All We Had to Keep Us Safe

(Bob’s P.O.V.)

We were waiting to see the results of the tests Jade took. I shouldn’t have told her how scared I was, but most of the time I found it impossible to lie to her. When she started to cry, I wrapped my arm around her comfortingly. I never wanted to see her cry.

But her tears kept coming. She leaned into me, so I just held her close. If she wasn’t so upset, I think I would’ve enjoyed it. I didn’t know what to say to her. I was afraid I’d say the wrong thing, and she would go away from me.

“Why does he want to kill us?” she whimpered weakly.

Because he’s an asshole and he doesn’t love you, he hates you, I thought, but of course I couldn’t say that to her. I’d hated him from the beginning, but when she wouldn’t listen to me, I had to pretend not to hate him in front of her. So I lied to make her feel better and told her I didn’t know.

I told her how I felt about her in a way that she wouldn’t interpret it completely. I wasn’t just talking about how special she was, I was telling her how special she was to me. If only I could tell her straight up… But that would just cause her more problems. I needed to do what was best for her.

When she got up to go back into the bathroom, I got up and sat on the bed. Tracing lines in my hair with my fingers, I mumbled to myself, “What will I do? What can I do if she’s pregnant? God, I love her, and she still thinks she loves him. What am I supposed to do?”

I looked up and saw her staring back at me. I saw it in her eyes before she told me. I’d known deep down that she was pregnant since she’s confessed to me she thought she was. And to me, it was devastating.

Sure, I was jealous that it was Mark’s baby, and that made me furious. But it hurt even more that she wanted to have a baby because she thought it was her last chance. She’s rather raise a child without its father than even consider me or even someone else. No, it was all about Mark in her eyes. Love mark, protect Chloe, have a baby, take all Bob has and break his heart while doing so. Jade had a fairly simple life.

I saw the pain, though. Behind her immediate satisfaction that she was pregnant, she was scared of Mark and what he would so. She was worried that I would be angry or upset (which I was) and leave her. As if it would be possible to walk away now. I was in too deep.

Even if she didn’t see it yet, I was going to raise this child with her. If she lived with me like we planned, I would be like the father. Look how much Chloe already liked me.

I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug, not wanting to let her go. She was crying again, so I whispered in her ear, “It’s going to be okay.” I was such a liar. Even I didn’t believe it.

(Mark’s P.O.V.)

When I got home and found that Jade had left with Chloe, I destroyed things in the house. I knew her boyfriend had something to do with it. I read the note she left me and burned it. Lies, all lies. She didn’t love me. Well, I hated her and that girl of hers who never spoke to me anymore.

Not as much as I hated Bob though. I knew he’s convinced Jade to leave. He’d been after her since his wife had died. Well, I’d kill him and my good-for-nothing wife. I’d kill her daughter, too. In the note she left, she’s called Chloe her daughter. So be it, then, I thought. If they didn’t belong to me, they weren’t going to belong to anyone. Not even themselves.

It wasn’t hard to find out Bob had bought plane tickets to Chicago. However, it did take me time to track down where they were staying. It ook me weeks to figure out what apartment they were living in and when they’d all be there. But in the end, I did it.

It took too long to pound down the door. By the time I was in, they had somehow escaped. After further inspection, I’d seen that somehow they’d climbed down the balconies.

Quickly, I rummaged through the apartment. I found no money at all. They’d had time to take it before escaping. I tucked my gun back into my belt. Apparently they didn’t have that much time. They’d left pretty much everything else, including Chloe’s teddy bear.

But what I found in the bathroom infuriated me to the point where I was even more ready to kill them. Three pregnancy tests, all positive. I kicked the nearest wall, making a large hole.

I couldn’t believe it! Jade was pregnant! My wife had run away, and she was going to have a baby.

And I would’ve bet anything it was his baby, not mine. She would’ve noticed before then if it was mine. It had to be Bob’s. I screamed and destroyed things in a blind rage. But precious minutes were passing, and I knew they were getting away. I ran down to my car. I just caught them driving away, so I followed.

They drove for almost twenty four hours, but somehow I managed to stay awake and stay on their tail. I didn’t know where they were going, but I knew I could keep up with them. When they stopped at a McDonalds, I stole a different car so they wouldn’t figure out a car was following them.

I stayed just far enough back to be able to keep up with where they turned. They made it difficult, but I followed them all the way to a hotel, where they stayed for a night.

Eventually they would get tired of running. Jade and Chloe couldn’t run forever. They would eventually stop and settle down somewhere. Even if it took months, I would wait. I was going to let them get comfortable before I killed them now.

Even if I lost them, they would eventually slip up, and I would find them. They’d have to check into a hospital in eight or so months if Jade was going to have Bob’s baby anyways. I would find them. And then I would kill them.

Chloe would be sorry for gibing me the cold shoulder. Jade would be sorry for leaving me for her “friend.” Bob would be sorry for messing with my family.