Pulled Over

I went straight to my apartment.

It was small—just one tiny room divided into a kitchen, a cramped bathroom, a bedroom, and a barely-there sitting area. The walls were dull, the furniture mismatched, but it was home.

I prepared Leon’s soup first, making sure it was just the right temperature before heading out to Tracy’s place to get him.

When she opened the door, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Ariella? I thought you wouldn’t be back until later tonight. Doesn’t your shift end at eight? What are you doing here?”

I forced a small smile. “Yeah… I just felt bad leaving Leon by himself.”

Tracy scoffed playfully. “He was with me, silly.”

“Yeah, I know. But he’s sick… and I just felt bad, so I asked to come back and take care of him.”

She shrugged. “Okay, that’s fine.”

Tracy and I were neighbours, but like most people in the city, we had separate lives. We were always working, always chasing money, always trying to survive. I was lucky she helped me watch Leon when she could—especially since she worked from home most of the time.

I handed her some money, but she hesitated. “Ariella, you don’t have to—”

“Just take it.”

Something in my face must have made her stop arguing because she sighed and accepted it. But I could feel her watching me, studying me, like she knew something was off.

She called out, “Leon’s asleep, though.”

My heart clenched.

“I gave him his medicine,” she continued, her voice softer. “His fever’s gone down a little. I tried to get him to drink the soup, but he was too tired. He’s sleeping now, and I don’t think we should wake him.”

I swallowed, nodding. “Okay.”

“I’ll bring him over when he wakes up.”

“Thanks.”

I turned and walked back to my apartment, my mind spinning.

When I stepped inside, I just stood there.

Frozen. I didn’t know what to do.

I remembered Asher’s words. 'You have two hours to pack before someone comes for you.'

But that was before he knew about Leon. That was before I told him I had a son.

Does that change anything? Is he still coming? Is he not coming?

Should I pack? Should I not? I was fucked.

I clenched my fists.

This was a fact: I had no idea what came next.

The hours passed. Two hours. Then three. Then four. Five...

Nobody came.

My heart raced as I heard the familiar knock. I almost didn’t want to answer it—too much anticipation. Too much dread. But when I opened the door, relief washed over me.

It was Tracy, holding Leon in her arms.

I took him from her with a sigh of gratitude. “Thanks, Tracy.”

She smiled, “It’s not a problem. Leon is always a sweet boy. He never bothers me. He’ll just do his homework or play on his own, while I’ll be working on my computer. If he needs something, he just asks. So, he’s really good company.”

“Yeah, still… thanks.”

I nodded, ready to close the door behind me, but she hesitated.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I tried to muster a smile. “I’m fine.”

She smiled back and left.

I closed the door and turned to Leon. He was still a bit out of it, but his fever had finally gone down, and that brought some peace to my chest.

I gently put him down on the bed, my hand brushing his forehead to check his temperature. His skin felt cooler now, a relief. But he was still hazy, murmuring softly to himself, not really seeing me.

“Would you like some water?” I asked.

He nodded weakly.

I helped him sip a little water, then fed him some fruits, even though he barely had the energy to chew. But he was a trooper. Once he finished, he fell back into a restful sleep, and I stayed there, by his side, lost in my thoughts.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty.

The day passed and nobody knocked.

The next day, I waited. Still nothing.

By the third day, the thought came to me.

Run.

It seemed crazy. I shouldn’t.

He told me not to, but he had also warned me there would be someone at my door in two hours, but nothing had happened. No one came.

Leon was feeling better. In fact, he went back to school today. I didn’t have to go to work. The apartment was quiet, and I found myself staring at the door, wondering what was really stopping me from leaving.

Why not?

Why not pack a few things—just enough to make it look like I was still here, just enough to not raise any suspicion—and leave before they could come for me?

I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the only chance I’d ever get.

I couldn't just sit here like a duck, waiting for when Asher would decide to grace me with his presence again, or when he would come and humiliate me, just like he had done the last time.

I had been living as an independent woman for five years, taking care of my son, even when I was pregnant, and I survived. I wasn’t about to let Asher Romano bring me down again.

I packed a few things, and took the cash Damien had given me—it would help, but not enough to take us somewhere else. My first stop was the restaurant. Luckily, Damien was there. When I walked into his office, he looked up, his eyes softening when he saw me.

"Ariella..." He paused, as if unsure of what to say. He could see the distress on my face. "Are you okay? How are you doing?"

I nodded, though I wasn't sure myself. "I need your help, Damien," I said cutting to the chase.

He frowned, taking a few steps toward me.

"What happened? What's going on?"

I hesitated, but the need for his help overpowered my fear. "I need money. I’m going to the hospital... I have to take care of things, and I don’t have enough for what I need."

Damien didn't hesitate for a second. His expression tightened with guilt as if he already knew what was wrong.

"Of course," he said, pulling out his wallet. "Take whatever you need. I don't want to see you struggling, especially after what happened. You’ve been through enough."

I watched as he handed me the money. It was more than I had expected, and I knew it was his way of trying to make up for what had happened, even if he couldn't fix everything. I felt guilty for lying to him, but it was necessary.

"Thank you," I said, my voice a little shakier than I wanted.

He gave me a soft, almost regretful smile. "Just take care of yourself, okay? And if you need anything else—anything at all—don’t hesitate to ask."

I nodded, unable to speak for a moment. Then, I turned and left the restaurant. This was necessary, I had to do it for myself, and Leon.

The last stop was to pick up Leon from his kindergarten, so we could leave the city. I rented a car, and after that, I went to the daycare to get him. I told them he had a doctor's appointment, and they didn't ask any questions.

With Leon in tow, I put him in his car seat, adjusted his hood, and we began our journey away from the only place Leon had ever known.

I drove steadily, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. Within half an hour, Leon was already asleep, his small body curled up in his seat. The drive gave me a brief moment of peace as I focused on the road.

An hour later, the city faded into the distance. I looked back in my mirror and watched as the skyline grew smaller. I couldn’t shake the knot of anxiety in my stomach, but there was no turning back now.

Just then, a sudden flash of lights startled me, followed by the blaring siren of a police cruiser. It came out of nowhere, having been miles away from me just moments ago. My heart skipped a beat as the car signalled for me to pull over.

Panic began to rise in my chest. What was happening? Did I do something wrong?

I pulled the car over to the side of the road, my hands trembling as I came to a stop. The police cruiser slowed to a halt behind me, and I saw the officer step out of the car, his cap low on his head, obscuring most of his face. He began walking toward me, and I couldn’t help but feel a jolt of fear rush through me.

"Okay, calm down," I whispered to myself. "It’s just a routine stop. Maybe I was speeding or something. Just a ticket, that’s all."

But the nervousness didn’t go away.