CHASE
33

'Bella.'

I followed the sound of my mother's voice, it sounded distant but I knew it was hers as she called out my name.

'Bella hunny.' I forced my eyes open, searching for her face in the gloomy vision of lights and more lights that surrounded me. It was a lot brighter than it was in the room I was caged in.

'Come on sweety, wake up.' I blinked several times, trying to fight the clouds of fog that I was sinking in.

'I'm here now.' I sought after the soft soothing sound of her words, lifting my eye lids further up, the fog cleared and I saw his face. 'I'm here now, Sofia.' His voice echoed all around me, suddenly mother disappeared and I was held captive by the presence of Chase. My heart beat frantically in my chest as I tried to get up, tried to run but I was immobile beneath his gaze.

'No, no!' I screamed, panic rising at the depths of my mind as I anticipated the worst to come. My heart lurched into my throat while I watched the monster before me holding a gun to my head. He was going to kill me. 'No!' I screamed once more, the shrilling sound of my voice vibrating through my bones.

'Calm down! It's ok baby you're safe!' I heard her again. Her innocent worried expression clogging up my vision as Chase disappeared into nothing. It really was her. My mother.

'Mummy's here now.' She held my head in her arms, cooling down the boiling heat of the blood that surged through my veins. My heart rate steadied and I took a deep long breath to make sure I was still alive. Where was I? How had I got here?

'Mum.' She let go of my head and looked at me, her eyes puffy and red, she'd been crying. 'I missed you.' Her words were broken but I could see the light behind her gaze, she was happy. Happy to be reunited with me.

'I'm sorry.' I managed to say, it hurt to talk, it hurt to breathe. I was here but I didn't understand how or why. The last I remembered, I was in Chase's arms, losing myself to the sound of his heartbeat. So how had I ended up here? On a hospital bed with my beloved mother beside me.

My thoughts didn't last long as I saw Dad walk in with a doctor following behind. His eyes fell on me and instantly he rushed over, cupping my face in his hands, he brought his forehead to mine and he just closed his eyes for a long moment until the doctor cleared his throat, interrupting our reunion.

'I'm afraid you've had a miscarriage. I'm sorry for your loss.' Shock was as evident on my face as it was on mums. Dad however, he must've knew seeing as he walked in with the doctor, so he stood there in silence, watching me with eyes that said 'I'm sorry.'

'Once the nurse checks your vitals you'll be taken in for a medical examination.'

'If you don't have any questions, I'll be taking my leave. Once again, I'm sorry for your loss.' When no one asked a question except dad thanking the doctor, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving us in a haze of misery. My heart was breaking every time I heard his statement repeat in my head. 'I'm afraid you've had a miscarriage.' I wanted to vomit my insides out. A miscarriage. That means, I was.. pregnant.

Even though I didn't even know and I wouldn't have even wanted the baby I couldn't help but hurt over it. How had I not known? Of course I had the signs. I dismissed the vomiting as a sign of my hate towards Chase but all along, I'd been carrying a baby. His baby. My head was throbbing with the never ending thoughts and agony that I kept sinking deeper into.

I noticed that mum and dad hadn't spoke a word. Maybe they were giving me a chance to take in the news or maybe, they were giving themselves the chance to take in the news too. I could see the rage that ran deep behind dads silent features and mum, well mum looked a wreck.

'Medical examination?' I was first to break the silence, although I wanted to sit here and cry for the rest of my life I knew that, that could wait.

'Your body, they need to check your body.' Dad wasn't looking at me in the eyes anymore, I knew it was hard for him to deal with this. It was more than obvious what Chase had done to me and I'm sure it was killing my parents to have to see that for themselves.

'How did I get here?' I broke the silence once more, I felt like I was going to suffocate in the tension in the room, it was depressing me even more.

'He brought you here is our guess but by the time me, your mother and the police got called in, he was gone.' I swallowed down the hurt in my chest and nodded. He must've knew that I needed medical attention and had no choice but to bring me here. What I didn't get is why he didn't just leave me to die. Isn't that what he wanted?

'Bella were so sorry you had to go through this.' Mother reached for my hand and instinctively I pulled away, I didn't mean to, it had become a habit to pull away. I had grown accustomed to not wanting to be touched, I'd spent so long trying to avoid it from Chase that now, I didn't want to be touched at all. I could see the hurt that ran through her features as she retrieved her hand and sat in silence once more. It was almost as though, everyone had everything to say yet no one wanted to say it out loud.

My mind drifted back to Chase, where was he now? Did he go back to the place he had held me captive in? Or was he arrested by now? It hurt to think about him, I had just lost his baby, our baby and I didn't know how much longer I could hold back the tears that so desperately wanted release.

'Once you get some rest after your medical, the police need to take some statements. I told them you wouldn't be ready right now. Is that ok?' I turned to face Dad, he still wasn't looking at me. I knew he was aching too, we all were.

'Yes.' I whispered and returned to the hell that resided in my head. I was free, after three months of constant suffering, I was free and yet, I couldn't stop thinking about the one person that I shouldn't have been thinking about. Chase. I spent so long trying to get away from him and now that I was away, he had moved into my head. It seemed as though, I was never going to be able to move on with my life. It seemed, we were bound together.

As much as I hated him, I hated the thought of never seeing him again more. Wow, I really had become just as crazy as he was. I guess we weren't so different after all..