27. I wasn’t prepared for this.
Chapter 27
I wasn’t prepared for this.
Amelia
I wake up feeling better than I have in years, a sense of lightness I haven’t experienced in what feels like forever. The weight that has been crushing my spirit and suffocating my joy has finally lifted. Confessing my truth to my family was more liberating than I could have ever imagined.
Forgiving Christian and Linden, forgiving myself for succumbing to fear, feels possible now. If all goes as planned today, if I can navigate this minefield of emotions, I’ll be in Christian’s arms tonight, safe and cherished.
“Did you get enough to eat?” Mom asks.
Rather than going back to Nova’s, I slept in my old bedroom at my parents’ house. There was no way Dad would let me out of his sight last night. Not with the way my brothers ran out to hunt down Badger.
They didn’t get to confront him. At least not for more than a few seconds.
Badger may be an asshole, but he’s not stupid. When he saw my angry brothers barging toward his house, he took off. He made it to his truck and disappeared before my brothers could get back in their car and follow him.
My guess is Badger has been planning his escape for years. He had to know that the day would come when I told my family the truth.
“Lia,” Mom says as she runs her fingers over my hair. “You okay?”
I nod. “Just thinking. Nothing to worry about.”
She lets out a deep sigh. “I’m afraid I’m always going to worry about you. Now more than ever.”
“I’m fine. Really.” I push my plate away, leaving most of my breakfast untouched.
“You’re not hungry?” Mom frowns down at my plate. She made French toast specifically for me, and I only took a few bites.
“Not really.” I wrinkle my nose. “I know I should eat more, but my stomach is uneasy this morning. Too much going on and not enough resolution. If that makes sense.”
Mom nods and brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear. “You miss him.”
Tears instantly well up in my eyes at Mom’s statement. There’s no judgment or anger behind them either, and that makes me so much more emotional than I already am.
I wrap my arms around her waist and hug her closely. “So much.”
“Then go to him.” She kisses the top of my head and hugs me closer. Hearing her say those words causes my tears to break free and run down my cheeks.
“I’ll see him today. He’s meeting me at the cabin.”
I take a deep breath and break free from my mom’s embrace. She’s smiling down at me in a way I haven’t seen in weeks.
“Good.” She pats my arm before taking my plate to the sink. “Be sure to invite him over for dinner sometime soon. I think it’s time I get to know the father of my grandchild.”
My jaw drops and I stare at her like she’s lost her mind. “Are you serious?”
“Oh, don’t look at me like that.” She waves her hand at me and tsks . “It’s going to take time to accept him, but we’ve got to start somewhere. This isn’t easy, but I refuse to lose my daughter and grandchild.”
Jumping to my feet, I rush to her and hug her tighter than I think I ever have. “Thanks Mom.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to come around. That should have been my first reaction. I guess I was hoping you would break up with him if we continued insisting.”
“It’s okay. I knew it would be hard for you to accept him. Do you think Dad will be okay with this?”
She smiles at me and kisses my forehead. “You let me worry about him.”
“What’s going on?” Linden asks as he enters the kitchen.
“Nothing,” Mom says as she releases me to get back to cleaning up the kitchen. “Just some mother-daughter time.”
“I’m going to get cleaned up and run to town. I need to do some grocery shopping before I head to the cabin,” I say as I head out of the kitchen.
“The hell you are!” Linden calls out. “We still haven’t found Badger.”
I stop and turn to face him. “I’m just running to Williams’ Market in Beaver. Nothing’s going to happen there in broad daylight.”
“Let me go with you.” He insists.
“No.” I furrow my brows. “I’m not hiding from him. I’m done giving him power over my life. I’ll be fine.”
I run upstairs and slam the door shut behind me, the sound echoing through the house. “Nothing will happen in broad daylight.” My voice trembles slightly as I whisper. “Badger isn’t that stupid.”
But the words offer little comfort, a flimsy shield against the rising tide of fear. I repeat them like a mantra, a desperate attempt to convince myself of their truth.
I refuse to let him torment me any longer, to be his prisoner, or his victim.
I wander aimlessly through the aisles, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. I should have made a list—a simple grocery list—but my mind is a whirlwind of anxieties.
Now, I’m paralyzed by indecision, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices and uncertainty. What do we even need?
To answer that question, I’d have to be at the cabin.
The thought of returning and reclaiming our sanctuary puts a smile on my face. Just the idea of waking up beside him every morning, of sharing our days, our dreams, fills me with a joy I haven’t felt in days. It makes me question my decision to run away from our problems.
If we’re going to make this work—truly make it—we need to learn to face our challenges together, to weather the storms instead of running from them. That’s what he did to me when I told him I was pregnant. He disappeared without a trace, leaving me to face my fears alone.
I made him promise he’d never do that to me again, and now, the irony of my own actions hits me with the force of a tidal wave.
Couples who weather the storms, who learn to navigate the rough waters together, are the ones who truly find happiness. And I want that with him. More than anything.
My gaze sweeps across the final aisle, searching for the familiar loaf of sourdough. I reach for it, a sense of unease prickling my skin.
Suddenly, a strong arm snakes around my waist and drags me into the storeroom. A hand clamps over my mouth, stifling my scream. I’m lifted off the ground, weightless and terrified, before being slammed against the cold, unforgiving wall.
The impact jolts through me, a searing pain exploding behind my eyes. My vision blurs. I’m disoriented and lightheaded, my body trembling with fear. If it weren’t for the heavy weight pinning me against the wall, I would crumple to the floor.
“You’re a mouthy little bitch, aren’t you?” I cringe at the sound of Badger’s voice. “Spreading lies about me to your family.”
“They’re not lies,” I mumble behind the clamp of his hand. The pain radiating from the back of my head doesn’t help.
“They are!” He slams me against the wall again, the impact jarring my teeth. The rough concrete digs into my back, pain exploding through me, a searing, agonizing fire. Tears prick the corner of my eyes as fear clamps around my throat.
“Don’t. Pl … please.” I beg. “My baby.”
He snorts. “That baby should be mine. Would’ve been if I had fucked you like I wanted to.”
I shake my head, refusing to give into his torment. “Never.”
He presses his nose to my neck and breathes in. It’s creepy and sends a chill down my spine. “Maybe I’ll fuck you right now. Teach you a lesson.”
I struggle against his hold, but it’s useless. He’s stronger than me and has me pinned so I can’t move, but at least he removed his hand from my mouth. “The only person who’s going to be taught a lesson is you.”
He laughs, a diabolical sound that turns my fear into pure terror. “No, sweetheart. No one is teaching me shit. I’m taking what’s mine and no one can stop me. Not even that piece of shit boyfriend of yours.”
I lift my head and fight to find my strength. It’s the only way I’m going to get out of this without getting hurt. “He’ll kill you. That is, if Linden doesn’t do it first.”
That gets his attention because he pulls away from me slightly. “Linden is my best friend. He wants to see us together. As soon as you tell him you were lying, he’ll support me.”
“It doesn’t matter what I say at this point. He knows the truth. Your only chance of survival is to run.”
He growls and wraps his hand around my throat. He squeezes just hard enough that it makes it difficult to breathe. I claw at his arm, begging for relief.
“You underestimate our friendship.” He steps back further, and with his free hand, he runs his finger down my chest and between my legs. It’s enough to make me want to vomit. “You’re mine, Amelia. I’ve always known that. Now it’s time for you to learn that too.”
His eyes follow the invisible line his fingers made. It’s enough of a distraction that his hand around my throat loosens to where I can move. I need to take my shot now because I might not get another one.
“Then I guess it’s too bad for me that I’m a slow learner.” His eyes snap to mine and I jam my knee between his legs. He cries out and hunches over. In doing so, he releases me.
I fall. My ass hits the concrete floor hard, and it jars my body. It also knocks the air out of me, and I struggle to take in more oxygen.
“You bitch!” He yells.
I scramble to get to my feet and fail. All I do is scoot a few inches away from him. He lunges for me, but I crawl out of his reach. It’s enough that I’m able to take in my surroundings and find the doorway leading back into the store.
Seeing a way out is enough to motivate me to move. I push up to my feet and run. The second my hand pushes the door open, I scream. “Help! He’s attacking me.”
Badger rushes out and jumps on me, wrapping his arms around me before we go down. His arms break the fall, protecting me from another painful hit.
“Help!” I scream again.
I hear the pounding of feet running toward us and relief settles over me. He’s not going to hurt me anymore.
“Hey, let her go!” Clyde Williams, the owner of Williams’ Family Grocery, calls out.
“Stay out of this, old man.” Badger growls. “I’ve got a score to settle with this one.”
“I can’t do that,” Clyde says.
“Mind your own damn business.” Badger gets to his feet, pulling me up with him.
“Oh, my God.” Betty, Clyde’s wife, says. She covers her mouth and stares at us in horror. She’s a sweet woman and probably hasn’t ever seen anything like this before in her life. Beaver is not a violent town. People fight and argue, but crimes like this never happen.
“Honey, call the police,” Clyde says, his voice a calm beacon in this nightmare. “And Mr. Koch. He’ll probably respond faster.”
Badger tightens his hold around me, pressing my back close to his chest. The sick fucker has an erection.
“Let me go.” I struggle to get free, and it only makes him squeeze tighter.
“No can do, sweetheart. You and I are leaving together.”