Love and Betrayal

Chapter 7

Aslynn's POV

I flipped through the channels on my small television that I had set up in my new bedroom. I was drinking straight from the wine bottle tonight. I had been drinking way too much lately, but all the stress was getting to me. I will take time tomorrow and clear my head. Maybe go for a walk through the park where there are plenty of people. I needed to figure out how I could make myself feel safe.

My eyes were starting to close on their own when my phone went off with a text. I grabbed it and unlocked the screen and I instantly wished I wouldn't have. It was from Rick.

"You dumb fat b***h, you think just because you left your apartment I won't find you. I know your every move; your new security isn't that great. See you soon."

I read that text over and over and over again until my eyes felt like they were crossing, and I wanted to run again, but I couldn't. If I show him the fear that I really feel, he will feed off of it and make it even worse. I knew that I was safe here. I had paid extra and gotten a smaller apartment, so I could have that security. I had also placed security cameras outside my door. They were small and you couldn't see them.

I didn't reply back to his text and he never did text me again all night. I didn't sleep as well as I was hoping to, but it was a new day, and it was my day off, and I really just needed to get out and get some fresh air. I threw on my favorite shorts and big t-shirt. It was an old eighties band shirt. I didn't even know who the band was, but it was one of my favorite shirts and when I saw that it survived the Rick attack, it brought me a little bit of happiness.

I had thought about going to the park and just getting some fresh air, but then I thought maybe I would go to some thrift shops. What better place to get some of my stuff replaced? I needed some new kitchen things and that always made me happy.

I walked into the first thrift shop with a mental list of things that I needed to replace. I grabbed a cart and headed in the direction of the kitchen stuff when my phone rang, making me jump a little bit, and then I had to laugh at myself. I shouldn't have been jumping at the sound of my phone. He can't hurt me through my phone. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw Adara's name on the screen.

"Hello."

"What are you doing? Let's go to breakfast, get mimosas and then maybe some margaritas."

"No, thanks. I need a day to myself, and you need to spend some time with your husband. You guys have been helping me the last few weeks. Take him to breakfast or make him breakfast in bed." I said and then burst out laughing, "no don't make him breakfast in bed, you'll burn the house down."

"Probably, but are you sure?"

"Positive. I have some things that I want to do today and I really just need some time to myself."

"OK, well, if you change your mind, call me. Love you."

"Love you too." I said and hung up my phone and put it in my back pocket and turned down the aisle with the kitchen appliances. I had already replaced my coffee maker, but they had what looked like a brand new one that was so fancy and looking at the price tag they didn't know what it was because it was way cheaper than it should have been.

I filled my cart with things, including some new to me clothes and went to the check-out. It must have been my lucky day because they were having a sale that made my entire purchase fifty percent off. I quickly got out of there and started loading things into my car before they realized how much I saved and changed their minds and would want me to pay more.

I was almost to my car when I froze. He was here. He was following me. He was sitting in his car smiling a crazy ass smile at me from the driver's seat. I didn't know what to do. Do I just pretend I didn't see him and continue on with my day and hope that he will go away? Do I run back inside but if I do that, I will look crazy. He is just sitting in the car, smiling like a crazy man, but hasn't done anything. So, I decided to just put my things in my car and get the hell out of here.

I threw everything from the cart into the back, not caring where it landed, and then got in the driver's side and jammed my keys into the ignition and prayed that it would start. Relief flashed over me as it started, and I closed my eyes for a second, but a bang on my window made me jump and scream. I looked up and relief washed over me as the girl from the check-out was standing there holding my receipt.

I rolled my window down and thanked her for bringing it out to me. She quickly ran back inside the store and I pulled out of my parking space with Rick right behind me. My drivers' ed teacher taught me that if you make three turns in the same direction you will end up right where you started and if someone is following you, they will too, and it will show that they really are following you, and so I decided to try it.

Three right turns later, and I was coming back to the thrift store, and he was still behind me and, from what I could see in my rear-view mirror, he still wore that creepy as hell smile. I knew he wasn't going to let me go right now. He was trying to scare me, and it was working, so I thought of the only thing I could do and drove to the police station. I had to pray that his brother wasn't working today. I was surprised when some of the charges stuck. Of course, I don't know what happened after his hearing on Friday, but I knew that I was going to go on Monday and file a restraining order, and he was doing nothing but giving me more ammo to use against him and this time I wouldn't miss my court date. It didn't matter.

I pulled into the police station and he kept driving. It worked, but I was able to grab my phone and snap a picture of him driving by really slowly. I wasn't sure if this would help, but it had to. I sat there for a few minutes and I didn't see him anywhere. Once my racing heart slowed back to normal, I pulled out of the police station. I ended up driving around for an extra thirty minutes making sure that he was nowhere around me before I finally drove back to my apartment.

I quickly unloaded everything and took it up to my apartment and locked myself inside. I got everything I bought and washed and put away. I was super excited to try the coffee maker, but that would have to wait until morning. I spent the rest of the day lying on my bed watching trashy television and eating all the junk food I had in my apartment.

I walked into work the next morning with a new lease on life. I had spent half the night looking up things that I needed for a restraining order to get approved. It did look bad that I missed my court date, but I had enough things, including the text message from him the other night that would help.

I flipped all the lights on and was a little surprised that Avery wasn't here. She almost always beats me here. I'm sure she will be showing up in the next few minutes. I got our machines started and got started on mixing our dough. I turned on music and got busy. I was in my own little zone dancing and singing as I made dough for our donuts.

I screamed when I heard glass shattering. I grabbed my phone and ran to the front where there were two guys in black ski masks inside the shop breaking every piece of glass that I had. The front windows, the glass cases and anything else that they could break. One of them looked me in the eyes and I would know those eyes anywhere. It was Rick. He had a baseball bat in his hands and took a step towards me and I turned and ran straight to my office. I didn't look back to see if he was chasing me. I slammed my office door and locked it.

"Hello 911, what is your emergency?"

"Yes, there are two men in my shop with bats breaking everything."

"Are you hurt?"

"No, but I wouldn't put it past them though."

"Are you at The Rolling Pin?"

"Yes," I cried into the phone. She said that help was on the way and I just cried. They were breaking my entire livelihood. Everything that I've worked for. I couldn't replace everything that they were destroying and he knew it. The noise stopped suddenly, but I didn't dare leave the office. They could be out there looking for me.

I stayed there until I heard someone knock on the door. "It's the police," they yelled.

"How can, I be sure?" I yelled back, still not trusting them, but he slid his badge under the door and I got up and slowly opened the door to an officer standing there.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. Why don't you come out, and we can go over everything that happened?"

I nodded at him and walked out of my office and my heart just broke seeing everything they destroyed, which was everything. They didn't leave anything untouched. My machines were tipped over, all the glass was broken, tables were split in half. It was like my apartment all over again.

After I told the police everything, I realized that Avery still wasn't here. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and I had a text from her. She woke up to four flat tires and I knew it was them. They wanted me here alone, to scare me even more. I sent out a text to all of my staff letting them know we would be closed today and I would follow up with more information.

"Mam, can I ask why you didn't come down after you missed your court date and file for a new order?" the female officer asked me.

"I was going to do that today after work. When I got done with work on Friday it was late so I had to wait."

"Mam, we are the police, we don't close. Someone is always there to help you with this situation." she explained, and my face flushed in embarrassment because I didn't know that. I knew there were officers that were always available, but I thought I had to wait until business hours to file the order.

"When you get the windows boarded up, come down to the station and I will help you with it, and we can put a rush on it, so a judge will sign off on it today to give you temporary protection, but please don't miss your court date."

"Thank you." I told her and I just deflated.

"Officer Wilcox is going to stay down here with you just in case," she said, and then walked off. My phone had been blowing up in my back pocket and I already knew who it was. I am sure that Avery called Adara.