Seeking Escape

41: Not Now. Not Ever.

*** Joyce's POV ***

"We're sorry we didn't believe you." My mother said, ringing her hands.

For some reason those words, which I thought I had wanted to hear, didn't have the warm and fuzzy impact on me that I was expecting. No, instead they agitated me. I had met strangers who recognized something awful happened to me in my past and who treated me better than they ever did.

"Is that what you came to my place of employment to say?" I asked blankly.

"Well, yeah." My mom snapped. My dad was basically just along for the ride, unable to even look at me.

"Why now? In the middle of the day years after you should have said we believe you in the first place?" I didn't hold back my anger. "And how did you find out where I worked?"

"Well, we have reason to believe that you're in danger again. We received this." My dad responded, not really answering my question.

They push what looks to be a letter across the picnic table that we are seated at. I don't touch it or try to read it. "From whom?"

"Huh?"

"Who sent you this?" I tapped the letter in front of me.

"We don't know. But Dan said..." My mother started.

My hackles raised. "Dan has been in touch?"

"He was angry that we never told him what happened. We told him that we didn't think that it was our place. That if you wanted him to know that you would have said something to him." My dad spoke up again.

"But you showed him this mysterious letter?" I questioned.

"He told us that he had been in touch with you and that he still loved you and wanted to reconcile." My dad explained.

"But then he told us that you were with some guy. A porn star. So we showed him the letter because it mentions this guy." My mom added in a sinister tone.

The air whooshed out of my lungs. The letter was about Quinn?! I was tempted to read it then, but honestly this whole thing felt off. So off. And I didn't trust it. I didn't trust them.

"Dan...he cares about you so much, sweetie. He read the letter and wanted us to go right to the police. He was scared that you don't know what you've gotten yourself into and he thought that you wouldn't believe it if we came to you with it. He says this guy has some sort of power over you." Dad hurriedly explained.

"I...I love him. The only 'power' he has over me is that I trust him. I don't trust you or Dan. I'm going back to work." I effectively ended the conversation.

"Stupid girl. Don't you even want to read it?" My mother criticized and waved the letter around.

"No. It won't change anything. And your concern for my well-being is a little too much too late." I hissed.

"I know we messed up, Caroline, but let us make it better." My dad pleaded. "Let us help you get out of this situation now before something worse happens."

"Quinn would never let that happen!" I yelled.

"What happens if he was behind it the whole time? Or if he knows the people who took you from us the first time?" My dad asked.

What the hell was in that letter?!

"It's lies." I insisted.

"Well we're going to the police with this. We're filing a protection order against him on your behalf. You're too delusional to see what's good for yourself, apparently." My mom sneered.