When we got home, I immediately ran up to my room and locked the door and laid on my bed. I stared up at the ceiling and was immersed in my thoughts. Eventually the pain of what Charlie might do became quite tiring and I sat up. I stalked over to my closet and pulled out a pair of pale green cotton shorts and a white tank top. I slipped off my dress and bra and slipped on the outfit and grabbed my Ipod. I ran down the stairs, shouted to David I was out running and then sprinted out barefoot. I thought of nothing, my mind going adrift as I focused on nothing but the run and my surroundings. I was mindless, thinking of nothing but of what was necessary. When I became tired of running on the road, I veered off and into the woods, taking a trail. I made sure I avoided jagged rocks and harmful objects. Soon, I came to a large pond. At this point, I stopped and walked onto the pier of it. I crouched over and breathed deeply, trying to catch my breath. Once I caught my breath, I stood up and went over to the edge of the pier. I closed my eyes and just listened to everything. At this moment, my thoughts decided to worm their way back in consciousness. They were small at first, but soon grew a life of their own and began to torment me. And everything revolved around Charlie. What he was going to do. If he was so angry he wouldn't talk to me anymore. If now, that his anger diminished his feelings for me. Irritation grew inside me at these thoughts. I grabbed a rock at my side and chucked it at the water.

"Fuck! Why the fuck can't you leave my thoughts alone?!" I yelled out desperately. I heard a deep chuckle behind me and whirled around to see Charlie standing there, his hands in his slacks.

"The first sign to someone going insane, is talking to themselves." He said with a half smile. A blush formed slightly on my already flushed cheeks. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Well, I'm going fucking insane here anyways, so why does it matter." I grumbled to myself. He frowned.

"What's wrong, Belle?" He asked with concern clear on his face. I looked down at the floor, sadness written on my face.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" I asked sadly. I heard his sharp footsteps and then he gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"Of course I am. I'm furious that you put yourself in that position and got hurt. Belle, we had it handled. You shouldn't have gotten involved." He spoke softly. I looked up into his bright baby blues and furrowed my eyebrows.

"But no one stepped in. They were all just gonna let Coach beat on him!" I exclaimed, trying to rip my chin out of Charlie's grip, but he held tight. His face softened even more.

"Nobody was gonna let it get too bad, darlin'." He said, I still frowned fiercely.

"It's still wrong, Charlie. He's not mentally stable. He doesn't deserve to be thrown around like that." I all but growled out. Charlie just sighed, not willing to fight a loosing battle. He raised his other hand and smoothed out my frown.

"You're too beautiful to frown, darlin'." He said with a slight smile. I fought the smile that was threatening to break out. I just needed to reassure one thing before I completely calmed down. I looked up into his eye, blinking owlishly.

"So, I'm forgiven? You'll still talk to me?" I asked innocently. He frowned slightly before tugging me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I slowly snaked my arms up and around his strong neck.

"Of course, beautiful. I could never not talk to you." He said fiercely into my hair. He then leaned down, wrapped his arms around my waist and then picked me up. I gasped and then started laughing and giggling as he began to spin around. I clung to him tightly and pressed my face into the crook of his neck. Slowly he stopped and kept me up in the air, nuzzling his face into my neck. I ran my hand through his soft hair, running my nails along the scalp.

"So perfect." Charlie mumbled into my neck. He set me down on my feet slowly, but never loosened his grip on my waist. He towered over me, and gently set his forehead on mine. We stared into each other's eyes as I played with his hair. He ran one hand up my side and gripped the side of my neck, cupping my jaw. I glanced down at his sculpted lips and then back up to his eyes. He slowly started to lean forward. My heart beat faster than a hummingbird's and the butterflies in my stomach bashed against their constraints. I leaned forward, slipping my eyes shut as I went. Then, our lips met. Some people say they feel fireworks when you kiss 'the one.'Others say it's simply a kiss and you don't feel anything. This, however, was a different story. When our lips touched, I was filled to the brim with love, with the feeling of how right this was. I was filled with the feeling of joy and I instantly felt at home in his kiss. I felt safe, and loved and all around at home. It was simply perfect. Words can not describe how perfect this moment was. I twirled his hair in between my fingers and kissed him with everything I was worth. The hand cupping my jaw disappeared and reappeared in my hair, gripping it, holding me to him. His arm around my waist held me tighter to him. I never wanted this to end. This was the first time I had felt so right and happy since I was sent to live with David. But, alas, we needed to breathe. We pulled back, gasping for air and set our foreheads together. We grinned at each other. I looked deep into his mesmerizing eyes and sighed happily, stroking my thumb along the back of his neck.

"Stay with me." He whispered, staring deeply into me. I pulled my head back, looking up to him fully.

"What?" I asked curiously. He once again cupped my jaw, stroking it gently.

"Stay here, with me. When David and Amy leave, stay here, for me." He pleaded almost desperately. A small smile grew on my face.

"I had no plans on leaving." I said softly. He grinned and kissed my forehead.