Macy's Corner Cafe

Chapter 12

John dropped Peter off at the cafe as he still had some preparations to do for the next day. Macy was still in the backseat, fast asleep. The stress was too much and her body went on strike.

Parking in his garage, he goes around the car, picks her up in his arms and carries her to the guestroom. Taking her shoes off, he notices the band-aids. Four of them. Glancing at her, he makes sure she's asleep.

Pulling the band-aids off, he sees the scars and fresh cuts. Self inflicted. Possibly with a razor blade. Anger rises in his gut. Anger because he didn't notice but disappointed that Macy is not speaking to him. Maybe she's scared of judgement. He'll have to be gentle when asking about it.

"It takes the pain away." She says, her voice soft. Her sudden voice startles him. He didn't notice she was awake. He sighs, looking at her. She's tired. He can see it in her eyes. She's giving up and he can't allow that. Not on his watch. They will get through this.

"I am so sorry for being trouble again, John." She says as her eyes fills with tears. "I think I am more trouble now then ever before." She says softly, a weak smile gracing her lips. "Don't say that. I'd save you any time of the day. You're not trouble, okay." He says, pulling her closer to him.

"Macy? These panic attacks are getting worse, aren't they?" He asks, and feels Macy tense up. She looks down at her hands, not saying a word. He takes her chin between his thumb en forefinger, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Talk to me, Sweetheart. You know I'll always have time for you." He says, gently cupping her cheek and running his thumb underneath her eye to wipe away a stray tear. She leans into his touch.

Will she be able to talk, tell him about her nightmares, her fears. She has to. It's time to put an end to this suffering. It's time to move on from the past that's been haunting her. Macy takes a deep breath and looks John in the eyes. Aware of her heart rate going up the moment their eyes connect.

"Where to start? I am not a born McCullen. I was sold to them. Apparently, my biological parents ran a large business and had some financial difficulty. I was the best option. You will not find any papers, because no admin was done. The money came in a briefcase and I was handed over with just a stuffed toy."

"I can only remember my biological mother. She smelled like roses. I still see her sky blue eyes, watching and smiling at me. I don't remember my father. He was absent most of the time. I know I have an older brother. He used to call me Mouse, "because you are so small", he would say." Macy smiles at the memory. She can't remember their names...She just knew she was loved by these two people.

"My adoptive parents were caring but kept their distance. They accepted me by surname but not so much as their daughter. They provided for my needs and I was sent to the best schools in the country."

"At fourteen, I was kidn*pped by a local human trafficking cartel. But I was too young to sell, so they kept me along with a few other girls as servants at The Warehouse. The older we got, the more s****l the treatment got. Most of the girls that was sold as s*x slaves were about seventeen or eighteen. According to them, we were "broken in" for the market, to be ready."

"Anything from hand jobs to blowjobs, were forced. If we refused, we were tied down and whipped till we passed out. The day your unit came storming into the compound, was the day I was to be sent to the auction. Though still sixteen, they said I had potential." Macy shivered.

"Back home, things went downhill. Mr. and Mrs. McCullen treated me as if I was infected by some disease. It felt as if it was my fault I got taken and that they regretted that I returned home."

"One year later, their both got killed in a robbery at the opening ceremony of a local shopping center. That was when I decided to move here. I stayed at a relative of the McCullens for while. The papers said it was Mrs. McCullen's father, but it was her older brother. We got along quite well. He died last year of heart failure."

"I finished my studies and met Derek Hill. We were such good friends. It later turned into something more serious and soon afterwards, we were an item. Now that I think about it. I don't think he truly loved me. It was more in the line of having a toy or leached puppy. Someone who obeys commands and to manipulate to do as you please. Someone who looked good at his side during posh functions."

"Right before I opened the cafe, I broke up with him. I was working late one night to get everything ready for my opening that was in a day's time. I got home and caught my best friend, Carla and Derek in bed. I guess it's because I never gave myself to him. In a sense, I am still untainted. I may have experienced o******x, but that was where it ended. Since then, he is constantly calling, stalking or messaging me. Even sending his goons to track me down if he doesn't see me for a while."

"He's possessive and jealous. I am afraid of him, that he might go as far as hurting me or those close to me. No one breaks up with Derek Hill. He does the breaking up."

"I feel like a trapped animal. Today, when Mr. Turner and the other men surrounded me, it all came crashing down. My whole facade cracked and broke into pieces." Macy finishes with a sigh and closes her eyes as if praying. Tears escaping over her cheeks.

John listens intently, silently. Taking in every detail. The more he listened, the more he fell in love with her. She may be broken, but he can help fix her. He is willing to take his chances.

Pulling her into an embrace, he snuggles into her neck, breathing her in. Vanilla. One of his favorite smells, lately. She cuddles closer to him, her arms around his neck. She soaks in his warmth and strength. He's been the one to rescue her, to take care of her when the tough gets going. She can call him any time, day or night. The more she's in the presence of John Lance, the more she loves him. All of him.