One Call Away

Chapter Thirty: Normality

Checking herself out in the mirror, Caitlyn took a deep breath as she admired the outfit that she had selected for her date with Jay. 

It was rather casual, Jay insisting that dinner at his place was a good start especially since Caitlyn felt rather anxious about being out in public even though she saw Dr. Charles every week for therapy. 

The progress had been slow, some days it was like nothing had ever happened and she was happy; while others all she could do was think about the mess that had been made of her life. 

Dr. Charles had been very encouraging about her taking time to recover, there was no rushing this sort of trauma and it was not an easy fix; not after everything that she had experienced. 

The fact that Caitlyn was determined to remain in Chicago was a plus, she wasn't running away from her nightmare and instead was standing tall to face it. 

Edward was going to prison, there was no doubt about that and the media interest in the case had been minimal especially since the courts were determined to keep their mistake about accidentally releasing Edward onto the streets from the papers. 

Caitlyn wasn't sure that she was thankful for that, she wanted nothing more than this whole mess to disappear and she knew that if the press found out that her every step would be dogged. 

The weeks since she had been released from hospital had been about finding a new normal, nothing felt the same and Caitlyn just wished that she could go back in time and fix all of this. 

Perhaps then she wouldn't be an orphan, perhaps then she wouldn't know that this deranged lunatic was her biological father who had murdered several people. 

Shaking her head, Caitlyn stepped away from the mirror in her bedroom and moved to pull on the pink cardigan that was laying on her bed; her room completely unchanged from how she had left it before she disappeared. 

Mercedes had been thrilled to have her roommate back, terrified at the thought of having to start the search again for a new roommate when it was uncertain if Caitlyn would ever return. 

It had taken some getting used to being back in her apartment, her grandmother far from pleased when Caitlyn had quietly turned down her offer to return to California with her.

Although Viola had insisted that her door was always open if Caitlyn needed to get away for a while, a break from the city was just what Viola felt that Caitlyn needed.

 Viola was far from impressed by Caitlyn's decision, she didn't quite understand why her granddaughter would wish to stay in the city after all that had happened to her. 

Anyone sane would be fleeing the city in her option, not even the news that Jay would be looking out for Caitlyn seemed to ease Viola's mind about Caitlyn's decision to stay. 

Checking herself in the mirror one more time, Caitlyn pursed her lips before she decided that she was happy with how she looked. 

It was just dinner at Jay's apartment afterall, a quiet night in just the two of them since Jay had worked early in the morning and Caitlyn wasn't a big fan of crowded places right now. 

Everywhere that she looked, she felt like she was being watched and there was no escaping the feeling that Edward was out there waiting to get his revenge. 

Despite the fact that Caitlyn knew that Edward was rotting in a prison cell awaiting his trial at this very moment; there was no way that he could be following her around Chicago.

Grabbing her clutch from the bed, Caitlyn moved to leave her bedroom and head out for her date with Jay; she was sure that Mercedes had mentioned that she would be out for the evening.