Extra Credit

Admitting the Truth

Before leaving Texas I had stopped at my old apartment and dug out the small safe I kept hidden in my desk drawer. It contained $3,000 in cash along with a few other important papers. I changed my clothes and packed the rest of my clothes before quickly getting back into his truck. I had driven halfway to Florida before ditching Mark's truck and heading to the bus station to ride the rest of the way there. I hadn't slept at all. The only thing that was on my mind was how in the world I fell for a man like Mark. How could I be so blind not to see that he was my true stalker? I kept replaying everything in my head from the time we first met, up until the night we made love. A tear fell from my eye as I recalled telling him over and over again how much I loved him. It was a perfect night and he seemed like the perfect man for me.

Rain began to pour as the bus crossed the border into Jacksonville, Florida. When the bus came to a stop I grabbed my purse and small suitcase and exited with the other passengers. I wasted no time getting inside of the station and finding a pay phone so I could call my father. I knew he'd find a way out of jail since he had so many connections and a good lawyer. I really needed him at this point more than anything.

"Hello?" my father answered.

"Hi daddy." I said.

He gasped, "Aria? Girl where are you? I've been calling you for-"

"Dad I'm here in Jacksonville…." I said as I began to cry. "Mark Calaway is after me."

He fell silent for a moment as I cried into the phone. "Dad he's been in my life for 5 months now…and I had no idea he was mom's killer…why didn't you tell me!"

A soft sigh came from his breath, "I'm sorry honey, I thought that bastard was long gone."

I sniffled, "Look can you please come pick me up. I'm at the bus station."

"Ok sweetie just hang tight." He said before hanging up. I leaned against the wall and cried my heart out. My entire life was changing and it was my fault.

When my father arrived to pick me up, He threw his arms around me and held me tight before kissing my forehead. After that he placed my suitcase in the trunk of his Range Rover and then helped me into the passenger seat. I felt safer with my father around although I knew that Mark would track me down eventually. For now we were safe since no one knew about my father's private vacation home in Jacksonville. He only came here during the Christmas season since he hated the cold and I was arriving just in time for Christmas.

"Are you alright?" he asked me on the way over to the house.

I shrugged and folded my arms, "I don't know dad…I should have listened to Uncle Bryan."

He glanced at me, "Bryan knew about Mark being around you?"

I nodded and dropped my gaze, "He knew a whole lot more about me that you do."

"Damn it Aria…why don't you tell me things?" he asked. "That crazy bastard could have killed you if you wouldn't have figured things out in time."

I glared at him, "Excuse me but you're the one who never told me about mom's death in full! If you would have told me I would have never went to work for him! Hell I could have gotten my classes changed to avoid him!"

He cleared his throat, "Ok you've got a point there…but I didn't think he would ever go after you in that way."

I leaned my head back against the headrest, wondering if I should tell him that I slept with him. I knew it would send him into a rampage and I really couldn't risk that. We were silent for the rest of the drive each of us with different thoughts of worry on our minds. I prayed that me being back with my father would cause Mark to keep his distance. Maybe I would get lucky and he would just stay away from me all together. I kept seeing his face in my mind over and over again. I just didn't understand how a man that once looked at me with such love and care in his eyes, could now see me as a target of his evil schemes.