Chapter 6 ~ Regrets

"Jane." Clara shakes me. "Jane." I slowly open my eyes to see that the car has stopped. I sit up and look outside the car to see a tall glass building, which is nothing like Clara's house.

"Where are we?" I ask in a tired tone.

"At an hotel. I thought, that if you stay at my house, Collins will find you easily. So, here we are."

I nod and follow behind her, out of the car into the hotel, after paying the driver.

We check in and go straight to our rooms.

"You should shower first."

I nod and do as told, clueless on what to wear after my shower.

I put on the hotel robe after my shower and walk out.

"Here. I packed some clothes."

I smile lightly at her and take the shirt and shorts from her hand. "Thanks."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She asks calmly but I don't reply her and keep dressing.

I hear her sigh before walking past me into the bathroom.

Exhausted and tired, I climp onto the bed to continue my sleep. I don't fail to shed few tears before forcing myself to sleep.

~

"Jane." Clara calls.

I roll to the other side of my bed and tighten my hold on the pillow I'm hugging. After some days of not being able to sleep because of Collins, I've finally been able to sleep properly without fear of him barging in to harm me.

I know he wouldn't give up. He'll keep searching for me, but for now, I want to enjoy my peace while it lasts.

"Janet!" Clara pushes my leg. I groan and adjust to sleep, but this time, the hard force of my pillow comes in contact with my face.

"Ouch." I groan and struggle to sit up. I blink my lashes and stare at Clara who's standing before the bed with hands on her waist. "What?" I furrow my brows.

"It's fucking afternoon."

"And so?"

"Get up."

"No, I need rest. I'm making up for the days I've lost sleep." I move down to continue my sleep but she stops me again by throwing another pillow at my face. "What's your problem?" I ask, clearly frustrated.

"You, babygirl." She says sweetly but I find it annoying. "Do you really want to spend the day on that bed?"

"Yes, I do."

"But I've been waiting for you to get up."

"But I don't want to." I yawn. "I'm tired and the weather feels so good. I haven't slept well for a long time, Clara."

"Well, that's a way to begin a story or I could start by asking why."

"No." I say sternly and lay back down, covering my entire body with the duvet.

"Unfortunately..." Clara pulls the duvet off my body and jumps on me. "...I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Oh, my heavens." I cry out. "Please get off me. I want to sleep." I stress the last word as I try pushing her off me.

"Nope." She grabs my hands and pin them by my side. "I don't know what happened between you and Collins, but it seems really really serious and it's rubbing off on you." She gets up from me and falls to the other side of the bed to sit before pulling my hand for me to get up too and sit beside her. "You look like a loner."

"I am a loner." I say sadly and poke my lips out.

"No baby, you aren't. Ya a badass bitch."

"What?" She laughs, making me laugh too. "I prefer anything but that, thank you." I sit up.

She chuckles then keeps quiet as I adjust myself to sit properly beside her. "Sooo. What's the problem. Is it the usual?"

"No, it's not. It's rather something serious this time around." I blink my eyes, feeling the pool of tears that are about to erupt through my eyes. I might have escaped from him but the thoughts, the memories and the pain will never go away. I may recover but it will be difficult to forget. "I found out he's cheating on me."

She gasps. "That bastard." Her tone comes out sharp, her aggression evident. "I can't believe he did that."

"I can't believe it too." I bite my lip and look up at Clara with my flooded eyes. "The painful part of it is that he didn't feel remorse for his actions."

"Because he's a bastard, Jane." Someone who isn't aware if what's going on, would actually think Clara is the hurt one here. "I know you guys argued. You guys had your bad and good days, but this?...this?!"

"Unfortunately, Clara. I thought we settled and pulled through every obstacle, but I was wrong. He never did. So therefore, we never did."

The thought of his words cause a sharp pain in me.

'You are nothing but a regret'.

'You mean nothing to me'.

'You are useless'.

Such hurtful words. How could he?

He's a liar. I'm everything he said I'm not.

Not, being able to hold my tears any longer, I cry.

"Shhh." Clara pulls me close to her and pats my back. "You shouldn't be crying over that asshole. You deserve someone better, trust me. Someone who will treat you right and will make you feel worth keeping and fighting for." She brushes my hair. "I didn't expect this, but you'll be fine."

"No, Clara." I move so I can look at her. "It's more than just cheating. Collins strive for money has made him go mad." She nods for me to go on which I do. "Collins planned to trade me to a stranger in exchange for money."

"What?!" She widens her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

"He says he needs me no more, so he's giving me out to my new owner. That's how he said it, I don't know. But on my way out I saw some men, which I suspect to be with him or the men of the man he was going to trade me to."

"You have no idea who he was dealing with?"

I shake my head. "No, he told me nothing about them."

"I'm glad you escaped."

"I'm glad I did." I move closer to rest my head back on her

chest.

"Here I was thinking you enjoyed your date and that you were too busy with Collins pampering you with love, that you forgot to gist me about it. Not knowing you were in so much trouble and difficulty all because of him."

"I could never forget to gist you on such matter." I let out a soft laugh, trying to feel better. "He just didn't want to let me go."

"That bastard." She says, angrily. Empty threat or not, they made me feel better.

Clara has always been the tough one, while I the calm one. She was the fighter and I was the pacifist.

She has always been the big sister I never had and I'm glad to have her in my life.

I'm happy to be here with her.

"I hope I'm safe now." I cuddle her.

"You are." She assures me and I hope she's right.

I hope.