¹. 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩

THE MANHATTAN POLICE STATION WAS LOUD, Candy sat in one of the plastic chairs, tapping her perfectly manicure nails against the arm of the chair.

Her stomach was in a bundles of nerves as she waited to talk to a cop about her current situation. Waiting was never one of Carmen's talents. Everyone she knew told her she was one of the most impatient person they have ever met, and she'd be the first to agree.

A soft sigh left her lips as she watched people coming in and out of the station, some in handcuffs and others in expensive suits with slicked back hair and briefcases in their hands.

Carmen looked down at her phone, rolling her brown eyes as realized she had been waiting for over forty minutes. If her situation wasn't so concerning she wouldn't even be here at all, but she couldn't keeping going on day after day scared to look over her shoulder.

"I've been waiting for over forty minutes. Is there anyone I can talk to yet?" Carmen questioned as she walked up to the front desk, an older man sitting there looking bored.

"It's busy today." The older cop said in a monotone voice as his blue eyes looked at Candy. "As you can see that." He added his hand gesturing around the room.

"Look," Candy said sucking on her teeth as she stared into the man's eyes. She could feel the very thin patience she had mustered up was beginning to wear off. "I need to talk to a cop. I don't care that it's busy. I have a serious fucking situation." Her voice was low as she spoke, but there was a seriousness in it that meant fucking business.

"You're gonna have to wait, sweetheart." The older man said before picking up the ringing phone.

Carmen let out a loud sigh, reminding herself she was in a police station to stop herself from going off on the older cop. She begrudgingly took herself back to the waiting area and it's uncomfortable seats, waiting for someone to finally come and talk to her.

"Miss Alves?"

It was another fifteen minutes later when Carmen finally heard her name being called. The Alves woman immediately stood up and walked towards the man who had called her name.

"Hi, I'm officer Johnson. I hear you need to talk about a pretty serious situation." He spoke with your typical city accent. He was young, maybe early thirties with a blonde buzz cut and dark brown eyes.

"Yeah." Candy nodded as he led her into a room. She was thankful for the quiet and a private place to talk to the young cop.

Officer Johnson sat down his eyes staring at Candy as he waited for her to speak.

Carmen sat down in the seat across from him, a deep breath leaving her lips, "I'm being stalked." She spoke as fear took over her body. She hadn't said the words out loud to anyone besides her best friend and hearing it out loud in the quiet room scared her.

"Do you know the person?" Officer Johnson asked as he stared at the nervous woman in front of him.

Carmen nodded, "yes. His name is Beau Harrington." His name came out of her mouth like poison. It sent a chill down her spine whenever she said his name out loud as though he could hear her and would show up at any moment.

"Beau Harrington?" The cop questioned with a raise of his eyebrow. "That's a serious accusation, miss Alves." He reminded her, almost looking at her with disgust.

Carmen had to refrain from telling the cop to stop fucking looking at her like that. This was a serious issue. Of course she knew when she decided to go to the police station to tell them that they wouldn't believe her. Beau was a very rich and powerful man in New York. He always bragged about how much money he donations to the NYPD whenever he could.

"It's the truth!" Candy's voice was loud and full of anger as she slammed a hand on the table. "He won't stop calling and texting me. He keeps showing up at places I'm at. I've told him to stop and he won't."

Her voice cracked as she spoke, blinking her brown eyes to stop the tears from coming. She refused to look vulnerable in front of this man.

"It sounds to me like you have an admirer. He wasn't physically harmed you?" Officer Johnson questioned, his tone condescending.

"No he hasn't, but I'm afraid he could." She said making sure make her calm yet firm. She didn't know exactly what Beau was capable of, but it wasn't anything good.

"How do you know Mr Harrington?" The young cop inquired as he leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms across his chest.

Carmen let out a scoff at the cops question, "What does that have to do with anything I'm telling you?"

Rage filled Carmen's body as she stared at officer Johnson. What did it matter how she knew him? It wasn't right that he was stalking her and making her afraid for her life.

"Right." The officer nodded his head, standing up from the chair. "Well, there's nothing we can do." He informed the brunette, placing his hands on his hips.

"What? What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Carmen seethed as she practically jumped up from the chair she was sitting in. "He's stalking me!" She yelled.

Carmen couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could the police not be able to help her? She understood Beau was a powerful man, but for the cops to not help her was disgusting.

"Miss Alves," he spoke with a stern tone. "Mr Harrington has in no way hurt you. It sounds like to me that you might be trying to get more money out of him." He added as he eyed her with disgust.

"Fuck you." Carmen spat as she walked by the taller man and practically run out of the station.

The hot Manhattan air hit her in the face the second she left the building. She ran a shaky hand through her dark hair as she took in a deep breath. She couldn't fucking believe it. What was she suppose to do now?

She grabbed her phone from her bag and scrolled through her contacts before hovering over her older brother's name. It rang a few times before her brother's voice entered her ears.

"Juan, I need help."

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"Honey, I'm home!"

Carmen heard her best friend and roommates voice call out as the door closed behind her. She heard her footsteps and her voice but she was too focused on packing her things into the large suitcase that laid on her bed.

"Candy?" Quinn questioned as she walked into the girls room. Quinn's eyes watching her best friend throwing clothes frantically into a suitcase. "What's going on?" She asked confused.

"I have to leave." Carmen said quickly, not even bothering to look at Quinn.

"What? Leave? Why?" Quinn rattled off as her eyebrow furrowed at her frantic friend.

"The police won't help me. They won't do anything about Beau. I can't stay here." The Alves woman rushed out as she zipped up the overstuffed suitcase.

"Candy, calm down." Quinn said as she walked over to Carmen and placed a hand on the scared girls arm. "What happened?"

Carmen finally looked at her best friend with tears in her brown eyes. A sigh left her mouth as she ran a hand through her hair. Candy had told Quinn what she was going to do today and she was behind her all the way. Quinn too had high hopes the police could stop the constant stalking.

"He said there's nothing they can do because Beau hasn't physically harmed me. Can you believe that? You have to be physically harmed before you can get some fucking help." Candy let out a bitter laugh as she shook her head.

"He looked at me as though I was some fucking whore and was disgusting."

Quinn pulled Candy into a tight embrace. She had hopes the police would help and hearing that they wouldn't made her blood boil.

"I called my brother." Candy said as she held on tightly to Quinn.

"I can't fucking believe this." Quinn said in disbelief. "We could go to the news? Make a big deal about it." Quinn wanted to help Carmen in whatever way she could. Carmen had been her best friend since sixth grade when Carmen punched some boy for pushing Quinn. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

"No." Candy shook her head. She doubted anything good would come from that. "I have to leave. My brother said I could stay with him. I'll be okay." She assured the curly haired woman.

"I'll always have your back."

"I know." Carmen smiled. "I've gotta go. I'll call you when I get there." She assured as she grabbed her suitcase.

Quinn nodded as she tearfully watched her best friend walk out of their apartment, not knowing when she would see her again.

Carmen hailed down a taxi, throwing the suitcase into the back.

"JFK, please." She said as she entered the taxi.

A new beginning was on the horizon for her. She just hoped she had made the right decision.

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A/N —

I'm sorry this is so long! I couldn't stop writing though! I hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to comment and vote please!