Pain Is What Lead Me To You

Chapter 10

"I will find you, June Manson, and I swear to god, I will kill you and everyone helping you."

I wake up, my hair sticking to my neck from the sweat. "Nathan?" I say, searching in the sheets and panicking when I don't feel anything, but I quickly calm down when fingers lace through mine.

"What's wrong babe?" he moans, his voice raspy from sleeping.

"I..." I gasp, but don't finish my sentence as sobs escape me.

"Hey June shh it's okay," Nathan whispers, pulling me into a hug and rubbing my back. "It was only a dream. It wasn't real."

"It felt so real," I cry. "She was threatening you, telling me she was going to kill me and everyone helping me...."

"Hey you listen to me. She won't get to us, I won't let her. I don't care what it takes, I won't let her get to you, or me."

"I just don't think it's safe to stay here, where my father is. Maybe she knows where he is...what if she comes looking for me?"

"Okay, do you want to leave now?"

"Yeah...but I'll drive, you can sleep. I'm okay I promise."

We both get up. Nathan slips on sweats and his MAYBE sweater. I grab my leggings and another one of his sweaters and head out the door and down to the lobby, where I almost have a heart attack.

Nathan pushes me behind him, glaring at the man, my father, in front of him. "What do you think you're doing here?" Nathan sneers.

"I'm not going to hurt her, I promise," my dad says, holding his hands up in surrender. He's wearing his cop uniform, which makes things a little more nerve-racking.

Peering from behind Nathan's protective stance, I look at my father, worry, guilt, and shame in his eyes.

"June," he sighs, "you've grown into such a beautiful woman."

"What do you want with me?" I ask, only to be pushed further behind Nathan.

"You have a very protective boyfriend. That's good, he should lookout for you."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Your mother called me, asking me if she knew where you were...I didn't tell her, don't worry."

"Why?" I ask, still behind Nathan.

"I've been a cop for fifteen years, I know an angry, abusive voice when I hear one. June...if I knew what was going on at home, I would've never-"

"Never left? Is that what you're going to say? It's a little late for the 'I'm sorry I abandoned you' speech. Where have you been for the last seventeen years? You left me when I was two, and as soon as you left, that's when mom lashed out and started abusing me before I could even say my first words. Don't you dare expect forgiveness from me. You won't get it from me."

Storming past Nathan, and past my father, I run to the car with tears in my eyes. Behind me, I hear Nathan mumble a few words to him, followed by footsteps chasing after me. As a reflex, I run faster and hide behind the car, my arms up in defense. "Don't hurt me!" I cry out.

"It's me! It's Nathan," he gasps, out of breath from running after me. Nathan pulls me into his arms, hugging me tightly.

"I'm so-"

"Shhh, you don't need to apologize. You had every right to do that. Now come on, let's go. If your mom called your dad, there's a good chance she's on her way here."

I climb into the drivers seat, only to be pulled back out. "Maybe I should drive," says Nath.

I just nod, walking around the car and into the passenger side. I rest my head against the cold window as Nathan rubs my knee.