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"It happened after I locked up the store and walked to my parked car in the alley behind the shop. The man who had been bothering me in a club a few weeks before appeared out of the blue and pushed me against a wall. He said a woman like me needed to learn a lesson. Then his fists hit my face and stomach." My entire body tenses, and my voice trembles as I remember the pain. My father grabs my other hand and squeezes it softly. When my eyes meet his, the love and support radiating in them strengthens me to continue as I relive the horrific attack.
"When he let go of me, I crashed to the floor. I tried to get away but I couldn’t." My mother swipes a tear from my cheek. "He dragged me to the middle of the alley, shoved me on my back and began touching me."
My mother squeezes my hand hard. "Oh, my sweet baby. Did he…"
I glance at my mom, who fearfully awaits my answer. When I shake my head, she lets out a sigh of relief. "No, he didn’t. A loud noise distracted him. He turned to see what it was, and as he did, I tried to crawl away, but he saw this and started kicking my ribs." I close my eyes and my mouth turns dry as I remember the fear. "I begged him to stop… but he continued. Just when I thought my spine would break, he stopped and walked off while saying, ‘See you later’. From then on everything is a blur. Amanda is the one who found me the next morning. She called the 911." I open my eyes when I sense a strong finger wiping away another set of tears.
"Is he behind bars?" my dad asks.
I shake my head. "No, he’s still out there. The police are investigating the box and note he sent me. But as for now they have no leads."
My dad's brows bump together. "He’s stalking you?"
I nod.
Silence falls after this revelation. My mother is the first to kill the quiet by standing up and pulling out a package of caramel walnut cookies from the cabinet. She arranges them on a plate, and after placing them on the table, she sits back next to me. Then it's my father who stands up. I bite the nail of my thumb as I watch him pace through the kitchen, mumbling and letting out odd noises. My mom and I both jump as he yells, "Goddamn son of a bitch!"
My mother rises from her chair and places herself in front of him. "Jim, honey, calm down."
His eyes meet hers as he raises both hands in the air.
"How the hell can I do that, Clair? Our girl just told us that the piece of shit that attacked her is still out there. And now he's stalking her." He walks past my mother and continues patrolling the room. "If I get my hands on him, I will skin him alive. Nobody beats and hurts my baby girl," he shouts.
My heart fills with love, hearing my father call me his baby girl.
He’s now gazing out of the kitchen window with his arms crossed and a deep frown sitting between his brows.
"Dad?"
"I want you to come back home," he says, still staring into the garden. "You're not safe in your apartment. There's no security."
"I'm already living somewhere else."
His head shoots my way. "What?"
"After receiving the letter, I decided to move. Amanda found me the perfect place, and now I'm living there."
"And where isthere,Alisha?" My father squints.
I clear my throat and whisper, "The Millennium Tower."
My father's eyebrows raise. "You’re living in the most expensive apartment building in Boston?"
I nod.
"Alisha Alexandra McQueen, what are you hiding? You don't earn enough to pay for the rent in that place."
"It’s okay, Dad. Nick Brown's best friend, Cole, lives there. He owns two apartments and knowing my situation, he doesn't mind me living there for a while. It has top-notch security."
My dad's eyes narrow. "And how does this Cole expect you to pay for staying there?”
I bite my lip and swallow. "Dad, don't worry about that."
"Don't worry? How can you say that to me after what you just told us?"
"Jim, enough." My mother gives my father a solemn stare. "We need to trust our girl."
He grinds his teeth while narrowing his gaze further. "You better be telling us the truth, baby girl."
