ZARA
Today is my last shift at the cafe. Taking on some hours for extra cash, and to question Kerr before we fly out to Scotland in three days.
Jane has practically already packed everything, checklists rewrote so many times my trash can is full of paper.
I called Julie as soon as I left Grace's office, telling her to come to my room to talk. She told me that Kerr and I were all over each other, touching, nearly kissing a few times.
She apologized when I told her how I woke in the morning, underwear still missing, bruises everywhere with no damn memory of what happened, and who with.
As she sat cross-legged on my bed, Teddy on her lap, she told me to call Kerr and ask him if we can talk at work, he agreed, sending my heart into a frenzy.
What do I even ask him?
You ask him what the fuck he did to you, Zara!
That's not the only thing playing on my mind, there's an anxiety-triggering problem.
Grace and her slipping up, twice.
Why would she lie?
Do I go to Scotland, start a new life with our son without knowing the truth?
Is the love of my life even dead?
The little voice in my head is screaming all these questions, giving me a migraine, keeping me awake at night.
"What if Grace just got confused?" Jane asked, both of us building a lego house with Teddy.
"My dad would remember seeing my boyfriend dying, Jane. I feel so uneasy staying here now, can we go to a hotel until we leave?"
She shrugged, clapping when Teddy put the last piece on. "We can look when you finish work."
When I got to work, Julie was waiting in the back with me, nervously awaiting Kerr's arrival. "He's already twenty minutes late." She states, staring at the clock.
Hours past, the cafe getting quiet, the sun disappearing while we jump every time we hear the bell. This time Kerr walked in, a burst lip and a smug look. "Ladies."
Luckily, there are no customers in, so it's perfectly acceptable that Julie bounced over the counter and threw a clenched fist straight to his face, knocking his head to the side as he caught himself on the table. "What the fuck?"
"What the fuck did you do to her?"
I took a few steps forward, holding Julie back from hitting him again. "Did I leave with you that night we were out?" I ask, gritting my teeth.
"You left with someone, not me." His brows furrow, wiping his lip on his sleeve. "I'm not like that."
"Bullshit, you were all over her." Julie's chest hits off my back when she tries to go for him again. "Just admit it so I can kick your ass."
Her threats make him chuckle, belly laughing as he takes a few paces back. "You're crazy." He looks to me, eye darkening. "You think I would do that? You left with some guy and went to a hotel, not fucking me."
Alarm bells.
"I didn't mention a hotel," I snap. "Who said I went to a hotel?"
That's enough for Julie to blow, launching a chair at him. "You stay the fuck away from Zara, I mean it!"
"You told us," he raised his hands, eyes meeting mine. "Remember?"
"No," I shove his chest. "What did you do?"
My face pales when he starts to smirk, biting his lip while he looked at us both. "You'll see."
That fucking prick.
Bile rises to my throat while I try to swallow the painful lump. The image of Kerr over me, marking me, touching me has me feeling dizzy. "Leave," Julie warns him, lifting another chair. "Get the fuck out!"
He looks me up and down before leaving the cafe, leaving me to sit down and take it all in.
"That bastard," I whisper, feeling the need to scrub my skin raw again. "Do I go after him?"
Julie looks like she's about to hit me too. "Don't you fucking dare. Just go, I'll clean the place up and close. And, don't worry about Kerr, I'll cut his balls off if he shows his face again."
I don't doubt that at all, Julie seems defensive and mean as fuck.
I heard the bell ring while I cleaned up in the back, popping my head out to see if Kerr returned, stopping in my tracks to see my dad. "What are you doing here?"
Julie stood in front of me when he went to take a step in my direction, screwing his face up when he sees my friend. "I'm her father," he points to me, a small smile on his lips.
She steps aside, giving me a look while she goes and finishes up closing.
"We need to talk."
I nod, grabbing my coat and purse, following him out.
"Just because you show up every few weeks doesn't mean I trust you, " I roll my eyes.
"I know. I heard you signed off, where are you going?" He asked, walking me across the street to the entrance of Grace's respite.
"Scotland," I reply. "We leave in three days."
He looks over his shoulder, then at the camera above us.
"It's not safe to talk here, meet me at the park next to the lake along the road. Sit on the bench next to the swings, take Teddy, " he whispers and starts to walk back, looking around us. "Okay?"
"Wait, why? Why should I trust you around my son?"
"Zara, just trust me, please." He waves his hand up, watching as a black car pulls up beside him. "Be there at nine," he closes the car before the tires screech away.
Jane cocks a brow when I tell her about my night, running me a bath and ordering us some Chinese food.
"I still think we should call the cops on him, Zara. What if he does it to someone else?"
She has a point.
"I'll go after I speak to my dad, okay? Will you come with me?" I ask through the door, stepping into the scalding water. "I just have no evidence to prove it even happened."
"You may as well try, and of course I'll go with you. I'd never let you do that alone." She taps the door, I can tell she's smiling.
"Thank you, Jane. For everything."
I hear her giggle to herself, turning on Teddy's music again while he slept in his cot.
We ate our noodles while watching some TV. Jane told me that Paul asked her to go to lunch before she left, blushing. It's a shame she leaves for Scotland, he makes her smile.
I tried to tell her she could stay, have her own life without having to watch over me, but she slapped me over the head and told me to shut up.
I gave Theodore a kiss on his puffy cheek before falling into bed, saying goodnight to Jane before she went back to her own room.
I really have no idea what I'd do what out her, she's like a mom to me, caring for Teddy like a grandma.
She would flip if I called her a grandma though.
I fell asleep easy considering my mind was going a million miles an hour, thinking about what Kerr could have done to me, what he did do to me.
Grace's words still play on my mind and I'll make sure to ask my dad about it tomorrow.
I think about the same person every time I fall asleep, picturing him lying next to me with my arm over the pillow, imagining his chest under me, his heartbeat thumping in my ear.
I know they say time is a healer and it's been months, but I still hurt as much as the first day. I miss Theo, more than anything. I still have no idea what I'm going to do when we land, how to raise Teddy on my own.
Jane can't mother me forever, and I'm afraid of what will happen when she finally sees that.
I hear my cell buzz, one-eyed, I read the message.
Julie: Hey, I just got home and wanted to check in. We need to report that monster.
I smile at the message. Having someone other than Jane care for me, protect me, feels good.
I send her a heart and fall asleep.
Teddy and I are dressed early, breakfast done, bags fully packed and ready to leave this center. Jane told me she'll look for somewhere close to the airport while I'm away, making me put my location on so she can see where I am.
Teddy holds my hand while we slowly make our way to the park, the hot weather beating down on our skin. The place is quiet, the ducks crowding in the lake next to the bench.
For the first ten minutes, I had him on the baby swing, giggling away, screaming in excitement when we go down the slide.
It's thirty minutes after nine now, still no sign of my dad. I huff while we sat on the bench, Teddy gulping away at his milk and swinging his feet.
I lift the newspaper someone disposed of next to me instead of throwing it in the trashcan. Dropping it instantly like it burned me. "Shit," I cover my mouth.
According to the news, yesterday, there was an explosion at the walls, camera footage claiming Mac returns.
We need to get the fuck away from here before he finds us.
Was this my dad's plan, to hand us over?
I put Teddy's bottle in his bag quickly, lifting him, my heart thudding.
Standing, I go to run and smack straight into a hard chest.
I look up to be met with sea blues, wearing a cap, hood up, gashes all over his face. "Zara."
No, he isn't here, that can't be his Scottish accent. I close my eyes, shaking my head, opening them again.
I'm in shock.
Or, am I dead already?
"Theo?"
-OLD VERSION-UNEDITED