much conviction and an emotion she hadn't seen for a long time that she almost believed him when he said she didn't deserve what happened to her. Unfortunately, there was that part of her heart and brain that believed that what happened was punishment for losing the baby and that she deserved every word, every hit, every unwanted advanced that was inflicted upon her. She believed that she was unlovable; she believed that she was worth less than a penny and she believed that she was talentless that her art was terrible. Charlotte wiped away the tears leaking from her bruised, sore red eyes and sniffled. "I don't know how Chase. How do I tell my heart and soul that it what happened wasn't punishment? How do I tell myself that I am worthy? I don't even know who I am anymore. Was my art terrible or was Landon manipulating me? Did I ever love him or was it just part of the manipulation? I don't know how to know how to move forward. How do I make myself not terrified, how do I make myself believe in love?" She questioned, and she knew Chase didn't have the answers for her. No one did. No one could tell how to feel worthy; no one could tell her how to believe in love. Charlotte knew only she could answer these questions, but how could see when she was petrified that at any moment Landon would come barging through that door, killing Chase and taking her away for eternity. "I can't answer that for you, for Charlie. But I will be here every step of the way. I'm not going anywhere okay." Charlotte nodded her head and rested her head on the edge of the couch and closed her eyes. Chase started rubbing her calves again, and Charlotte let herself relax under his skilful fingers.