Chapter 8
1044 Words
Emma POV
I didn’t sleep much.
Even after I got home from the park that night, I couldn’t stop replaying everything in my head Travis finding me on the bench, his voice when he asked what happened, the way he wrapped his coat around me like I mattered. It was strange, how even with everything falling apart around me, he made me feel safe for just a moment.
But safety is tricky. You think you have it, and then it’s gone.
The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed with puffy eyes and a heavy chest. I looked in the mirror and tried to make myself look normal nothing too fancy, just clean and presentable. I dabbed on some concealer under my eyes, pulled my hair into a neat bun, and put on the black slacks I’d ironed the night before. They still smelled like lavender from the little dryer sheet I use to make laundry day feel more like home.
As I rode the subway to work, I stared at my reflection in the window. I looked like myself. But I didn’t feel like her. I felt like someone else someone tired, someone scared, someone trying so hard to act like everything was okay when it wasn’t.
Ben was still out there. Watching. I could feel it. I didn’t tell Travis the whole story. I couldn’t. Not yet. What if he didn’t believe me? Or worse… what if he did and thought I was too much trouble?
But part of me also didn’t want Travis to see me as a victim. I didn’t want him to think I needed saving, even though maybe I did.
When I got to the office, the same morning buzz filled the air phones ringing, people rushing past with coffee, printers humming. It should’ve made me feel normal again. But I still felt like an outsider in my own body.
Vanessa passed by my desk, her heels tapping sharply like she wanted everyone to notice her. She gave me a quick glance, eyes scanning me from head to toe like she was measuring whether I belonged here. Then she smiled tight and fake and kept walking.
I knew she didn’t like me. I just didn’t know why. I’d done nothing to her, not really. But her attitude had changed the day Travis started looking at me differently. Like maybe she noticed something that I hadn’t noticed myself yet.
I sat at my desk, turned on my computer, and forced myself to focus. Just do the work, Emma. Keep your head down. Be strong. Don’t cry. Not today.
But then Travis walked in.
He looked tired too, his hair a little messier than usual, his jaw darker with stubble. He looked like he hadn’t slept much either, and when his eyes scanned the room and landed on me, I froze.
I expected him to act cold again. To ignore me. To pretend like last night didn’t happen. But he didn’t.
He walked straight over to me.
“You don’t have to pretend you’re okay,” he said, his voice quieter than usual, almost gentle.
I felt my heart twist. My throat tightened. I wasn’t used to this version of Travis. The one who noticed. The one who cared.
“I’m fine,” I whispered. Because what else could I say? That I was scared all the time? That I didn’t know who I was anymore? That every noise behind me made me jump?
“No, you’re not.” His voice softened even more. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
And that… that broke something inside me.
For the rest of the day, he hovered more than usual. Not in an annoying way. In a… watchful way. Protective. Like he was trying to make sure I didn’t fall apart again. I caught him looking over at me during meetings, during lunch, even when I thought he was buried in contracts.
It should’ve felt weird. It should’ve made me feel small. But instead, it made me feel seen.
When the workday finally ended, I was packing up my things when my phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: “You think he can protect you?”
I froze. The blood drained from my face.
It was him. Ben.
I quickly locked my phone and looked around. No one else noticed anything. People were laughing, chatting, grabbing their bags. But inside me, a panic button had been pressed.
I wanted to run. I wanted to disappear. But instead, I sat back down and stared at my phone, willing the fear to go away.
Travis stepped out of his office, talking to someone, and for a split second, I considered going to him. Telling him everything. The texts. The threats. The fear. But then Vanessa appeared beside him, laughing too loudly at something he said. Her hand brushed his arm, and I felt that familiar sting again.
She always found a reason to touch him, stand close to him, make her presence known. And Travis never stopped her. Maybe he didn’t even notice. Maybe he didn’t care.
And maybe I was just stupid for thinking I mattered.
I slipped out of the office quietly, not waiting for Travis to notice. I just wanted to breathe. I needed space. And even though every step outside felt like a risk, I walked anyway fast, my hand clenched around my phone like it was the only thing I could hold onto.
Back home, I locked the door behind me and slid to the floor. I stared at the message again, heart pounding.
You think he can protect you?
I didn’t know. I didn’t know if Travis could protect me. I didn’t even know if he’d want to.
But I knew one thing I didn’t want to be afraid anymore.
That night, I sat at my tiny kitchen table, the hum of the refrigerator the only sound in the room. I lit a small candle, like Mom used to do when we needed comfort. I closed my eyes and whispered, “You’re strong. You’re not alone. You’re going to be okay.”
I didn’t believe it yet.
But maybe, someday soon, I would.
And maybe, just maybe, Travis would still be there when that day came.
- Writer
