Hailey's P.O.V:
A day has passed since my dad showed up at my house. My mom called the Omaha police and they said that they will come in contact with the mental institution that my dad escaped from and the authorities from there will use air forces and cars to get to Omaha and take him back.
The bad news was, this could take about a 3-4 days. They needed to get everyone together and then drive down to Omaha from New York and with helicopters as well.
So for now, I was not going to school for the days my dad was here, for fear that he would follow me or something like that. I was still going to work though, but Jack was driving me there and back. He was also giving me the homework and assignments I missed and he would bring them to my house.
He was supposed to come any minute now with my missing assignments, then drive me right to work.
I sat on the stairs with a bottle of Coke in my hand, dressed in my work clothes, staring at the door.
I still couldn't believe my dad escaped and got all the way here. God knows how he arrived here. There was only one explanation for this...he came back for my mom...and me.
The doorbell rang now, startling me out of my thoughts.
I got up to get it and smiled slightly with relief when I saw Jack standing there, tons of papers and binders in his hands.
He flushed.
"Hi." He said softly.
"Hey." I answered.
He held out the homework I missed. I put it all on the hall table and then followed Jack out to his car.
I stared out the window as Jack started down the street.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked me, breaking the silence.
I nodded, still looking out the window.
"I'm getting there. But thanks though."
Jack didn't say anything else as we pulled into the diner.
Before I got out, Jack turned to me.
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
I shrugged.
Jack nodded.
"Okay. Well, if you need to, I'm here."
I squeezed his arm now.
"Thanks, Jack." I said to him as I walked into the diner.
*
I waved to Ally as I quickly whipped out my notepad and began taking orders.
An hour or so passed, and the bell over the door jingled again, signaling that someone was entering. I looked up and my heart almost stopped when I realized it was my dad. He locked eyes with me right away and started to walk towards me.
I dropped my notepad into the linoleum floor and Ally looked at me questioningly.
"I-I need some air." I mumbled, rushing down the hallway and out the back exit.
I pressed myself up against the wall, taking yoga fire breaths.
What was he doing here? Invading my place of work? Intruding on me like this? He had no right. He was supposed to be locked up for his mental disease and out of my life.
The door creaked open and I jumped. It was my dad. I quickly backed away from him.
"Stay the hell away from me." I hissed, gritting my teeth.
"No can do, honey. I have a long list of things I need to get done, and staying away from you is not on there." My dad snickered.
"I will call the cops." I said.
He laughed, coming closer to me until I was pressed up against the wall.
"You know, my disease...Impulse Control Disorder...it means you target one person or more, for any reason....and you do everything in your power to get rid of them. It also means that I can't resist actions or impulses that can hurt others. Did you know that?"
"Yeah, I did. And let me guess, you targeted me and Mom?"
He nodded.
"Why?" I asked now.
My dad stared at me.
"Why what?"
"Why did you do everything you did? You raped me, hit me, hit Mom, beat me...attempted at killing me...what made you do it all?"
Now, my dad came close to my ear and I shuddered.
"My doctors said there's no reason as to why I do that stuff. I just have this motive to get rid of specific people." He whispered.
Just then, he put a hand under my work shirt and felt around for my scar that he gave to me.
I slapped his hand away from my stomach.
"Get off of me." I said.
He smirked.
"Guess that never healed huh?"
"No, it didn't." I replied.
"That's too bad...isn't it?" He said now, reaching down and fumbling with the belt on my shorts.
"Stop it." I said, squirming to get away. But he grabbed me before I could do anything.
"Get off me!" I screamed.
He covered my mouth with his hand. It was sweaty.
"Shut the hell up." He hissed.
I screamed through his hand anyway.
Suddenly, my dad raised his hand and slapped me across the face.
It came so fast, out of nowhere, that I didn't feel the sting until a few seconds later. Tears welled up in my eyes.
"I said, shut up, you stupid bitch." He said as he began to take off the belt.
Just then, the back exit door swung open and Ally came running out.
"Hey! Stop it right now!" She yelled.
My dad took his hands off me and stepped away.
"Now, who might you be?" He sneered.
"I'm Hailey's friend. And I suggest you take your filthy hands off her."
My dad started to run towards her.
"Ally!" I cried.
Suddenly, Ally twisted up and kicked my dad right in the eye. He stumbled to the ground, covering his eye with his hand.
I quickly put my belt back on.
My dad tried to get up but Ally punched him right in the face, knocking him out.
I rushed over to her now.
"Where did you learn those moves?" I said in astonishment.
She put her hands on her hips.
"4 years of martial arts can really come in handy sometimes." She answered, and I laughed, despite what just happened.
"Who is that guy?" Ally asked.
I sighed, and realized I should tell her the truth. I've known her long enough now.
I sat down with Ally on the side of the diner and told her my story...for the second time. I also told her about his mental illness and how he was put into a mental institution...and now he was out...and here in Omaha.
When I was done, her face was twisted with pain and sorrow for me.
"Oh my god, Hailey! I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me any of this?"
I shrugged.
"I didn't think it needed to be shared."
She smiled sadly.
"Look, maybe you should just go home. I'll tell Mr Bossman you got sick and had to leave."
"Are you sure?"
Ally nodded.
"Of course."
I looked at my dad, lying unconscious on the ground, then back at Ally.
"What about my dad?" I said, pointing to him.
Ally cracked her knuckles and stood up.
"I'll take care of it."
*
I waited outside the front of the diner for Jack to pick me up.
A couple minutes of sitting there on the bench, Jack pulled up to the sidewalk.
I got into the passenger side and Jack quickly drove away.
"What happened? Why did you leave early?" He asked.
I sighed.
"My dad showed up at work. He..cornered me outside...and tried to rape me. My friend Ally, uh...knocked him out."
Jack gasped.
"Oh my god. Are you okay?"
I shrugged.
"How did he find out where you work? How far did he get with you? How did he-"
I slammed my hand on the dashboard, making Jack jump. Then I massaged my temples.
"I don't know, Jack! I don't know anything! I don't know how he got out, or how he found me and my mom's house, or where I worked or what he's planning, okay! I don't know." I said, raising my voice.
Just then, tears filled my eyes and I allowed them to run down my face.
Jack looked at me closely now.
"Hey, hey, hey. Don't cry." He said softly.
I looked down at my lap, hot teardrops falling onto my bare legs.
Jack pulled over and took the keys out of the ignition.
I looked away from him, frantically wiping away my tears so Jack wouldn't see me cry.
"Hailey. Look at me." Jack said, sounding kind yet stern at the same time.
I hesitantly turned my face towards him. With shaking hands, he put a finger on my chin.
"Listen to me. I know you're feeling scared and nervous and worried and lots of other things, but don't torture yourself over it. Over this. Police are gonna come and take him away, back to New York, back to the mental institution, and hopefully he'll be in better protective custody so he doesn't escape again."
My bottom lip trembled.
"I don't know how much longer I can do this. I can't keep living like...like...my dad is following me and haunting me, threatening to do the things he did to me again..forever. I thought that when we was put into that mental institution, he was out of my life forever. And he's not. He's here, intruding my new life." I said.
Jack took his finger off my chin.
"Don't think that way. You can't. It isn't good for you."
I took his wrist.
"You're one to talk." I said, and was taken aback when Jack winced and pulled his arm away.
"Jack...what's wrong?" I asked slowly.
Jack shook his head.
"Nothing, it's...nothing."
"Jack, let me see."
I tried to reach for his arm but he pulled away.
"Jack. Let. Me. See." I said firmly, grabbing hold of his arm and rolling up the sleeve of his heavy sweatshirt.
"Ow!" Jack said.
Then I saw the cuts. Angry, red slashes all over his wrist. Some were fading, and some were new.
I looked at Jack, my mouth open in shock.
"I thought you stopped this." I said quietly.
Jack rolled down his sleeve again and turned away from me.
"Yeah, well...things change." He answered.
"When did you start up again?" I asked.
"A few months ago...but I didn't do it a lot."
"When did you make those recent cuts?"
Jack bit his lip.
"Yesterday after school."
"Why'd you do it?"
"Hailey-" Jack started.
"Is it Gilinsky? Has he been saying stuff to you again?"
Jack didn't answer.
"Jack."
He sighed.
"Yeah. Yeah he has."
"Like what?"
"Look, I don't really wanna talk about it okay? It's been a tough time for the both of us and I think we can use a little fiver. Want some lunch?"
Jacks face looked so hopeful and sweet despite everything that I had to give in.
"Fine. Where to?"