Emily's Protectors

Chapter 13: A normal day until... ✔

(Lucky Fish Diner)

Emily closed her apartment door, locking it, double-checking the door handle before she walked down the stairs. She opened the security doors that opened up onto the street. Emily greeted the elderly Chinese convenience store owner who was busy opening his little shop. For the start of autumn, the weather was still lovely and Emily could feel that this was the start of a warm sunny day. Emily looked up at the early morning sun and smiled. Today, it has been seven days since she had run away from Michael at the hospital and it was the first day she felt she could breathe. Last night her nightmares were not too bad and she got more than 4 hours of sleep afterward. Feeling happy and refreshed.

She got on to the dark purple scooter Ben and Anna insisted on buying for her, declaring her walking days were over. Starting the scooter, she smiled again and drove to the diner, ready for the breakfast shift.

Emily had expected someone to jump out from every corner and shadow in the past six days, but everything had been dead quiet. She kept an eye on the newspapers all week, but a deserted building burning down was the only strange thing that was reported. Rumors were that a body was found in the debris, but nobody had confirmed that yet. Emily kept staring at the photos of the burned-down building, not sure why but she was sure that was the building she was held captive.

After Emily fled the hospital, she went straight to her small apartment. Sitting on her small sofa, hugging her knees, she had to remind herself that she was safe there. No one had that address. She always gave either the diner or Ben and Anna's home address if she needed to. Her name wasn't even on the rental agreement as the apartment belonged to an elderly aunt of Ben. Emily had never even invited anyone to her apartment apart from her foster parents. Even after all these years after that, Emily had run away from home. She still had nightmares that Jack would find her and take her back. He had threatened her enough that he would find her and kill her if she ever left. Emily did some research a couple of years back and found out Jack had reported her missing, even had an interview with the local news station crying tears about his poor lost daughter. According to the interview, someone started a social fund account to help find her, for which Jack was so grateful, promising every cent would go into finding her. Emily wondered if anyone believed the lying bastard!

Emily stopped at the diner, ensuring her arms and legs were covered and not showing any of her wounds. Ben and Anna were the only ones to whom she told the whole truth about everything. She knew she could trust them not to judge her and help her figure out what happened that night. Especially since there was no police interest in the case, convincing Emily that "detective" Michael was not a police officer as he claimed to be. Both Ben and Anna were convinced that Emily was injected with some sort of drug by Paul that caused her to hallucinate. That was the only reason they could think of to explain everything she saw but how she got away was still a mystery.

Emily had begged them not to tell people what happened to her, and they had agreed to keep this between them. They told everyone that Emily got very ill and had to go to the hospital, some strange flu going around. The first couple of days were tough, with everyone wanting to ask her how she was and why she didn't call them for help when she was not feeling well. Especially Roberto was acting very hurt that Emily would not ask for help. Rolling her eyes at him, she hoped that he would get it in his big head she was not interested. That didn't stop him from acting like a big baby and working on everyone's nerves.

Walking in, Emily was relieved that it was just Ben and Anna at the diner.

"Hi, baby girl," Ben greeted with a smile.

"Hi, papa bear," Emily replied with a smile, kissing Anna on the cheek before walking into Ben's hug.

"You are early."

"I know, I keep forgetting that the scooter is faster than walking," Emily laughter. "At least it gives us some time to catch up."

"You look better today. How do you feel?" Anna asked, offering Emily a cup of coffee. Inhaling the coffee aroma, Emily smiled. "Yes, thank you, most of the cuts have healed, and I am very sure the stitches can be removed. Is this the coffee you brought from Zanzibar?" 

"I have to show you something in the newspaper," Ben said, sliding the open paper to Emily, "the building that burned down close to St John's hospital. It has been confirmed that there was someone inside and the body had been identified" With shaking hands Emily took the newspaper, staring at the face that was a constant guest in her most recent nightmares. She quickly scanned the information, Paul Radford, retired, leaving no family behind. Moving the newspaper back to Ben, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a couple of deep breathes.

"It's him," but lifting her hand, keeping her parents from speaking, "can we just open the diner, please?" Not waiting for a reply, Emily turned around and started to prep the waiter's station. Respecting Emily's privacy, Ben and Anna turned their attention to their work, knowing Emily would open up when she was ready.

The rest of the day went by in a flash, for which Emily was very grateful.

After a long busy day, Emily gratefully looked up at the watch and saw there was only one hour before closing time. With her back turned away to the door, she quickly checked if the coffee and pie would be enough for the last hour. 

Emily heard the little bell over the door ring but before she could turn around, Britney, who was standing next to her cleaning the counter, whispered, "Shit did you know they made men like that?"

Looking sideways at Britney, Emily rolled her eyes, noting Britney had already pushed her chest out, showing even more of her bosom, if that was even possible. "Just wipe up your drool," Emily whispered back, touching the side of her mouth with her fingers before turning all the way around. Dropping her pen, Emily stared at the two men that had entered. 

Standing just inside the door was the guy of her dreams.