Authors: Tawnya Jenkins
Travis
The next few days are a blur. I took Chloe back to her dorm that day and packed up most of her stuff after she finished giving her statement to the police. I told Katie that Chloe agreed to move in with me, Chloe didn’t argue and Katie didn’t ask any questions. In fact Chloe hasn’t really said much of anything since we left the station. Against my advice she decides she needs to attend her classes, says it keeps her mind from roaming. I drive her to school, walk her to class and pick her up, it was the only way I would agree to letting her out of my sight. She’s been a zombie, going through the motions of life but not really living it. I know something will happen, and it petrifies me, the calm before the storm is always the worst part…the waiting. It’s been a struggle keeping quiet. I want to pick her up and toss her in my truck; take her far away from here. Kidnap her to a place that she will be safe, somewhere I can protect her; but I refrain.
Eventually she will snap out of it and when she does I will be right here by her side. Until then, I wait.
“Hey blue eyes, are you hungry?” I ask as I drive her back to my place. She doesn’t answer, instead she just shakes her head. I sigh, “Okay, well whenever you get hungry just let me know and I’ll find something for you okay.”
She nods.
No smile.
No laughter.
No smart ass rebuttal about being able to handle herself, it’s as if she’s lost her spunk. That fight in her eyes and I’ll do anything to bring it back.
Chloe
It’s Wednesday now, I don’t have classes today. I was supposed to start at Retribution two days ago, but my wonderful boyfriend told them I was ill so they agreed to give me another week. I woke up before anybody else, I needed to snap myself out of this funk. I needed to run. My legs were itching for it, they demanded it. I had barely turned the corner of the apartment building when someone came up next to me. It should’ve startled me but I knew who it was. I felt him the instant he got close.
Travis was here.
And he was running right by my side. Not speaking a word.
I love this man.
We run in silence, I’m not timing it or keeping track but it has to have been at least two miles before I finally stop to catch my breath. As I stand there on the sidewalk, chugging my water, I can feel those sexy green eyes on me. Sure enough, when I look up there they were, full of understanding and support. No judgment, no regret, no anger.
“Feel better?” he asks.
I nod and then close the distance between us, smashing my lips into his. His body molds to mine without any hesitation, his arms go fixed around me and before I can even think I’m climbing up him. Holding onto him as if he’s the only life raft in my sea of despair. His forehead rests against mine, “I thought I was losing you.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“No, Chlo. I get it, I do. But, this isn’t good for you it’s not healthy. I’m worried about you. You hardly eat, you don’t talk.”
“Katie called me yesterday. She said there was this poetry thing at the coffee shop on campus tonight. I kind of want to go.”
He searches my face for a few seconds before responding, scrunching his eyebrows together, “You want to go out?”
“Yeah, I mean only if you’re okay with it. I have some stuff I can read, I think maybe it would help.”
“You write poetry?” he cocks his eyebrows at me.
“I have a couple of things I’ve scribbled out over the years.” I shrug.
Some people start to pass us and their staring makes me realize I’m still wrapped around him, he’s been holding me this entire time. Feeling the redness fill my cheeks I hop down from him, but not before catching a slight hint of disappointment.
“Okay, if you want to go, we’ll go. I’ll get Brian and Jax to go too. I would feel better if we go in a group.” He grabs my hand and leads us back to his apartment.
Once we get back he forces me to eat and shower…apparently he thinks I’m wasting away and I stink. I call Katie back and let her know that we’re going. She squeals in excitement and rambles on about having nothing to wear for a good 15 minutes before I finally manage to hang up.
Chloe
I dress in a pair of khaki colored skinny jeans with my black boots and lacey burgundy long sleeve top. It’s getting colder outside and I don’t want to hassle with a jacket. Plus, Brian had mentioned wanting to go to a club afterwards and bodies of people would make it even warmer. I dab on some blush and mascara, put on some lips gloss and run my fingers through my hair to smooth down my curls. When I come into the living room everyone gets quiet. Katie is smiling at me, while Jax and Brian are just staring.
Travis comes to stand in front me, “You look stunning,” he says as he tenderly kisses me.
“Thanks,” I reply, regretting my choice in blush since clearly I won’t need it now. “Ready?”
“Yep, we’re all set. Let’s go,” he replies. He looks hot in his white three quarter sleeve Henley style shirt. His dark wash jeans hang just below his defined “V” and hug him in all the right places. His muscles look as if they could rip his shirt in half at any moment. I must be drooling since he leans in and whispers in my ear, “This is all yours later.”
I blush…again.
It only takes a few minutes to get to the coffee house. Coffee Haven is its name. Smooth jazz music greets us when we enter. There are about 10 tables scattered around the cream colored tile floors. The walls are a chocolate brown with white trim. Each table has a small vase of small stemmed red roses. The smell of Espresso is unmistakable paired with a slight hint of vanilla and cinnamon wafting through the air. It smells heavenly. I love the smell of coffee shops, it’s one of my favorite smells in the entire world. People have started to appear in small groups. I start to get nervous. I’ve never shared my writing with anyone before.
A small squeeze on my shoulder from Travis calms me. It’s like he always know what I need before I do. When I glance up at him he’s smiling sweetly at me. We grab a table near the front of the mic. I opt for the back but I am out voted. Everyone says they want to make sure they can hear me. Great.
A couple of people have signed up before me, so I sit there enjoying my Latte and muffin, listening to other people like myself pour their hearts out. It is humbling and encouraging to hear other people’s pain for a change. To feel their emotions, instead of my own.
“You’re next blue eyes, you sure you’re up for this?”
I just nod and exhale. Show time.
It’s quiet as I approach the mic, at least 20 pairs of eyes are now staring attentively at me. Goosebumps rise up over my body, and suddenly I feel light headed. Someone near the front clears their throat. Travis. He smiles at me, a small gesture, but it’s all I need. I focus only on him as I pour out my heart.
“Hello everyone, my name is Chloe and this is called Unreachable Light;
I’m surrounded by the darkness, there’s no light for me in sight. I keep hoping and searching but the past fills me with fright. Some days I wonder if I’ll ever be alright. It consumes all of my dreams and destroys me from within; Pulls me to that breaking point, but I won’t let it win. So, despite the impending doom, the darkness that consumes, I will always keep searching and searching for that unreachable light .Even when it becomes too much to bear, and when I feel like no one cares. I’ll keep searching and searching for that unreachable light. Sometimes the pain is almost too much, this tug upon my heart. It’s always there. I can’t escape it, can’t fight it, can’t hide it. I often wish I could turn back time, just hit rewind. So, despite the impending doom the darkness that consumes I will always keep searching and searching for that unreachable light. Even when it becomes too much to bear, and when I feel like no one cares. I’ll keep searching and searching for that unreachable light. I will continue my fight, it won’t take up my life. In time I will see there is light out there for me and I will find it, Yes I will find it…Because despite the impending doom, the darkness that always looms I will keep searching for that unreachable, maybe somewhat feasible light.”
I look up when I’m finished, a few tears stream down my cheek. People are clapping quietly and whispering between themselves. When I finally steal a glance at Travis he has an intense look in his eyes. His face is stagnant but his eyes are exploring mine. I offer him a small smile, hoping to get something out of him in return but there’s nothing. He’s just staring at me. As I make my way back to the table, he stands up and grabs my arm pulling me gently behind him toward the hallway near the back.
Once we round the corner and are no longer visible he lifts me up and crashes his lips to mine. He kisses me with a fire I’ve never felt before, my whole body ignites with this kiss. It’s passionate and fierce. When we finally break away he watches me, those green eyes piercing through mine.
“I love you. I was trying to wait. I didn’t want to scare you away, but damn it, I do Chloe. I love you so damn much and my heart breaks for the pain you’ve been through. But you’re so strong and yet still so innocent and pure despite all you’ve endured. It’s amazing, you’re amazing.” He pauses, gauging my reaction.
“Say it again,” I whisper, holding back tears.
His smile covers his entire face, “I love you Chloe.”
I wrap my arms tighter around his neck, “I love you too.” And I did, so freaking much that it scares me.
When we finally make our way back to our table, everyone is smiling at me.
“That was awesome, Chloe, really…I had no idea you could be so…intense.” Katie smiles.
“Yeah, very dark but sexy as fuck,” Brian winks, Travis swats the back of his head.
“Watch it,” he warns.
Jax simply laughs and shakes his head.
“Thanks guys,” I reply and expel the breath I had been holding in. I finally have real friends. It’s a good feeling.
We arrive at the club a little before midnight and it’s already in full swing. Travis grabs us a couple of drinks and we grab a spot near the bar to sit. The music is loud and the bodies dancing around us are shrouded with sweat. Bright colored lights flash sporadically above our heads keeping in rhythm with the beat of the music.
We haven’t been here but 15-20 minutes tops when the DJ announces over the mic that he has just received a special shout out song request and that even though it wasn’t on his typical play list he was given a fat bonus to play it. “Alright guys and gals this next song goes out to a blue eyed bombshell named Chloe, this one’s for you.”
I’m frozen in my seat.
I’m not breathing. It has to be another Chloe.
Someone next to me is calling my name, but I can’t hear them, all I hear are the taunting words of the song now blaring through the club. A song not many people would know, but I know it, and I know it well, I am that Chloe…this song is for me. He’s here.
“You got a lot of nerve but not a lot of spine you made your bed when you worried about mine This Ends Now!”
and then the chorus comes, followed by
“It’s kind of sad, cause what we had well, it could have been something I guess it wasn’t meant to be. So how dare you try and steal my flame just cause your faded well hate is gasoline a fire fueling all my dreams I’m afraid you asked for this…”
Bring Me The Horizon’s song doesn’t get to finish, because I am picked up and carried out of the club. I can vaguely remember Travis barking orders to his roommates about checking around the place and calling the police. They wouldn’t find him, they didn’t even know what he looked like. I was numb when Travis carried me into the apartment; past the living room and into his room.
And then my phone rang.
It was Mac, I knew the ringtone. Travis answered. I can’t tell you what he said because I didn’t hear it. My mind was repeating those plaguing words over and over. He was here, and he would find me.
“Chloe? Chloe, I need you to snap out of it and talk to Mac. Please Chloe.” Travis coaxed and held the phone to my ear.
“Chloe? Kiddo are you there?” Mac sounds like he has been crying.
“Mac, oh God Mac he’s here…I don’t know how but he’s here and he found me…” I sob
.
“Shit…I-I didn’t know he was out…ah look kiddo, I have-I have some bad news but now-now I don’t know if now is the time to tell you,”
“It’s dad isn’t it?” I don’t have to ask. I can tell in his voice, he sounds broken, torn. “Just tell me Mac,”
“He’s gone kiddo…damn it I’m so sorry, he-he had a heart attack in his sleep. I was out on a call…shit, Chloe-I…”
The phone drops from my hand and I can’t fight the darkness that consumes me anymore. Travis’ voice is the last sound I hear.
Chloe
I am in and out of consciousness for I don’t know how long. I can hear voices once and awhile but I can’t make anything out. My eyes are so heavy, they feel like bricks on my face. My body is numb, a feeling that I’ve grown accustomed to. I am all alone now, my mom is dead…my dad is dead and I’m next. The sad part is, I don’t really care anymore. I’m surrounded by darkness again, awaiting my impending doom, but then-then there’s a light.
“Chlo, come on blue eyes come back to me. Don’t leave me. Let me in, let me help you.” Travis pleads, I feel something wet hit my cheek and I realize he’s crying.
I force my eyes open and get swallowed up into those familiar emerald eyes that make me feel alive.
“Travis?” I whisper.
“There she is,” he smiles but it’s strained.
“How long?” I ask.
“It’s only been a little over a day, Chloe. I had a doctor come by and make sure you were okay. He said-he said it was most likely shock and that when you were ready you’d wake up. I was going to call him back if you weren’t awake by tomorrow.”
“I have to go,” I say as I struggle to get up.
“Whoa-hang on there. You need to go slow, Chloe.”
“I’m fine, I have to go…I have to go home, he needs me-my dad needs me Travis.” I sob.
He wraps his arms around me, pulling into him, “I know darlin, I’ll go with you. I ‘ll drive and you can rest, we’ll leave in the morning…”
“No, no you can’t. You can’t go,” I interrupt him. “I told you, I told you I can’t do this to you. I won’t let it happen to you too, I won’t let him take you too.” I say as I push away from him and run out the door. He’s following me, but I’m fast. Running is something I know, it’s in my blood. I have to set him free before it’s too late.