by Kara Hart
“Don’t give in,” Michael whispers. “Or you’ll be used for a lifetime.”
“I do not use people,” Lisa says. “I just like to have fun.”
“Famous last words. You’re too much like your mother,” Michael laughs.
“Yeah, well, you’re mean,” Lisa snarls back.
“No, seriously. I’ll take her. You have to meet with the construction people today anyway, right?” I ask him.
“Yeah, true. That’ll take about three hours,” he says.
“Okay then,” I smile and fold my hands onto my lap. “Girls day out!” Lisa jumps up and grabs my hands. She begins jumping, repeating “girls day out!” over and over again.
“Don’t spoil her too much,” Michael warns.
“I won’t,” I say.
Of course, my only plan is to spoil her. I remember when I was her age. Right on the edge of puberty. It’s the time when you get this ache inside of you. You want to go to the mall, so you can buy cute clothes. You want to scope out the boys with their skateboards, or whatever is trend-worthy at the time. You watch their tricks and smile, playing dumb. That’s one of the best times in the world.
Michael kisses me before heading downstairs to drink his coffee. Lisa turns back to me. “Can we at least get ice cream?” she asks.
“Girl, we’re definitely getting ice cream.” I smile.
“Really?” Her eyes light up as if I just said some magic words.
“Really. And that’s not all. We’re getting you a couple outfits to impress the boys at school,” I say.
“No way,” she whispers. “I love clothes. But it’s not for the boys at school. It’s for myself.” She stands up tall, showing me just how empowered she is. I flex my muscles at her.
“That’s right. Forgive me. The boys will have nothing to do with the outfits,” I wink.
“Yup.”
I jump in the shower and quickly get ready for the time of my life. I never thought that I would be taking my man’s daughter on a shopping spree, but here I am, doing it. After my shower, I get dressed and find Lisa playing on her iPad downstairs.
“Come on, kid,” I say. “Let’s get out of here.”
She chucks the tablet onto the couch, as if it’s just another toy, and runs over to the garage door. We get into the car and we take off, ready for our day.
The mall is a beacon to Lisa. The doors slide open and that familiar smell of baked pretzels, corn dogs, and new clothing floods the air. I haven’t been to the mall in years. For me, it’s a slightly stale feeling. As Lisa runs in, I have to keep up.
“This way!” I yell, as she runs toward the food court. “Let’s get you something nice first.”
“I know exactly where to go,” she says.
I take her hand and she drags me toward her favorite store. When we walk in, it’s a sea of girls her age. “Lisa!” one girl yells out, breaking away from the crowd.
“That’s Angela,” Lisa whispers. “She’s okay.” I nod my head with understanding.
“What are you doing here?” Angela asks her.
“Just shopping,” she shrugs. “My dad’s new girlfriend is buying me clothes.”
All eyes fall on me. The new girlfriend. “Hello. Nice to meet you,” I reply.
“Hi.” She smiles, turning her head back toward Lisa. “My mom’s buying me clothes too. Did you see Nick and everyone outside?”
“No,” Lisa blushes and quickly looks over. Outside the store, near some benches, is a group of five boys. They’re hastily talking, eating, and sometimes jumping on top of the benches. Lisa darts back toward Angela and covers her mouth.
“And who are they?” I chime in.
“That’s Nick,” Angela says. “Lisa has a big fat crush on him.”
“I do not!” she screams. Angela laughs wildly. Her mom looks over with disapproving eyes and walks over.
“Sorry, is my daughter hassling you two?” she asks.
“No, no. It’s fine.” I smile and put out my hand. “I’m Emily, by the way. I’m dating Michael Vanderbilt.” Dating. It’s such a weird thing for me to say. It’s so new and unexpected, even still.
“Oh, Michael! Yes, he’s great. I bought some cabinets from him last May. Wow, it’s good he’s finally dating. I thought he’d never get back out there,” she says. I awkwardly laugh and ignore the annoyance I currently feel. She feels it, no doubt, because when a few seconds pass, she adds, “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. Everyone in this town likes Michael and it’s just good to see that he’s happy with someone.”
“I understand. He’s a real catch,” I say.
“Well, it was nice meeting you.” She smiles. “Come on, Angela.”
“Bye, Lisa.” Angela waves as she’s taken back into the sea of girls.
“What was that about?” I whisper to myself.
Lisa shrugs. “My dad is a lady’s man,” she jokes.
“Guess it runs in the family, huh? Look at you, staring at Nick every two seconds,” I laugh.
“I am not staring. I don’t like anyone. He’s just a butthead who won’t stop trying,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“A cute butthead, though,” I add. She groans and flips through some clothing.
After trying on her favorite outfits, I stand in line to buy them. Every so often, she turns around to see Nick, who’s staring intently at her with a slight smile on his face. I pay for the clothes and we walk out of the store. As soon as we’re out, he nods her way. Lisa’s face turns flush, but she plays it off.
“Hey, Nick,” she says.
“Hey, Lisa.” His friends all start laughing, as boys do. Nick gives them a sharp glance and they stop themselves. They both talk and flirt as I slowly walk to a railing that connects to the food court area. I sit idly and watch them, trying to keep my distance. I have to admit, it’s damn cute.
A breeze passes through and I shiver slightly. I hear the sound of boots behind me and then I hear a man clear his throat. “Emily,” a voice says. I jump forward and turn around. It’s him, Dennis.
“Don’t you dare.” My voice is shaky. My hands are sweating. My heart just exploded inside my body and my blood has turned ice cold.
“Stop,” he says. “I’m not here to hurt you. I just want to talk.”
“I said no, Dennis. Just get the fuck away from me. Leave this city and leave me alone!” I cry.
“I… I can’t,” he says. “Please, just sit down.”
“Get. The fuck. Away. From me,” I repeat, backing up. I turn around and look where Lisa was once standing. She’s not there now. I nearly collapse, but realize that if I do, Dennis can do whatever he wants to me. I turn back around and point my finger at him. “Not now.”
I run left and scream, “Lisa!” I move toward the food court and scream again. “Lisa!”
“Shit, shit, shit!” I yell at myself. “Of course this happens to me.”
“You shouldn’t curse so much.” I turn around and Lisa is standing with her friend Nick, eating an ice cream cone.
“Lisa! God, I thought I lost you,” I tell her.
“I’m almost thirteen. I’m pretty much an adult. I know how to get home,” she says, smiling at Nick. He laughs.
“We gotta go,” I tell her. “I’m sorry, but something has come up.”
“It’s okay,” she says. “I have homework, anyway.”
“I’ll see you in class,” Nick says with a sly look.
“Right,” she says. “Bye.”
“Come on,” I say, holding her hand. “Hurry.”
I look behind me and he’s nowhere in sight. Dennis is hidden among the busy weekend crowd. My heart is palpitating. I squint my eyes and turn my head wildly, to see better, but everything has turned into a darkened haze.
“Why are we leaving so soon? What’s going on?” Lisa asks me.
“Nothing. I mean, I’ll explain everything later. I just think we need to leave,” I say. I see the exit doors and the bright light shining in from outside.
> “Tell me!” she shouts, pulling against my arm.
I let go, but we’re still moving forward. “You know stranger danger? Well, there’s a dangerous stranger and we need to get out of here.”
She has stopped listening at this point, disappointed that I’ve ruined her flirtatious bout, but I have to do the right thing. I need to get out of this place. I need to get back to the house. I need Michael.
At the car, I force the keys into the lock. I swing the door open as Lisa calmly gets inside. I turn the ignition and slam the car in reverse. Then, the calm starts to set in. As I’m driving through the neighborhood streets, I know that I’m safe. Still, the question begs to be answered: How safe will I be tomorrow?
Michael
“You what?” I ask her, trying my damn hardest not to explode. “Please, tell me what happened, but slower this time.” I can barely comprehend any of this. Dennis? At the mall? What in the ever-living-fuck is going on here?
“I saw him, Michael. I turned around and he was right there. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to!” she shouts.
I know she didn’t mean to. It’s not her fault that some lunatic is chasing after her, trying to make amends that can’t be made. Yet, this involves my daughter. Now, I need to make my presence known. This bastard won’t go near my family. He’ll never touch Emily again.
“It’s not your fault,” I tell her, calmly. I reach for her hand. She takes it and squeezes it harder than ever before. She starts to weep, collapsing into my arms. I want to protect her. I want to give her a life that is beyond all the bullshit she’s experienced in the past.
“I just…” She stops to wipe the tears in her eyes, but only for a brief moment. “I just wanted to show Lisa a good time. I wanted to get to know her better. I feel like I’m a part of your family now, Michael. I just want to be close to all of you.”
“I know, baby. We have a man who is clearly fucked up in the head. It’s not your fault, but we need to fix this. I need to talk to him,” I say.
“Please don’t,” she whispers, shaking her head. “It’ll only make matters worse than they are.”
“Then what do you propose? Do you think we should just sit and wait for him to go away? You know he’s not going to do that. He needs a certain response from you. He trying to make amends so you can be his again,” I say.
“I know. He told me he wouldn’t stop. He needs to talk to me. That’s how he put it, anyway,” she sighs. “Oh, Michael. This is all so fucked up. I feel like I’m in a fairy tale, but not one of the nice, good ones. I feel like I’m trapped inside the forest and Dennis is lurking behind every tree I glance at.”
“We can talk to him together if you’d like,” I say. “But I’m not letting you get near him alone. Fuck that.”
She takes a few moments to breathe, collect herself, and wipe the rest of the drying tears that have now stuck to her cheek. She nods and whispers, “Okay. Yeah. We’ll meet him together. Somewhere safe.”
“Should we text him?” I ask her.
She takes out her phone, hands shaking. “Yes,” she says. “But I won’t tell him that you’re coming. It needs to be a surprise, like he surprised me. He can’t get away with doing anything he wants to.”
“That’s a plan.” I smile. I hug her one more time, running my fingers up and down her back. She starts to relax, even smiles a bit, and then kisses my shoulder.
“I feel safe with you,” she tells me. “I’ve never felt safe with anyone, but you actually want to protect me, don’t you?”
“No matter what happens,” I remind her, “I’ll always protect you. Always. Now, come on. Let’s go hang out with Lisa.”
“Wait,” she says. She opens her phone and moves toward his texts. I look over at the screen and read the insane shit he’s been sending her. Loosely-veiled threats, packed with enough ammunition from the past to get any woman to agree to his crazy ideas of self-healing. “I need help,” he says. He’s right about that. He needs to drop the past and move the fuck on.
She begins typing. “Fine. You win. Let’s meet. Oros Café at 10 AM tomorrow? Good?”
She looks over at me to see if that’s appropriate. I nod my head and she clicks the send button. The wait doesn’t last too long. Almost immediately, we see those familiar three dots light up on the screen as he begins typing something. Then, his message sends.
“I knew you’d see. I knew it. Oros is an appropriate place. I enjoy their coffee,” he types.
“I enjoy their coffee?” I laugh. “Jesus, he’s really made a number on this town already, hasn’t he?”
“I told you. He’s scary. He’ll do anything to get his way.”
“I believe it. I didn’t think I’d get the honor of meeting your wonderful ex, but I guess there’s no better time than now,” I say.
I place my hand behind her back, lowering it down to her waist. We walk out of the study, downstairs, and find Lisa staring at her iPad.
“You are obsessed, girl,” I say. “Come on. We agreed on one hour in the morning, one hour at night. Those are the rules.”
“Dad! I’ve been on it for thirty minutes. Just give me a second!” she screams.
I walk over as she quickly tries to exit out of the current screen she’s on. I grab the iPad in the most parental way possible. I look on the screen. She’s been having a social media conversation. I instantly think back to the Tinder app that I downloaded right when I met Emily, and laugh. These things consume the whole world now. My daughter will grow up to be part cyborg, probably.
“Who’s Nick?” I ask her.
“None of your business,” she says. She grabs the tablet out of my hand and runs toward the couch.
“Don’t press it too hard,” Emily whispers. “Nick’s her crush. Let her talk.”
“He is not my crush!” she says, angrily.
“Fine,” I give in. “He’s not your crush.”
She grabs the tablet back, finishes typing something, and sets it back down on the carpet. “Okay, I’m done. Happy?” she says.
“Very.” I smile.
“Okay, what do you guys want to do?” she asks, looking at Emily.
It used to be a tradition in our house to pull out board games right before the night hit us. We haven’t done that in what seems like forever. As things got tough between Susan and I, the games became few and far between. Now, I just have the memories.
“We haven’t played any board games in a long time,” I tell her. “Remember how much fun we had?”
“Dad…” she whispers, lowering her head.
“I’m just saying…”
“A board game would be fun,” Emily smiles.
“Fine. One game of Masterpiece and that’s it,” she says. Slowly, but surely, she walks over to the laundry room. She opens the closet and grabs an old, dusty board game. She comes back and sets it down on the carpet.
“You’re all about to regret asking me to play. I’m a world-renown art dealer,” she tells us.
“Just you wait,” Emily says.
We play for hours. Multiple games later find us laughing and bickering, as both Emily and Lisa beat the crap out of me. As the day fades into night, I am less concerned about our world. There are dark things that may lurk, but they’ll never shatter the glass. They’ll always be kept on the outer rim because our love conquers all.
At least, I sure fucking hope so. Because tomorrow at 10 AM, I meet the man who abused Emily, who tormented her, who kept her locked in her own house. I meet him and settle the score for good.
Emily
“I can’t do it,” I say. Once again, my world has begun to fall apart, right before my very eyes. I try to see, but nothing in my vision makes sense. Nothing, except for Michael.
“Then we’ll call it off,” he says, comforting me.
“No, that’s not an option,” I say. “Oh, I don’t know.”
“We can do it,” he says. “Tomorrow will be fine. Everything will feel better in the morning. You have me there to prote
ct you.”
“But he’s a snake. I’m positive he already knows about you. He’s probably looked you up and read everything there is to read. He’s perfecting his plan as we speak. I know it,” I say.
“What’s the worst he can do? Is he going to kill me?” he laughs, but it’s not a laughing matter. Truth is, I don’t know what he’s capable of at this point. He never overstepped the boundary of keeping the living alive, but I wouldn’t put it past him to overstep some things, now that he’s lost me for good.
“I don’t know. Truthfully. He could,” I say. He looks away, angrily. The wheels start to move in his head. “We’re walking into a landmine marathon.”
“Maybe. At least we’re in a public place,” he says.
“Call a friend,” I tell him.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we should have back up. We need to be really smart about this. A third person could save our asses,” I say.
“Well, the options are sort of limited,” he says.
“Yeah, but we don’t need many options. All we need is someone who’s quick,” I say. “Hanson.”
“Oh, come one,” he groans. “Not Hanson. Anyone but Hanson.”
“Michael, he’s not a dumbass. He’s quick-witted,” I say.
He covers his face with his hand and shakes his head. “With jokes, maybe. But you think he’s going to be able to back me up?” he asks.
“He’ll come in the café five minutes after we do. He’ll sit down at a table behind him. It’s not too crowded of a place. I used to go every day when I first moved here. If he’s paying attention, he can jump in if anything happens,” I say.
Okay, now I’m starting to get focused. Michael nods his head. “Yeah, you’re right. That sounds like a plan,” he says.
“It’s the only way,” I say. “And after all of this bullshit, maybe we can start to focus on our lives.”
“Shit,” he laughs. “After this is said and done, we can do whatever we want.”
“Like go roller skating in abandoned skate rinks?” I ask him.
“I miss that,” he says. “I’m willing to risk the alarm going off if you are.”