Under Lock and Key #Wattys2016

Chapter 42

Emma got back to the hotel before Killian did. She grabbed her suitcase and put her keycard on the table and called her father. It was 1:00 in the morning, but she was sure he would come and get her.

"Hello?" David asked groggily. "Emma, are you okay?"

"I need your help." Tears welled in her eyes. "Dad, I'm leaving Killian." She realized that it was the first time she was able to say that word.

"Where are you?" He asked, suddenly more awake.

Emma told him where the hotel was in Boston, and he promised to be there as soon as he could. She sunk into the chair in the lobby and rubbed her hand over her baby bump. The baby began kicking her hand and more tears streamed down her face. She wiped them away as she heard the jingle of the bell on the door. She hid her face as she caught a glimpse of Killian's hair.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a blonde woman. She would have had a black suitcase with wheels. She is about five months pregnant too." He told the woman at the desk. Emma met her eyes and shook her head slightly.

"I'm sorry sir, but I haven't seen a woman that fits your description."

Killian sighed and ran to the elevator, and pressed the button a bunch of times. As soon as he disappeared, Emma stood up and walked over to the desk.

"Thank you so much." Emma told the red haired girl.

"Believe me, I know what it feels like to be with an abusive boyfriend."

"No, he isn't abusive. He just pissed me off and I don't want to see him right now."

The woman nodded and Emma sat back down in the dark corner. She put her jacket hood up to cover her blonde locks. She wrapped her arms around her baby bump and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Emma sat in the bathtub. The hot water soothing her bruises and welts. She wanted out. She wanted to be free from all of this. She hated her life.

It was dark outside and the rain was pouring down. The window was cracked slightly, and she could hear the rain hit the pavement and the side of the building. She heard the thunder boom in the sky.

Pounding on the bathroom door broke her from her trance and she looked up just as it opened.

Walsh walked in and fixed his hair in the mirror.

"I'm going out tonight. I'll be back in a few hours." He wore a nice tuxedo and fancy dress shoes. "I was nice enough to order you some Chinese food. The least you could do is say 'thank you.'"

"Thanks." She choked out. She always thought that she smelled perfume on him whenever he went out, but she just figured it was her brain playing tricks on her.

He patted her head like a dog and left the house. She sank into the soapy water and sighed.

"I hate you." She whispered and got out of the bathtub.

The next thing she knew was that she was being shaken awake. She was ready to smack the person when her vision became clear and she was looking at her father. He helped her off the couch and grabbed her suitcase.

"Are you okay?" He asked and helped her into his truck.

"Other than leaving him, I guess I'm okay." But she wasn't sure. She didn't know if leaving Killian was the right decision or not.

"What happened?" She glanced over at him. "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

"Thanks." She looked down to her stomach and felt the baby kick. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, Emma, your mother and I will be happy to help you with the baby. We never got a chance to watch you grow up, so I think it would be good for us to help you with your daughter. We'll give you whatever you need."

"Thanks." She leaned back into the seat.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she dug it out, seeing a bunch of messages from Killian.

'Love, where are you? I'm worried.'

'Emma, please talk to me.'

'Your father came by, so I can only assume that you called him. He paid me a visit and kicked my arse, but I have to say, I deserved it.'

'I didn't tell him what I did, and I can only pray that you don't either. I wouldn't blame you if you did.'

'I'm sorry. I screwed up, but I love you and you have to know that I would never hurt you.'

She sighed and shut her phone off. Emma looked over at her dad and he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles were white.

"What did you do to him?" She asked.

"Punched him a few times in a few different places." He replied.

"He's your friend."

"But he is your fiancé."

"Not anymore."

"Then he isn't my friend. Emma, you come first. You always will, because you are my daughter. If that means I lose a friend, then so be it."

"No. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to get in the way of your friendship with someone."

"But he hurt you."

"I've been hurt worse."

They were silent for the rest of the drive. Emma stared out the window and only got out once when David stopped the car to get gas. She didn't get snacks at some all night rest stop that he had to go to. She just wanted to go home and sleep.

Home

Had she ever really had one?

Or was Killian really her home?

Or was home with her parents and her daughter, without the father in their lives?

Tears pricked her eyes but she wiped them away and got ready as the truck passed the town line. Her phone vibrated one more time. She pulled it out of her pocket of her hoodie.

'I see you grabbed my sweatshirt.'