I Found You Here, Now Please Just Stay For Awhile.

It's been a month since Jayda came home and things have been a bit tense around our house. We don't talk about why she left, I sure as hell don't talk about the fact that I was going to propose and conversation is kept to a minimal. Our relationship was quiet and our sex life was nonexistent. Jayda was very reserved and distant, she reminded me of how she was when I first met her, timid and scared. Even with Molly things weren't the same, she was tense, overprotective and very paranoid. She barely left the house and the doors always had to be locked.
I wanted to ask her why she had just up and left, what made her do it? I had so many questions to ask, but I didn't want to set her off or start a fight. We were constantly on edge, watching and monitoring every little thing we did or said, careful not to start an argument.
"Let's go out tonight, just me and you." I told Jayda as I laid on our bed, my hands behind my head. She looked over at me from where she was changing and frowned.
"I don't really feel like it tonight." Jayda replied quietly. This was a typical friday night for us, I wanted to go out with her and she'd reject my offer.
"I don't care," I said sitting up. This was new, usually I would just drop it, but I was getting fed up with how things were. "We haven't gone out together in a month, you never leave the house."
"I just don't feel like it." She said turning her gaze to the floor.
"I'm sick and tired of this bullshit!" I yelled. "What's wrong, huh? What's wrong with us? Why are we being like this, why are you being like this?"
Without you, Jayda, staring at the floor set her clothes down and left our room. Sighing, I stood from the bed and followed her. When I walked around the corner to the living room, I found her leaning up against the wall with tears streaming down her face. Reaching out, I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her.
"I'm sorry." Jayda mumbled into my chest.
"I don't know what to do anymore." I admitted as I rubbed her back.
"I shouldn't have come back." She said and I pulled her away, cupping her face with my hands making sure that she was looking at me.
"Don't say that," I hissed. "I love you and I don't care what happens, we're always going to be together."
"I love you too, but I'm scared." Jayda whispered.
"Scared of what? You've got nothing to be afraid of baby, I'll always be here for you, to protect you."
"What if you aren't there?" She asked looking up at me with scared eyes.
"I'll keep you safe Jayda, I promise." I replied not knowing what else to say and I leaned down, pressing my lips to hers.
"Do you still want to go out?"
"Yes, I'll bring Molly to Mom and Dad's house for the night." I told her.
"Where are we going?"
"I don't know, we could go eat and a movie or something." I shrugged.
"Okay," Jayda agreed shifting away from me.
"I'll go wake up Molly and bring her over." I told her.
"No, no, no, I'll come too." Jayda replied frantically and I gave her a confused look. "It'll be easier that way."
"Alright then," I said. "I'll get the baby while you get ready."
Walking back down the hall, I opened the door to my daughter's room and quietly walked to her crib. I smiled down at a sleeping Molly, she was laying on her side holding her blanket to her face sucking her thumb. Leaning over the bars, I reached in and picked her up. She immediately shifted, her face buried in my neck and she stuck her thumb back in her mouth. I grabbed her blanket and left her bedroom.
"Are you ready?" I asked quietly as I stood in the doorway to our bedroom.
"Let me just get a bag ready for Molly." Jayda replied with a nod.
Once Jayda was finished packing Molly's things, we left the house and Jayda locked the door. I followed behind my girlfriend to the car and she opened the back door for me. As soon as I set Molly into her car seat, she woke up and began to cry. She struggled with me as I tried to strap her in and I gave her her blanket hoping that she'd stop.
"Hey, hey, hey baby it's okay." I shushed her as I finished buckling her in. "We're going to Grandma and Grandpa's."
Leaning over her car seat, I began spreading kisses all over my daughter's face and despite herself, she began to giggle. Smiling at her, I placed one last peck on her forehead and stood, shutting the door. Opening Jayda's door for her, I ran my hand down her back and walked around to the driver's side. Molly began crying again as I sat in the car and started it.
"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Jayda said hesitantly. "Molly hasn't been very cooperative today."
"She'll go back to sleep, it'll be fine." I replied turning the radio on and pulling out of the driveway.
"Did you even ask your Mother if it was alright?"
"No, but she won't mind." I told her.

When we got to my parent's house, Molly had fallen asleep from her screaming fit and it was finally quiet as she sucked her thumb. I carefully unbuckled her and lifted her into my arms as Jayda grabbed her bag. I followed behind my girlfriend as she headed up the walkway and entered the house, where my parent's were sitting in the living room watching TV.
"Hello you two, what brings you here?" Mom asked taking her gaze from the screen to look at us.
"We were wondering if you could keep Molly for the night." I replied walking into the living room and sat down on the chair, facing my parents who were on the couch. Jayda sat next to me on the armrest.
"Want some alone time, eh?" Dad teased with a smirk and Mom hit him.
"Be quiet you, of course we'll keep our granddaughter." She told us.
"Thank you," Jayda said. "I'll go put her down in your old bedroom Matt."
"I'll bring her." I told her, standing from my chair to follow her from the room.
"I feel bad just dumping her on them all the time." Jayda mumbled as I laid Molly down in the playpen, pulling the blankets around her.
"Jay, don't worry, if they minded they'd tell us." I replied wrapping my arms around her waist.
"It just feels like we're using your parents."
"Relax Jayda," I sighed kissing the top of her head. "Can you just relax and we can go out for once and have fun."
"Okay, sorry." She replied softly leaning up to kiss me. That's the most action I've gotten in a month.
"Thank you, now let's go." I said taking her hand as we left the room and walked into the living room.
"So what're you two doing tonight?" Mom asked and Dad snorted.
"I'm sure you don't want to know dear." He replied sending me a knowing smirk.
"Actually," I said looking down at Jayda who was turning a lovely shade of red. "We're going to see some gay ass movie and then go out to eat. Then, we're going home to lock ourselves in our room and we're going to take off all our-"
"Okay, enough!" Mom cut me off loudly causing Dad and I to laugh.
"He was just teasing you honey." Dad told her and she shot him a look.
"So when's the -" Mom began to ask, changing the subject and then it was my turn to cut her off.
"We should get going if we want to make it to the movies in time." I said giving Mom a look and shaking my head.
"Alright, have fun." She replied.
"Use protection!" Dad yelled as we left the room.
"What was your Mom going to ask before you interrupted her?" Jayda asked as we got into the car.
"Oh it was nothing important." I shrugged it off, hoping that shed drop it.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, it was nothing." I snapped, immediately regretting it.
"Sorry," Jayda replied turning her head to stare out her window.
"Babe," I sighed placing my hand on her thigh and squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."
"Alright," she said pushing my hand from her leg to lace our fingers together.

It was when we got to the theater that Jayda began acting funny, gripping my hand tightly and shifting around nervously. As we waited in line, she kept looking over her shoulder continuously and edging closer to me.
"Babe, you okay?" I asked looking down at her in concern.
"We-we should go." She replied scanning the room as we walked over to the guy to give him our tickets.
"Jayda, we've already got our tickets, we're going to see the movie." I sighed looking around to see if I could find the reason she was so jittery.
After showing our tickets, we walked into the theater and found a place to sit. Wrapping my arm around my girlfriend's shoulder, I pulled her into my side and pressed my lips to the side of her head. I rubbed my hand up and down her arm trying to get her to relax.

"Matt," Jayda whispered half an hour into the movie. "Can we go, please."
"What's wrong?" I asked quietly frowning.
"We-we really need to leave." She replied sounding as if she were about to panic.
"Come on, let's go then." I said standing and we made our way passed everyone, leaving the dark room.
Dragging me through the lobby by the hand, Jayda power walked to the doors and outside. Tugging on her hand, I pulled her to a stop as I stood still and she looked up at me, panic written all over her face.
"Okay, okay, tell me what the fuck is wrong right now." I told her.
"We just need to go home now. Please Matt, please let's go." Jayda begged.
"What about going out to eat, what about our night out?" I asked getting a bit annoyed and angry.
"I'm sorry," she replied close to tears. "We can't, we have to go get Molly and go home."
"Jayda, we are not going to get Molly." I told her sternly.
"Matt, Matt please let's leave." Jayda said glancing around nervously with tears beginning to stream down her face.
"We'll go home." I said softly brushing the tears from her face and led her to the car.
"What about Molly?" Jayda asked as I started the car. "We need to go get her."
"She's fine with my parent's Jayda, she's safe, you don't need to worry about her." I told her, pulling out of the parking lot.
What the hell is wrong with her? I thought to myself as I glanced over to see her looking over her shoulders, out the window. I wanted to ask her then why she had left, I wanted to know if her father had anything to do with it. I wanted to know if that was why she was so paranoid, but I couldn't.

As soon as we got home, Jayda quickly closed the front door and locked it. I watched her as she went into the living room and closed the curtains. Following her to the kitchen, Jayda made sure the patio door was locked before shutting those curtains as well. Walking into our bedroom, she shut the blinds and was about to walk out of the room when I grabbed her arm.
"Stop," I said sternly. "Stop it right now and tell me why the hell you're being like this."
"I'm scared." Jayda whispered as I hugged her to me.
"You need to relax baby," I told her rubbing her back. "I'll keep you safe always, nothing can hurt you while I'm here."
"What about when you aren't here?" She asked in a wobbly voice. "What happens if you have to leave?"
I didn't answer her because I didn't know, I didn't have an answer for her. Truth was, I was just as scared as she was, what if I couldn't always protect her? I was scared that her father wouldn't leave us alone, I was scared because I didn't know what had happened that night when I had left her alone. I was scared because Jayda was scared, I was scared for her.
I was scared...