Chapter7
1673 Words
NATALIE’S POV
The blood drained from my face.
“How do you know where I work?” I asked.
Jason laughed softly. It made my stomach turn, and he didn’t even have an intimidating voice on a regular day.
“Does it matter?” He replied.
“Yes, it matters.”
“What matters is that I’m asking you nicely with all the information I know.”
“I’m trying to make this easier for you,” he continued.
I stared at the floor.
Nothing about this felt easy, nothing about it even made sense.
“You threatened my daughter.”
“I warned you.”
“You call that a warning?”
Jason sighed.
“I’ll be in touch Natalie.
Before I could respond, the call disconnected.
I lowered the phone slowly.
For a few seconds, I simply stood there staring at the screen.
“Natalie?” Mia called for the second time.
I shook my head.
“I need to get Ava.”
“What happened?”
“I’ll explain later.”
“Natalie.”
“I mean it, Mia. I need to get my daughter.”
She stepped around the desk.
“Did he threaten you again?”
“I don’t know what he’s doing anymore.”
I rubbed my forehead and took a shaky breath.
“Just send me Carla’s address.”
“Nat—”
“Please.”
Mia immediately pulled out her phone.
A moment later my own phone vibrated.
The address appeared on the screen.
I didn’t waste another second. I grabbed my purse, rushed outside, and stopped the first taxi I saw.
The entire ride was unbearable. My thoughts refused to slow down, and I hated myself for leaving Ava alone, even if it as necessary.
How did Jason know where I worked? Why was he asking me of all people for money? And after five years at that. I didn’t even want to begin thinking of how he knew about Ava.
Every answer only created more questions.
The closer I got to Carla’s apartment, the worse my anxiety became.
By the time the taxi stopped, my palms were damp with sweat.
I paid the driver and practically ran to the building.
Carla opened the door before I could knock a second time.
“There you are.”
My eyes immediately searched past her.
Ava was sitting cross-legged on the living room floor surrounded by crayons.
She looked completely fine. The knot in my chest loosened instantly.
“Mommy!”
She jumped up and ran toward me.
I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around her.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
Jason, Lucas, the bills. All that mattered was the little girl squeezing me back.
“Did you miss me?” I asked.
She nodded dramatically.
“A lot.”
I laughed despite the tears forming in my eyes.
Carla smiled from the doorway.
“She was wonderful.”
I stood up and looked at her.
“Thank you. Seriously, thank you so much.”
“It wasn’t a problem.”
“No, really.”
She laughed. “You’ve already thanked me three times.”
“I’ll probably thank you three more.”
That made her laugh harder.
“I love kids, but she’s a really wonderful girl. She’s welcome here anytime.”
I looked down at Ava.
The idea still made me nervous. But seeing how comfortable she looked eased some of my worries.
“Thank you.”
Carla smiled.
“Drive safely.”
A few minutes later, Ava and I were back in the taxi heading home.
This time the ride felt much shorter.
Ava spent most of it talking about the cartoons Carla let her watch while I listened and nodded.
Just hearing her voice helped calm me down.
When we finally got home, I changed her into comfortable clothes and fixed her a snack.
Not long after, Mia arrived.
The second she walked through the door, she knew I was still upset.
“Talk to me.”
I sat across from her at the kitchen table.
Then I told her everything.
From Jason’s first phone call to the messages, to me blocking him and him not giving up, to the threat, to the conversation we just had.
Mia listened quietly without interrupting.
By the time I finished, she looked just as concerned as I felt.
“Maybe he’s bluffing,” she said.
“I don’t think so.”
“He might be.”
“He knew where I worked.”
Mia didn’t have a response to that.
Neither did I.
“What if he’s serious?” I asked quietly.
“Then we’ll figure it out.”
“We?”
She looked offended.
“Obviously.”
Despite everything, I smiled.
She reached across the table and squeezed my hand.
“You’ve survived worse than Jason.”
I wanted to believe her. I really did.
After another hour of talking, I glanced at the clock.
“I should go.”
“Go where?”
“The bookstore.”
“The bookstore?”
I nodded.
“I still need to collect my last paycheck.”
Mia sighed.
“You never stop working.”
“I don’t have that luxury.”
She looked like she wanted to argue. But instead, she stood up.
“Call me if he contacts you again.”
“I will.”
“Promise.”
“I promise.”
Once she left, I grabbed Ava’s hand and headed out.
The bookstore was only a few blocks away.
Walking through the front doors felt strangely comforting.
The familiar scent of coffee and paper immediately greeted me.
My former manager looked up from behind the counter and smiled.
“Natalie.”
“Hey.”
“I heard you got the King’s Corporation job.”
I smiled.
“News travels fast.”
“It does around here.”
He came around the counter and handed me an envelope.
“Your final paycheck.”
“Thank you.”
“You earned it.”
I looked down at the envelope.
For a moment I felt relieved......then reality returned. Because one paycheck wasn’t going to solve anything.
I slipped it into my purse.
Just as I turned to leave, I stopped.
The words came out before I could talk myself out of them.
“Do you still need people on weekends?”
His eyebrows lifted.
“Weekend shifts?”
I nodded.
“Maybe.”
“You just got a corporate job.”
“I know.”
He studied me for a moment.
Then he nodded slowly.
“We can talk about it.”
I forced a smile.
“Thanks.”
I left before he could ask any more questions.
The second I stepped outside, my phone vibrated.
A text message.
My stomach immediately dropped.
Jason again.
I opened it.
“Three thousand dollars.”
“One week.”
I stared at the screen in disbelief.
Three thousand dollars.
Where the hell was I supposed to get three thousand dollars?
The entire walk home passed in seconds.
Immediately I got through the front door, I called him.
He answered on the second ring.
“Calling to tell me you have it?”
“What the f**k is wrong with you?”
Jason laughed.
I hated how he was trying to be someone he wasnt with that stupid laugh. Or maybe I was making the mistake of thinking highly of him.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“Why do I have to clean up whatever mess you’re in? Are you stupid!?.”
“No. But you will be if you don’t give me what I want!”
“You expect me to come up with three thousand dollars in one week?”
“You can do this the easy way, Natalie.”
My grip tightened around the phone.
“And that is?”
“One week. Nothing more.”
“Jason—”
“Don’t make this harder than it should be.”
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone.
Then I snapped.
I threw my purse across the room, papers scattered across the floor. A chair scraped loudly against the tiles as I kicked it out of the way.
Years of stress, fear, and frustration exploded all at once.
I couldn’t breathe.....I couldn’t think......I couldn’t do anything except stand there and shake.
“Mommy?”
The tiny voice stopped me instantly.
I turned around.
Ava stood in the hallway clutching her stuffed bunny.
Her wide eyes were fixed on me.
The anger vanished immediately.
In its place came guilt. So much guilt.
I dropped to my knees and opened my arms.
Ava ran into them without hesitation.
The second she did, I broke.
Tears slipped down my face as I held her against my chest.
“Mommy?”
I kissed the top of her head.
“It’s okay.”
“Why are you crying?”
I held her tighter. Because I didn’t know how to explain that I was terrified. Terrified of failing her, terrified of losing everything. Terrified that someone might hurt the only person who mattered to me.
Instead, I whispered,
“Nobody is going to hurt you.”
She wrapped her little arms around my neck.
“Okay.”
I closed my eyes.
“I promise.”
That night, after Ava finally fell asleep, I sat alone at the kitchen table.
Bills scattered everywhere.
Rent, food, hospital expenses, transportation. Then there was Jason’s message.
Three thousand dollars in one week.
I looked at the numbers till I couldn’t anymore.
Lucas had told me to stay home tomorrow if Ava wasn’t fully recovered.
For a moment, I considered taking his advice.
Then I thought about the bills.
I thought about Jason and that impossible deadline.
I picked up my phone and dialed the bookstore.
My manager answered.
“Hello?”
I took a deep breath.
“Hi. It’s Natalie.”
“Everything okay?”
I closed my eyes.
“Do you still have an open shift tomorrow?”
- Writer
