Page 91 of Right in Front of You

“It’s Doctor Fowler. And good luck reporting me while trying to explain your past. I’m done keeping quiet, and I will never let you touch me again. Today was the first and the last time I’ve treated you. Do you understand? Don’t ask for me and don’t look for me because you won’t find me.”

His gaze switched from a confident prick to that of a vindictive predator as he took a step closer. “I will find you no matter where you try to hide, baby. I will find you and make you mine again. After so many years, I can still feel being inside you.” He took another step toward me, and I ran out of space to back away. “You won’t give that pussy to anyone ever again, do you understand me? And you know why? Because revenge is a bitch!”

Drops of his spit landed on my face, and I felt my stomach twist and push up.

“Fuck you and fuck your threats. I’m not afraid of you and I never will be.”

I then tightened my fist and with a big swing, I punched him in the nose. The sound of cracking bone echoed in the small space. As he bent over in pain, I bolted for the door and screamed, “Help!” as soon as I was able to open it. A few heads turned and I ran for the front of the ER where I knew security was always tight.

“There’s a man in the closet who tried to attack me,” I said to the first man in uniform.

Two of them rushed to the back while one of the nurses guided me to sit down. Someone passed me a cup of orange juice. I wanted to get up and jump right back to work, but the head doctor in the ER wouldn’t let me. Half an hour later, the security and police came to see me. Father was nowhere to be found. I gave them his name and the address of the restaurant where he worked, praying that they’d cuff him and lock him up.

That evening when I returned home, I couldn’t stop shaking. Thankfully, Carter was out with his brother shopping for a gift for their mother. That coming weekend, we were invited to dinner at the Clark house in Hope Bay. I didn’t want to go, but remembering the wonderful time I had with Carter on the boat, I gave in. Besides, I trusted him. Carter wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.

I ran myself a bubble bath and warmed my chilled limbs. Despite the heat wave outside, I felt cold. Frozen, in fact, and terrified. I wished for the day to start over again; if it did, I would turn around on my heel and walk out that hospital door to avoid ever seeing Father again.

I didn’t tell Carter about my run-in with Father. He would have lost it. Tomorrow, I would go to the police to file an official restraining order, although I doubted that would stop him. I doubted that anything would ever stop him from getting to me. Deep inside, I had a petrified feeling that he was hiding out, waiting for that perfect moment to strike.

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