Reaching out toward the curtains Hayley drew them aside. The morning light flooded through the window, revealing the towns people going to and from stores that lined up and down Summit Avenue. It still felt surreal that it had only been a year since she moved to Bellmond, a small town just outside of Nashville Tennessee. It wasn’t as if she had a say in the matter when she was relocated and forced to leave behind her friends and family without any explanation of what was going on. But her witness protection agent, Michael, advised her that this was the safest option for everyone, and Hayley couldn’t argue with that.

She was currently working at Miss. Daisy’s Bookstore, and was given the responsibility to manage the store in place of her boss since she called in sick early this morning. Hayley didn’t particularly mind, in fact she quite liked the thought of her boss placing so much trust in her. However, slow days like today were hard to keep from thinking about him. He had once been a man who’d cherished her; but over time the facade he had been putting on slowly faded away, in its place came a man she didn’t recognize. Issac had felt guilty the first time he laid his hands on her and even attempted to stop, but the anger that would consume him took over all reasoning. He soon came to realize taking it out on her was the best release. Though he was a thousand miles away from where she was he still had a hold on her. The physical and mental scars left by him were something she’d live with for the rest of her life⎼forever tormenting her. She’d often catch herself feeling like Issac was hiding somewhere in the shadows watching her every move, waiting for the right moment to pounce on her and drag her back into the darkness she’d tried so hard to escape from. Entering the witness protection program was her only hope of starting a life that didn’t involve him. Hayley just prayed the police would find him before he found her, because she knew once he got a hold of her again his revenge would be the end of her.

The ringing of the bell that hung above the bookstore’s door pulled Hayley from her troubling thoughts, and alerted her that someone entered the store.

Plastering a smile on her face she looked up from the front counter to greet her first customer of the day, “Welcome to Miss. Daisy’s Book-'' Hayley’s smile slipped away as fear consumed every cell of her body at the sight before her.

Her heart felt as if it might explode as it thumped hard against her chest, her body and mind begged her to run away as fast as she could; but the piercing blue eyes that stared back at her froze her where she stood.

“Hello Hayley, it's been awhile,” the deep voice she’d once fallen in love with now sent chills down her spine and had nausea creeping in her throat. How’d he find her?

***

There was something so satisfying about Hayley when Issac first met her. She was never able to stand it when he got mad at her and would always be the one to cave in first. She was a sweet and gentle girl, not much for conflict, which was why it was so easy for him to control her. There were times where she had thought she could change him; but her attempts would always fail, making the acid in his veins run deeper. Issac always felt a strange sense of contemptment when he heard desperation in her tone and saw that she was on the brink of tears when things got heated between them. Hayley wasn’t an observant girl, she didn’t know that the reason her family hated him was because they could see what he was doing to her⎼how he would twist her heart until she reverted back to doing his every whim. Issac knew he shouldn’t like it but he did. He loved it. Hayley was his, not theirs. He just needed her to hang in there a little longer so they could leave her family, he was getting tired of their meddling. But she didn’t hang on. No, instead she ran, and he didn’t like that.

He came to the conclusion that her love for him had turned into hate somewhere along the way. He thought he’d chipped away all of her emotional layers of protection, but she must’ve rebuilt those walls without his knowledge. Just the thought of her betrayal made his blood boil, he wanted to lash out at her. To enjoy the sting on his knuckles, and watch in satisfaction as she crumpled to the floor. He missed the Hayley that had loved him, and sacrificed herself for him. Give him the things he needed at the expense of herself. Maybe he didn’t make it clear enough to Hayley that she was his property; he could do whatever he wanted because she was weak and he was strong, that was how life worked.

Issac had found her a few months after she’d left, since then he’d been keeping a close eye on her, waiting for the perfect time to surprise her. Today was the day. There was no one in the shop but her, which was perfect since they needed to have a serious talk about her poor behavior lately. The itchy feeling to remind her that her place was at his side got stronger with each step he took towards the bookstore. Opening the door, his eyes immediately found her.

“Welcome to Miss. Daisy’s Book-'' Issac couldn’t stop the sly grin that slipped over his lips at the small gasp she made when their eyes met.

He could tell she missed him. He was pleased with himself when her skin paled and the hazel eyes he loved so much grew wide with fear.

Issac had waited for this moment for a long time and couldn’t wait to hear her explanation for leaving, “Hello Hayley, it’s been awhile.”