Settle Down

The next day, Patrick had to leave for the All-Star game. Charley was almost relieved because it would give her time to think and make sure she really wanted to go through with her decision. Her classes had been cancelled because of the snow, and she was grateful. She'd hardly gotten any sleep and still felt terrible.

Just as she was about to get out of bed, Patrick knocked on her door.
"Charley?" he said. She immediately pulled the covers back over her and pretended to be asleep. She heard the door open slowly, then footsteps coming closer to her. They stopped, then a few seconds later she smelt his aftershave and felt his lips press against her temple. Then, he was gone. For the next 5 days, she would have time to think and sort everything out.
Thank God, she thought.

Over their time apart, Charley was a mess. She couldn't call Jess because she was Patrick's sister, and she couldn't call her mom because her mom would tell the entire town and it would be an even bigger mess. The only person she felt would be capable of giving advice was Abby Sharp. Sharpy had given Charley her number just in case she ever needed anything, and they were becoming friends. She knew Abby would be spending time with Patrick because he wasn't in Columbus, but it was worth a try.
Charley: Hey, are you free to talk sometime in the next few days
Abby: Yeah! Patrick and the girls are at the zoo for the day, so I'm free for a few hours right now.
Charley: Great. Do you want me to come out to the house or what
Abby: I just got done with some errands downtown, so I'll come to you. Be there in 15.
Charley: You're amazing, see you in a few:)

Charley was extremely grateful she had Abby to talk to. She would've driven herself crazy if she couldn't spill to someone.
"What's going on?" Abby asked, both girls taking their spots on the couch.
"Patrick kissed me last night. And we agreed to go on a date. And I don't know what to do." Charley told her.
"Patrick kissed you?" she asked, clearly surprised. Charley just nodded.
"Honestly, I'm not sure what to tell you. I'd probably just go on the date, then see where that takes you guys." Abby advised. Charley mulled this over, and that's exactly what she did.

Patrick and Charley went on the date before Patrick left on a 7 game road trip. They went to a quiet dinner and a movie, and things went really well. They had really nice conversations and it wasn't awkward at all, well it wasn't until they got home. Neither of them were sure if they should hug or say something before going to bed.
"I had a uh, nice time." Patrick said when they walked in.
"Yeah, me too." Charley said with a slight blush. They didn't say anymore to one another for the rest of the night, and Patrick had an early flight the next morning, so he left without a goodbye.

Patrick didn't call or text Charley during the entire seven game road trip, nor did she though. She figured he would if he wanted to, and so did he. Charley was somewhat worried that things were going to be awkward between them once he got back. She started thinking that he didn't like her anymore.
This wasn't good for Charley, because in her second year of high school, she was diagnosed with extreme anxiety and depression. Her depression was genetic, every woman on her mom's side has it too, just a simple gene malfunction. Her anxiety came from school stress and just always wanting make the best grades she could. She started taking Prozac every day all the way through high school and up to about a year ago. Her medicine sometimes made her foggy and she wasn't really into that. From then on, she only took when she felt her symptoms start coming through. She'd only taken it a few times since coming to Chicago, but the last time she did, it was her last one and she hadn't gone to a pharmacy to get it refilled yet.
Charley slept to about 10 then went to Abby's for brunch and the game with a few of the WAGs.She got home around 3,and that's when the bad thoughts started happening. His arrival was the reason she started getting panicked because she knew they would have to discuss what's been happening. Patrick wouldn't be home until that night, so she was hoping that she would be okay until they could talk.
Charley's pharmacy was closed on Sundays, so there was no way she would be getting her pills until at least the next day. Because of this, Charley did the one thing that could completely keep her mind off things: cleaning. She could clean for hours on end and completely forget everything around her. No one was sure why, but no one really complained.
She got started and probably spent an hour in each room of the condo, dusting, folding, and mopping. She was in the laundry room putting towels into the dryer when she heard a loud noise come from the entryway of the condo. It was someone beating on the door, calling her name.
"Jase." she whispered. He pounded on the door again, and then stopped, and Charley heard the sound of metal hitting the floor outside. She thought for a second, then froze. They spare key that Patrick keeps on top of the entranceway had fallen. She heard him chuckle to himself, then the key slide into the door. She dropped her laundry basket and ran to the closest room to her, which was Patrick's bedroom. She closed the door behind her, locked it, then into his closet and did the same thing. She turned the lights off and sat in the furthest corner of the closet behind a rack of his clothes, trying the hide herself as much as possible by pulling a pile of dirty clothes up around her. Her phone was thankfully in the back pocket of her jeans, and she pulled it out. She texted Patrick and told him to call 911 to the condo, and that Jase had broken in. She did the same to Abby and Lane. Hopefully, one of them would see the message and do it quickly.
Charley heard Jase stomping around outside, a few things falling over. He was calling out her name and telling her to come out. She could hear him going into her bedroom and the spare across the hall. He was slamming every door and knocking things over and shouting that he knew she was there. There was one last bang of a door, then silence. It was quiet for a few seconds, then came more yelling along with the sound of the locked door handle trying to be turned. Silence, then a loud crash. And another. Then, footsteps into the bedroom.
"I know you're in here." he growled. Charley was shaking and pulled a shirt up to her face to try blocking the sound of her heavy breathing. He walked around the bedroom, then closer to the closet. Putting his hand on the handle, turning, and finding out it was locked made him laugh. Charley's heart was pounding and a wave of chills went over her body. The crashing sound from earlier made her jump, and she figured out that he was pulling of the door handle to get in. Two more hits, and light flooded into the closet. He flipped the light switch and just stood there. She could see him through a screen of a few shirts, and he just looked around. He walked in a little further and looked around more. With an unsatisfied look on his face, he started to walk out. Just as he was about to step out of the closet though, Charley's phone went off. And the ringer was on. She cursed herself and held onto the thought that he didn't hear it; she knew he did though because he laughed and turned around, then lunged at the spot where the sound came from. Pulling aside the shirts hanging, he saw her sitting on the floor.
"Can't hide forever, can you?" he said. Grabbing her shirt, he pulled her to her feet and dragged her out of the room. Charley tried pulling away, but his grip on her was too strong. He had her pinned on a wall near the front door, and he started growling really disgusting things about what he was going to do to her in her ear, and then she heard someone running down the hall, calling her name. This distracted Jase, and gave Charley a chance to get him off of her. He stepped back, and she lifted her leg and kicked him in the groin. He doubled over and she knocked him over to where he was laying face down and she was pinning him down. She was silent for a second, and then she heard someone talk.
"Wow." Patrick said, standing in the door. Two policeman showed up a few seconds later, and they had Jase taken care of. He was arrested and Patrick filed a report for breaking and entering.

"Are you okay?" Patrick asked when the police left.
"I think so." She said, still a little shaken up.
"You sure? I don't want you to have night terrors or something." Patrick said. Charley breathed out a small laugh and shook her head.
"I think I'll be okay." she said, giving him a small smile. He smirked down at her, their gazes lingering.
"I think I'm gonna go to bed, I've had a long day. Oh, and good game by the way." she said, turning away.
"You watched?" he asked almost immediately. She smiled and nodded. He smiled and looked down at his feet. She turned away again and was almost to the hall when he spoke up again, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Why didn't you call?" he asked. She stood there for a second, but turned again.
"I didn't know you wanted me to." she said quietly. He walked over to her.
"Of course I did." he said.
"Well why didn't you call me?" she asked
"For the same reason you didn't." he said a little sheepishly. Charley chuckled.
"Maybe we should actually start talking to each other, I feel like that would help this whole thing tremendously." she said.
"Good idea." he said with a big smile. A few seconds later, they both turned and went to their rooms.
"Charley?" he asked just as she was about to go in her room.
"Yeah?"
"Are you sure you're okay?" She shook her head.
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked. She paused for a second.
"Can I stay with you?" she asked. He smirked, and nodded. She smiled too and then changed into a big tshirt. She went across the hall to his room where the door was cracked. She pushed it open and went inside, looking for him. He was still in his dress pants, but with no shirt and brushing his teeth. She didn't know what side he slept on or whatever, so she just stood there awkwardly in the middle of the room. A few seconds later, he emerged from the bathroom in just his boxer-briefs, then pulled the covers aside. She followed suit on the opposite side, climbing in next to him. They were both on their phones for a few minutes, Charley answering all the worried messages from Abby and Lane, Patrick answering back a few from players that Abby must have reached out to when Charley wasn't replying. When her eyes started to droop, she set her phone on the bedside table. Patrick did the same, figuring she wanted to sleep.
"Charley?" he said softly a few minutes later.
"Hmm?"
"Can I hold you?" he asked.
"Yeah." she said with a smile no one could see. She moved closer to him and he pulled her into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and nestled his face into the crook of his neck.
"I missed you." he whispered, gently kissing her jaw.
"Me too." she whispered back. He smiled and thought about how happy he was to have her in his arms, right where she should be, her vanilla perfume lulling him to sleep.

Notes

Well here you guys go. Hope you like it!