Coming with the years of knowing her, Chuck had began to pick up on things. Little and big things. Like right now? He knew she was withholding the truth. And even if he didnât fully know why, he did know it probably had to do with some sort of fear of telling him whatever it was she was keeping from him. Why the fear was there, he didnât know. But he guessed⌠just hoped that moving forward whatever conversation they had would put some clarity to that.
âZoeyâŚâ he stopped her, voice now a bit more serious to show he genuinely cared what he was asking her about. He knew her words following  were her trying to brush off the point of conversation he asked her about was only a way of deflecting. She was avoiding the initial question and that only made him want to know more. âI know something⌠happened. I donât know what. I donât know the extent. But I do know that theres something youâre holding back.â He told her. He wasnât stupid. He knew she knew that, but youâd really have to be stupid to not see the obvious- to see what he saw. âAnd I know that I said we donât have to talk about it. And we donât. But you canât pretend like whatever it isâŚ. Doesnât existâŚâ he said, voice soft. He truly was trying not to push but found himself digging himself deeper as each word fell from his mouth. So he decided to put an end to that. He cared to much to scare her off. And selfishly he wanted to spend more time with her, and he feared he would lose that time if he pushed her and she decided to leave.
âI just want you to know.. Iâm not here to judge. ButâŚ. Thats all Iâm going to say. I wonât push anymore. Whatever we talk about is up to you. I just⌠care. You know?â He said to her, his voice sweet, eyes practically puppy eyes now. He desperately wanted her to trust him but knew sometimes it wasnât that simple. The more he pushed, the more she would pull away, probably. âYouâll bail me out of jail, huh?â He said, going back to what she had last said before he went off on a wholeâŚ.. dialogue of heavy stuff. Heavier than either of them had probably expected. âGlad to know your loyalty lies with the Bartowski clan.â He said in a soft, joking tone with an evident smile.
ThisâŚthis was not the conversation she expected them to have. But what did she expect after all this time? Ellie had that same expression, it was like they were trying to pry your soul from your body. Zoey, a part of her wanted to tell him the truth. To let the monsters out so only light could come in, but she hadnât felt this way is so long. All of the emotions she was feeling right then and there, some she never even experienced before. The depth behind them, the way her heart clenched with every painful beat brought her closer to giving in. To crying in front of him and telling him how her father used to beat her mother, and how he forced her to watch. How he would scream at her mother, and in her face how it was always their faultâŚit was only when her mother started bleeding that was when he would stop, and they would hide. Hide from everyone, always the ruse how Mrs. Eaton was so clumsy. Zoey was always sick⌠Strange how so many people believed it. But maybe, maybe they just didnât want to see the truth. So, they looked away. When Zoey got a bit older, she locked herself away, blocking herself from them. Becuase with every new bruise, her motherâs skin hardened. Until the brave woman was covered in armor that he forced on her. Armor she used to fight back, only to end up leaving Zoey completely, and utterly alone.Â
He never hurt Zoey, not like he did her mother. Granted heâd throw her against a wall or her bedroom door. She couldnât stand the smell of whiskey or beer ever since â it repelled her entirely. But the smell of his breath used to make her sick. His large, scary frame was a real monster at the end of her hallway. She used to scream and run into her room, locking her bedroom door and blocking it with her bookcase. Sometimes going as far as moving her desk if she felt too scared. It had been..terrifying. Yet somehow, she and her mother survived â and they became stronger because of it. But it left scars that went far deeper beneath the skin. It left marks on her soul to the point she was afraid to trust anyone. How could she? EllieâŚEllie had been her one true friend through and through. Ellie, her books, and the one man (boy at the time) they helped her survive a monster. A terror. TheyâŚkept her alive in a sense. But the fact he didnât know meant Ellie kept her promise, drunk or not, she never told anyone. Now, though, after today, would she tell Chuck? The words leaving his lipsâŚhe knewâŚhe knew and would he ask Ellie? No. No. He should hear it from her, Zoey, directly.Â
Zoeyâs head started shaking when Chuck began going on about what sheâd said. Though what he said about loyalties, she smiled, a smile reserved only for him as tears filled her eyes. She laughed softly but it was a sad sound â she couldnât run from a man who saw through her walls. She couldnât run from a man, not this man, who she cared for so deeply that time didnât seem to change that. âWell of course..â She whispered softly, tears riding on the edge of her voice. âI mean, if it wasnât for the Bartowski clanâŚIâŚâ She looked down, a small sob escaping her as she looked back up at him. âYou saved me..â She licked her lips. âYour family..â She soon corrected, though she really did mean him. Him and Ellie, their parentsâŚno one ever said anything. But somehow Zoey knew that Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski knew what went on behind her front door. âUm..â She mumbled softly as a shaky hand moved to wipe under her eye, only to realize it was wet. Oh. She was crying. Great. Brilliant. But the dam broke â and there was no stopping this flood.Â
Exhaling slowly Zoey gathered what little strength she had. After thirty seconds of silence, she nodded slowly. âYouâre right.â She licked her lips as she looked up at him, trying to remain strong she shook her head. âUm. ButâŚit, itâs not just something. ItâsâŚa lot of things. Well, kind of I..â She was rambling, she did that when she was nervous, scared, shocked⌠even stressed. âIt uhâŚuhm.â She bit her bottom lip before sighing softly and her blue eyes moved to his face. He needed to knowâŚif he wanted to be involved, tooâŚâtalkâ the way he suggested. He should know. She was safe now, she was never going to be in that situation again, it was okay. âDo youâŚremember when my father..â She grimaced at the word. He was no father, he was a coward. A son of a bitch. A bastard. âL-lost his job? From the company?â When he nodded she continued her story, her hands shaking on her lap so she gripped them together tightly, her knuckles straining beneath her skin. âWellâŚhe didnât handle it well.â The look on her face, she wasnât there anymore. She wasâŚ.back in her childhood home. Reliving those traumatic moments. After all, Chuck was no strangerâŚ.he had known her, and this was something from her past, she didnât want to risk a potential future with himâŚby keeping a secret. âHe um, started drinking.â She whispered softly. âA lot..â She looked down at her lap, the comforting lilac making her a little dizzy so she looked back up at him again. âItâŚit started off as him just, coming home late. M-my parents would argue. It was so loud..â She shook her head, cringing at the memory of it in her mind. âIt would wake me up, but one night. I heard a loud bang so..I-I crawled out of bed andâŚI walked into my parents room. M-m-my mom was crying, she was on the floor holding her face.â Zoey exhaled sharply, the sound similar to that of a sob and a hiccup. âShe was bleeding.â She whimpered.Â
âMy dad wasâŚh-he was kicking her. Yelling th-that it was her fault he lost the job.â Zoey looked up at the roof as she tried to keep her breathing even. It was stupid how it still affected her this much. But maybe it didnât, maybe it was the fact she was telling ChuckâŚÂ âI didnât know what to do but I couldnât let him hurt her so..I went in and begged him to stop. I hit him, as hard as I could but, I didnât do anything..I was too small.â She bit her bottom lip harshly. âH-he shoved me and told me to go to my room if I knew what was good for me.â Her jaw was sharp, the memories painful but they made her angry. Like she wanted to hit him now. âThat was the first nightâŚand it only got worse.â She sighed and straightened her back, not wanting to go over the many horrors she witnessed, that one was enough to get the point across. âYou, you remember my mom always at the doctor, and how she kept breaking her arm?â She asked softly, she didnât say anything she just shook her head. âIt was him.â Licking her lips she scoffed at the memory now, wishing she knew what to do back then. To get help. To do somethingâŚÂ âI would miss school so I could stay home and help her. Or try to at leastâŚbut I couldnât really do anything else when he came homeâŚhe was always so angry at her. At me.â She blanched. Laughing softly at the image she admitted. âI used to block the door with my bookcase, you know the big one? I guess it was all the adrenaline because I have no idea how I was able to push it.â She looked down, fiddling with her dress as she squeezed her eyes shut. âIt got betterâŚwhen she got stronger. I donât know how, butâŚshe stood up to him, but in the process, she left me behind. She, she threw herself into her work. Leaving me home alone with him, but. He couldnât get his kicks out of beating me like he did her â so, he sobered up, Iâm pretty sure he was cheating on herâŚbut I have no proof. But, he got the new job and then I was alone.â She looked over his face, afraid to see how heâd react.Â
âSo you see, I donât know if your parents knewâŚIâŚI didnât tell Ellie until a couple years ago, but.â She bit her bottom lip. âIf it wasnât for them, for you two..â Though maybe he wouldnât understand the part involving him. They never interacted much when they were younger. Hopefully, he wouldnât question it â that would be too much revealing â wouldnât it? âI donât think I would haveâŚI donât think Iâd be where I am today. So..â She sniffled as she wiped under her eyes once more and rubbed her hands together. âYeah, Iâd definitely bail you out of jail.â She gave him a small smile, though fear was obvious in her eyes. What would happen now? Her secret was out. What would he do?Â
âBecause I care about you too.â She finished.Â