Chapter 9 - THE DOOR
“Open the door!”
Derek pounded again.
Rachel grabbed her phone.
I stood frozen with Emily against my chest.
“Megan, I know you’re in there!”
“How?” I whispered.
Rachel was already dialing 911.
“Don’t answer him.”
He hit the door with his fist.
The frame shook.
Emily screamed.
Something changed inside me.
Fear turned into rage.
I walked toward the door.
Rachel grabbed my arm.
“What are you doing?”
“He doesn’t get to make her hear this.”
“You are not opening that door.”
“I’m not.”
I stood three feet away.
“Derek!”
Silence.
Then softer.
“Megan.”
“Back away from the door.”
“I just want to see my daughter.”
“You had a chance to see your daughter.”
“Oh, come on.”
I laughed once.
Even now.
Even here.
He still thought he could make me feel unreasonable.
“You left me in labor.”
“You walked out.”
“You gave me fifteen dollars.”
“I had no idea you were that far along.”
“I told you contractions were five minutes apart.”
“I thought you were exaggerating.”
Of course.
The sentence that explained our marriage.
I thought you were exaggerating.
Every pain.
Every fear.
Every need.
“Go away.”
“No.”
“Police are coming.”
“I don’t care.”
His voice changed.
That old edge.
“You have my child.”
“Our child.”
“You had no right to take her across state lines.”
“I gave birth where I could safely get to a hospital.”
“You ran away with Rachel.”
“Yes.”
“You stole documents from my house.”
“My documents.”
“You took money.”
“My money.”
“You took my car.”
Rachel whispered, “Tell him about the deed.”
I shook my head.
No.
Not yet.
Derek slammed his palm against the door.
“Stop playing games!”
Emily cried harder.
I rocked her.
“Listen to your daughter.”
Silence.
For half a second, I hoped hearing her would reach him.
Then he said, “Let me in.”
“No.”
“I am her father.”
“Then act like one.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means stop screaming outside the house where your newborn baby is sleeping.”
His voice went low.
“You always do this.”
“Do what?”
“Make me the monster.”
I almost admired the speed of it.
He had driven across two states.
Tracked me down.
Pounded on a door.
Terrified a woman who had given birth less than forty-eight hours ago.
And somehow he was still the victim.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Derek heard them.
“Megan.”
“Leave.”
“This isn’t over.”
“I know.”
“You think Rachel can protect you?”
The words chilled me.
“What does that mean?”
He didn’t answer.
I moved toward the window.
Rachel pulled me back.
The SUV peeled away before police turned onto the road.
The officer who arrived took a statement.
Rachel gave him the plate number.
It matched a rental car.
Derek had rented it in Columbus that morning.
Meaning the SUV we had seen the day before wasn’t him.
Someone else had been watching us.
After the police left, Rachel checked the outside trash cans.
Then the porch.
Then the yard.
Near the gravel drive, she found a small black plastic device attached beneath the rear bumper of her Honda.
A magnetic GPS tracker.
We stared at it.
Derek hadn’t found us through insurance.
He had been following Rachel’s car before I ever left Columbus.
May you like
Which meant my husband had known for some time that I was planning to run.
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