---
The air crackled with tension. Freen sat curled up on Becky’s couch, gripping a warm mug of tea. Becky paced the living room, phone in hand, checking messages from Nam and Kate. Every minute felt heavier than the last.
“I can’t just sit here,” Becky muttered, her voice tight with frustration.
“You’re doing enough,” Freen said softly, though her eyes betrayed her nerves.
Becky stopped pacing and turned to Freen. “No, I’m not. He’s going to notice. He might already know.”
Freen swallowed hard, her mind flashing back to the cold, calculating look in her father’s eyes whenever she faltered. “What if he comes here?”
“He won’t,” Becky’s mother interjected from the doorway. She held a rolling pin in her hand like a weapon, her expression calm but resolute. “Not without consequences.”
The reassurance didn’t ease the tension in the room.
---
Freen’s House
Her father’s footsteps echoed as he walked through the empty rooms. His gaze landed on Freen’s open closet, now bare. The sight made his jaw clench.
“Freen!” he shouted, though the silence that followed told him everything.
He turned sharply, his fists curling as he stormed back to the living room. Pulling out his phone, he dialed her number, but the line went straight to voicemail.
“Running away?” he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. “Not on my watch.”
He grabbed his keys and left the house, slamming the door behind him.
---
Becky’s House
The hours dragged on, but the tension never eased. Freen’s phone, now powered off, lay on the coffee table like a ticking time bomb. Becky checked the locks on the doors for the third time, her stomach churning.
Nam arrived next, her face flushed from running. “He knows,” she announced breathlessly.
Freen sat up straight, her blood running cold. “What do you mean?”
“He went to Kate and Nop’s place first,” Nam said, her words rapid. “They stalled him, but he’s furious. He’s asking questions, threatening people.”
Becky clenched her fists. “Then we need to move. Freen can’t stay here.”
“No,” Becky’s mother interjected firmly. “If you try to move her now, he’ll find you. You’ll be out in the open.”
Becky opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she saw the logic in her mother’s words.
“Then what do we do?” Freen asked, her voice trembling.
Becky moved to her side, taking her hand. “We stand our ground. Together.”
---
The Knock
It was almost midnight when the knock came. A loud, sharp rap at the door that made everyone freeze.
Becky exchanged a glance with her mother, who nodded silently. Freen’s grip on Becky’s hand tightened.
Becky’s mother approached the door slowly, peering through the peephole. She didn’t need to say anything. The tension in her shoulders told them everything.
“It’s him,” she whispered.
Freen’s breath hitched, and Becky felt a surge of protectiveness.
“Stay here,” Becky told Freen firmly. “No matter what happens.”
Freen wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words.
---
The Confrontation
Becky opened the door just enough to block Freen from view. Her father stood there, his towering presence casting a long shadow across the porch.
“Where is she?” he demanded, his voice cold and sharp.
“Good evening to you too,” Becky said flatly, her eyes narrowing.
“Don’t play games with me, girl. I know she’s here.”
“And if she is?” Becky’s mother stepped forward, her voice calm but unyielding.
“This is none of your business,” he snapped.
“You made it our business when you made her life miserable,” Becky shot back, her tone icy.
Her father took a step forward, but Becky’s mother held her ground. “You’re not setting foot in this house,” she said firmly. “Not without a warrant.”
His face twisted with anger. “She’s my daughter. I have every right—”
“Your rights end where her safety begins,” Becky interrupted, her voice rising.
---
Inside
Freen sat on the couch, trembling. Nam knelt beside her, whispering reassurances, but the raised voices from the porch made it impossible to feel calm.
“He’s not going to give up,” Freen whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
Kate and Nop, who had arrived earlier, exchanged worried looks.
“Maybe we should call the police,” Nop suggested.
Freen shook her head vehemently. “No. It’ll make everything worse.”
---
The Standoff
Outside, the argument escalated.
“You’re a coward,” Becky said, stepping closer to him. “You don’t scare me, and you don’t scare Freen anymore.”
He glared at her, his jaw tightening. “You think you’re brave, little girl? You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
“Try me,” Becky challenged, her voice steady.
For a moment, the tension hung thick in the air. Then, with a sharp sneer, he turned on his heel.
“This isn’t over,” he warned before stalking off into the night.
---
The Aftermath
The door shut with a heavy thud, and Becky locked it immediately. She turned to the group, her expression a mixture of relief and determination.
“He’s gone for now,” she said, her voice steady.
“But not for good,” Freen said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Becky moved to her side, sitting next to her on the couch. “No, not for good. But we’re not backing down.”
Freen looked at her, tears streaming down her face. “What if he comes back?”
“Then we’ll be ready,” Becky promised, pulling Freen into a protective embrace.
Across the room, Becky’s mother exchanged a glance with Nam and Kate. The battle wasn’t over, but for now, Freen was safe.
But the storm was far from over.
THE END
This story was published in one go because it was rotting in my drafts since so long I can't even remember, please do support this..this was my first story when I was young, it may not be perfect but leaving my first story in the drafts, below everything was not something I liked, so consequences be damned, I just posted it..good day!
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A Gentle Collision
ActionBecky is an 18-year-old introvert whose sharp words cut deeper than her silence. Living with her kind-hearted mother in a modest home supported by their family's restaurant, Becky has little interest in the world beyond her headphones and mobile scr...
