Those 7 years: Missing One Shot Chapter

31

It had been  a couple of months since the nightmare of my captivity ended, but the terror still lingered like an unshakable shadow. Every creak in the house, every unfamiliar sound, sent a jolt of adrenaline racing through me. I was slowly beginning to feel a little more like myself—my appetite returning, my thoughts less clouded—but the fear of being taken again lingered. It was as if a part of me couldn't trust that this was real, that I was truly safe now.

Travis had been my rock through it all, though I could see the worry etched deep into his features. He was cautious—too cautious, sometimes. He barely let me out of his sight. At first, I found it comforting, but now, as the days turned into weeks, it began to feel like a cage of its own. I knew he meant well, but the constant supervision made me question if he believed I was capable of standing on my own again.

It wasn't until Leo's nightmare the night before that I began to understand just how deeply my ordeal had affected Travis too. Leo had woken up screaming, his tiny body trembling as he clung to Travis, whispering something about a "bad man" and "Mommy going away." I'd sat frozen in the bed, my heart breaking as I watched Travis comfort him, his voice steady but his eyes filled with anguish. After Leo finally fell back asleep, Travis had stayed up, pacing the bedroom while I pretended to sleep.

This morning, Travis was unusually quiet. He lingered in the kitchen, his hand absently ruffling Leo's curls as the little boy ate breakfast. I could feel his eyes on me as I sipped my tea, pretending not to notice. Something was on his mind, but he wouldn't share it—not yet, at least.

"I need to run to the store," he finally said, breaking the silence. "Leo, you want to come with me?"

Leo's face lit up. "Can I pick the snacks?"

Travis chuckled, though the sound lacked its usual warmth. "We'll see."

I glanced up, frowning. "I can come too."

Travis shook his head immediately. "Abby's on her way over. She'll stay here with you."

My stomach tightened. "I don't need a babysitter, Travis."

His jaw clenched, but he didn't argue. Instead, he kissed the top of my head and said, "Abby's coming to keep you company. I'll be back soon."

Before I could press further, the doorbell rang. Abigail's familiar face appeared in the doorway, her smile bright but her eyes holding a trace of concern. Travis let her in, exchanged a few quiet words with her, then ushered Leo out the door.

I sighed, sinking back into the couch as Abigail settled beside me. "Let me guess," I said, my voice tinged with sarcasm. "Travis asked you to babysit me?"

Abigail hesitated, then nodded. "He's just worried about you, Tay. After everything you've been through..."

"I'm fine," I snapped, though the words felt hollow even to me. I wasn't fine. Not completely. But I couldn't stand being treated like I was fragile, like I might shatter if left alone for five minutes.

Abigail's expression softened. "He's scared, Taylor. He's terrified of losing you again. And after..." She trailed off, her gaze dropping to her hands.

"After what?" I pressed.

She hesitated, then sighed. "After the time you tried to... you know. When you tried to drown yourself."

My breath caught in my throat. I'd almost forgotten about that day. The darkness had consumed me so completely that I'd thought there was no way out. But Travis had found me, pulled me back from the edge, and refused to let me go.

"He doesn't think you're weak," Abigail said gently. "He just loves you too much to take any chances."

I looked away, blinking back tears. Part of me understood, but another part felt suffocated by his protectiveness.

By the time Travis and Leo returned, the weight of the conversation with Abigail had settled heavily on my chest. As soon as Travis walked through the door, I stood, my emotions bubbling over.

"Travis, we need to talk." My voice was sharper than I intended.

He glanced at me, then at Abigail, who quickly excused herself with a quiet, "Call me if you need anything."

Once the door closed behind her, I turned to him. "You can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?" he asked, setting the bags down and ushering Leo toward the living room.

"Treating me like I'm made of glass," I said, my voice rising. "I'm fine, Travis. I don't need you hovering over me every second."

He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he studied me, his expression unreadable. "You think I'm overreacting?" he finally said, his tone calm but laced with tension.

"Yes!" I threw my hands up. "I'm not going to break, Travis. I can handle being alone for a few minutes."

"Can you?" His voice was quiet, but the words cut deep. "Because the last time I thought you were fine, I found you in the bathtub, Taylor. Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

I froze, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut. My anger evaporated, replaced by a wave of guilt and shame.

"I..." I started, but my voice faltered.

"I'm not trying to control you," he continued, his voice breaking. "I'm trying to protect you. I can't lose you again, Taylor. I won't."

Tears streamed down my face as I stepped closer to him. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't realize... I didn't think about how all of this affected you too."

He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "I'll back off when you're ready," he said softly. "But until then, I need you to let me do this. Please."

I nodded against his chest, the fight draining out of me. Maybe I wasn't as fine as I'd thought. But with Travis by my side, I knew I would get there eventually.

As we stood there we heard little feet running through the hallway and laughter.

I looked up at Travis who still held me close. He had the same thought so as we walked hand in hand sinking our fingers intertwined to the living room to see what our little dinosaur was doing.