Status: A story in progress, I hope you enjoy
Breaking Free
Chapter 16
When we exit the restaurant, we all go to get into the SUV and before we can make it, I notice one of the windows is shattered out.
"What the hell?" Jackson exclaims.
"Who would have done something like..." I trail off. I know exactly who did it.
"Call the police," Jack demands.
Debra immediately pulls her cellphone out and dials nine-one-one.
We wait around for a few minutes before the cops show up.
"What's going on here?" one of the officers asks.
"Someone broke into our car," Jack relays to him, pointing out the shattered window.
"Is anything missing?" the cop asks.
"Not that we could tell, but we have an idea of who did it."
"We can look at the security tapes before we make any accusations," the cop says.
"I want something done about this, and soon, this is getting ridiculous. We've done nothing but take this sweet girl out of a bad environment and we're getting nothing but crap because of it. I want the man thrown in jail," Jack says angrily.
This is the most I've heard him say about the situation. He seems very adamant about keeping me safe, just like Debra and Jackson.
Jackson wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close while the cop continues to talk to everyone.
"What are we supposed to do until they find who did this?" I ask. I know they all know that I mean my father.
"We'll just clean the glass up and go home, I'll have the window repaired tomorrow," Jack says with a grimace on his face.
"This sucks," I say quietly.
"I know," Jackson says putting his forehead against my temple, "it'll all be okay though."
"I really hope so," I'm scared and you can hear it in my voice.
I think I see movement from behind the SUV and tense up. Jackson notices a difference in my stance and looks in the direction I'm looking.
"Dad! Watch out!" Jackson exclaims as someone comes around the front of the car and launches themselves at Jack.
I know in an instant that it's my father. Debra reaches for something in her purse but before she can pull it out, a cop has the main restrained and I'm staring into the angry face of my father.
"You were never supposed to leave me, Lina," he cries out. "You're going to pay for this, all of you!"
I shrink in fear closer to Jackson as he wraps his arm tighter around my waist.
I can feel frightened tears enter my eyes and try to hold them back as I watch an officer handcuff my father and read him his rights.
"It's okay," Jackson whispers in my ear.
I nod my head as tears start to spill down my cheeks. "Is Jack okay?"
"He's fine, honey, looks like he just bumped his head and my boys are hard headed," Debra answers.
After a little more questioning, we're all free to go home.
Charlie has a look of anger on his face when we finally get enough glass out of the car for us to climb into.
"What?" Jackson asks him.
"This is ridiculous," Charlie says. "Why can't he just leave her alone?"
"I have no idea," Jackson answers.
I'm sitting in the middle seat with my head buried in my hands trying to get the images of the night out of my head. I can't get the vision of my father attacking Jack. Jack has been nothing but helpful to me and my father is going to treat him like this. I guess his problems go a lot further than just me.
When we get home, Debra apologizes about everything.
"I'm so sorry your day was ruined," she says.
"It's not your fault at all!" I exclaim.
"I know that dear, but I really wish we could have had a really good day."
"Even with everything that has happened, it was still a good day."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, one hundred percent. If you take out the fact that my father was there twice, we know that he's now in jail for the time being."
"That's a good way to look at it."
"It's the only thing I can do without being terrified," I admit.
"It's okay to be scared you know," Jackson chimes in.
"I'm beyond scared," I say. "I'm afraid to even shut my eyes at night."
"That's not good, that means you aren't getting enough sleep," Debra says. "Would you be more comfortable with one of the boys sleeping in the room with you so you know you're safe?"
"That would probably help, but I don't want to put anyone out."
"You won't be putting me out, besides it's my room, I'll sleep in there with you, we have an old air mattress." Jackson says.
"That sounds good to me," I smile softly at him.
My feelings are growing more and more for Jackson and as scared as I am of my father, I think my feelings for Jackson scare me more.
"What the hell?" Jackson exclaims.
"Who would have done something like..." I trail off. I know exactly who did it.
"Call the police," Jack demands.
Debra immediately pulls her cellphone out and dials nine-one-one.
We wait around for a few minutes before the cops show up.
"What's going on here?" one of the officers asks.
"Someone broke into our car," Jack relays to him, pointing out the shattered window.
"Is anything missing?" the cop asks.
"Not that we could tell, but we have an idea of who did it."
"We can look at the security tapes before we make any accusations," the cop says.
"I want something done about this, and soon, this is getting ridiculous. We've done nothing but take this sweet girl out of a bad environment and we're getting nothing but crap because of it. I want the man thrown in jail," Jack says angrily.
This is the most I've heard him say about the situation. He seems very adamant about keeping me safe, just like Debra and Jackson.
Jackson wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close while the cop continues to talk to everyone.
"What are we supposed to do until they find who did this?" I ask. I know they all know that I mean my father.
"We'll just clean the glass up and go home, I'll have the window repaired tomorrow," Jack says with a grimace on his face.
"This sucks," I say quietly.
"I know," Jackson says putting his forehead against my temple, "it'll all be okay though."
"I really hope so," I'm scared and you can hear it in my voice.
I think I see movement from behind the SUV and tense up. Jackson notices a difference in my stance and looks in the direction I'm looking.
"Dad! Watch out!" Jackson exclaims as someone comes around the front of the car and launches themselves at Jack.
I know in an instant that it's my father. Debra reaches for something in her purse but before she can pull it out, a cop has the main restrained and I'm staring into the angry face of my father.
"You were never supposed to leave me, Lina," he cries out. "You're going to pay for this, all of you!"
I shrink in fear closer to Jackson as he wraps his arm tighter around my waist.
I can feel frightened tears enter my eyes and try to hold them back as I watch an officer handcuff my father and read him his rights.
"It's okay," Jackson whispers in my ear.
I nod my head as tears start to spill down my cheeks. "Is Jack okay?"
"He's fine, honey, looks like he just bumped his head and my boys are hard headed," Debra answers.
After a little more questioning, we're all free to go home.
Charlie has a look of anger on his face when we finally get enough glass out of the car for us to climb into.
"What?" Jackson asks him.
"This is ridiculous," Charlie says. "Why can't he just leave her alone?"
"I have no idea," Jackson answers.
I'm sitting in the middle seat with my head buried in my hands trying to get the images of the night out of my head. I can't get the vision of my father attacking Jack. Jack has been nothing but helpful to me and my father is going to treat him like this. I guess his problems go a lot further than just me.
When we get home, Debra apologizes about everything.
"I'm so sorry your day was ruined," she says.
"It's not your fault at all!" I exclaim.
"I know that dear, but I really wish we could have had a really good day."
"Even with everything that has happened, it was still a good day."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, one hundred percent. If you take out the fact that my father was there twice, we know that he's now in jail for the time being."
"That's a good way to look at it."
"It's the only thing I can do without being terrified," I admit.
"It's okay to be scared you know," Jackson chimes in.
"I'm beyond scared," I say. "I'm afraid to even shut my eyes at night."
"That's not good, that means you aren't getting enough sleep," Debra says. "Would you be more comfortable with one of the boys sleeping in the room with you so you know you're safe?"
"That would probably help, but I don't want to put anyone out."
"You won't be putting me out, besides it's my room, I'll sleep in there with you, we have an old air mattress." Jackson says.
"That sounds good to me," I smile softly at him.
My feelings are growing more and more for Jackson and as scared as I am of my father, I think my feelings for Jackson scare me more.