Her Men (book 2)

Chapter 3

Teagan

I wake up in my bed feeling good, it's been the most sleep I've gotten in a while. Funny how the place I hated the most is now my sanctuary. I've been here almost a week and have yet to even leave the house. I shower braid my hair, a French braids giving me a halo effect, making them meet at the left side of my head, bunching the rest I pull it in to a low messy bun, throw on some clothes and go into the kitchen, my aunt sitting at the table,

"Morning babe, how you feeling today?" She pushes the coffee my way as I grab a mug and sit down

"Good..." I pause "better.... I think now that I've gotten some good sleep" I say

"I don't want to pry and I've given you the space I think you needed but you gonna tell me what's wrong? Or what happened?" She asks, when I showed up at her house, my old house close to midnight a week ago I didn't say much, I knocked until she opened the door and asked if I could stay a bit, she gave me one look and didn't even ask what was wrong.

"Leo, hit me, it's started a while ago close to two years said it would never happen again then all of sudden he picked apart the life I built, until there was hardly any of it left, then it got so much worse he hit me again this time so hard I was too afraid to leave, and when I did try I was left in a ball on the floor, hiding from the world till the marks went away, it's been like that for a couple months, but this last time I ended up in the hospital needing to get stitches" I say looking down at my mug and one arm softly touching my cut under my long sleeve shirt, I hate seeing the disappointment in peoples eyes, I saw it in the nurses eyes, the sadness and confusion of how I let it get this far. Like it is somehow my fault.

"Hey baby," she reached out and grabbed a hand "Your mom know?" She asked and I shook my head

"No I didn't want her to worry she's so happy now" she's traveling and seeing the world it took her so long to get over my dad and raise me I'm glad she's now seeing everything the world has to offer

"Ok, well your safe, for now, I'm guessing since you showed up at midnight, you were able to successfully sneak way, we need to make sure he stays away, we need a restraining order and I'm sorry but you have to report him, if he comes for you again the police need to know, don't worry. I'll help you" I sit quietly,

"I can't hide here forever," I say

"You can, but wouldn't that give him Even more power over you ?" She says

"T, he's taken all he can, you've had a week to wallow, baby girl, it's time to pick your self up and rebuild, don't give him the satisfaction of breaking you," she reaches for my face and lifts my chin

"You found your way out, don't waste it" she tells me

"I'm scared" I admit, my eyes filling up with tears, this is the first time I've ever said it out loud,

"You know the only way to face that fear is to make sure your ready for it when it comes back" She said

"How do you know" I ask, I've never known her to be afraid of anything or anyone

"I had a Leo in my day, around your age too, I didn't need you to explain why you showed up on my door because when I saw you I saw a younger me. But don't you worry, you have me and I won't let anything happen to you, baby" she pulls me in and I let her hug me tight.

"Let's go," she stands up and I look up at her

"We’re doing this now?" I pout

"Duh, baby girl you have to do it before you back out, pull those big girl briefs up and let's go you need some sun" she pulls me up and we walk out of the door, I notice a truck next door it wasn't there when I showed up, I glance over at the front door,

"He's in there you know?" I jerk my head around

"What?" I look at her confused my brows bunched up.

"Aiden, he moved back about six months ago, that's his truck, Cathleen, has breast cancer and he moved back to help her" she finished, I jump in the car before she could finish. Once again hiding.

After so many years, we are now bound to run into each other walking out of the same doors that at one time didn't seem close enough now I wish they were farther apart.

"So, you gonna tell me about that?" She asks

"Na its not important," I say.

"Really I was sure y'all would be married by now" I look at her and roll my eyes

"Us? No!" I scoffed

"Yes! the way he looked at you when you weren't looking, love so pure and innocent I was sure y'all were soul mates" she says reversing out of the drive way, I laugh

"When? I never saw that" I say

"Well I did say when you weren't looking, didn't I" she waves a hand and shrugs, as I shake my head. Aiden never looked at me that way, I thought to myself. And I definitely am not going to dwell on that idea that was so long ago.

"Well I hope his mom is doing ok" I say

"Maybe you should go over and ask" she tells me and winks

"Aunt Lynda, that ship has sailed away, crashed and burned at sea" I tell her

"But someone always discovers them, then they become underwater jewels" she smiles at me and I roll my eyes.

I make a mental note to avoid running into Aiden while I'm here trying to "rebuild" myself as my aunt called it.

Filling a restraining order was tough, and while my aunt begged me to file. I changed my mind, I just didn't want them finding him yet and serving him with court papers. Letting him know I was placing a restraining order on him, Deep down it wasn't the right move yet.

The cop and my aunt looked at me weird. I need him to think I'm hiding and scared. Which I was but I needed time and that definitely wouldn't give me time and would probably make him more mad. I was however feeling productive and on my own was able to start a file for when I needed it, I printed the little photos I had of the abuse I had endured and called the hospital to see if they could send me a record of my visit and luckily I found the nurse and she made me statement.

I didn't know when or if I need these things but I had them if Leo came looking for me but I had proof. For now I'm just going to focus on me. We went shopping for new clothes and things I needed. My aunt had to go to work and she graciously left me her car. I drove around not really planning to stop anywhere but just seeing the town I had left behind so many years ago. Woodrock changed and some places I barley recognized, while other places hadn't changed a bit.

I wanted to stop some where but deep down I was afraid. Not sure if it was because of Leo or because someone might recognize me. But it was nice to just be alone and think outside of the house, music up and windows down. It was peaceful and I just drove. No place in mind. I cried and screamed and sang and repeated it over and over with every song.

I pulled into a little diner, and realized I was hungry when just the sight of it made my tummy growl. I decided I'd get off and see what they had.

It was a cute little old fashioned diner. Walking in the smell hit me like a ton of bricks, memories of breakfasts my dad would make us. bacon and ham sizzling, smells of sugar and coffee, and all the greasey foods. My tummy immediately ached at the smell. I couldn't wait to eat.