Page 89 of My Damaged Protector

I left his life so quietly, without an explanation, and I know he's still pissed at me. He was a controlling man, and being with him did me more harm than good.

“Okay. You're not going to change your mind about leaving, fine. Just tell me one thing: do you really think your daughter will be happy about leaving her life behind without any reason? She's not that young anymore. She'll have questions.”

And I'll give her the answers when the time is right, just not now.

“She'll listen to me,” I say.

“Of course, she will. She's a good girl. But the most important thing is if she'll be happy.”

What does she want me to say?

It's not like I'm exactly happy about leaving my hometown behind, but it's what I have to do. I have no choice here. It's either I leave and live to tell the story later, or I remain and have Ian find out about the pregnancy only for him to reject it. The media would cast the news, and Kyle would come across it one day, and by extension, me and Olivia.

There's too much at risk.

I'll take my daughter alive and well but not happy with me over letting her criminal of a father find out about her and take her away from me.

“She'll come around eventually,” I say with a conviction I'm not feeling.

It draws a smile out of my aunt, and she takes her hand to my hair, patting it gently.

“I’ll miss you.”

“You can always come visit.”

She nods. “I can.”

With that she sits beside me, pushing the clothes I was arranging to the side.

“We'll arrange your clothes tomorrow. I can drop by your home and help you grab a few things. But for now, how about we focus on figuring out where you're going next.”

“Ohio,” I whisper.

I've always been the small town kind of girl, and if I'm leaving my town behind, then I'm definitely going to another town I know I'll love.

While I've never been there before, I've watched movies and read novels set in the location, and I've loved it from afar. I may as well go there now that I need a new home.

“Hmmm. I'm guessing you're calling Tim to help fix this?”

“Yes.”

It's a wonder he's not shown up at my aunt's door as it is. He's been sending me tons of messages since this whole thingstarted, and I've been ignoring them all because I don't want to hear what he'll have to say.

Now, I do.

He would want me to go away for a while, lay low.

“Let me know when it's sorted.” I nod at my aunt as she leaves. Probably to go cook something elaborate. Cooking is her coping mechanism, just like writing is mine. A lot of times I look at her, and I see my mom.

The resemblance between them is not striking, but it's obvious. And they have the same character, almost. My aunt is firmer. My mom was less strict.

Thinking about her brings a tear to my face, and I quickly wipe it away, knowing crying is the last thing I need to be doing right now. There's going to be a lot of time to be in my feelings in the future if everything goes well and I leave.

I dial Tim and he picks up on the first ring.

I chuckle as I speak. “Someone's eager to speak to me.”

“More like desperate. Why the hell have you not been responding to my calls, messages, and emails? I was this close to coming to your town, but I knew you won't be stupid enough to be there when you can easily be found.”

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