“It’s a good thing you’re ok Jamie, Sam has too much energy.  He wore me out today.  And I need to get home.  I’ll be by to pick him up tomorrow.” She glanced at Ted and Jamie curiously.

Ted gave Sam a smile, and studied the kid.  Sam looked nothing like Luke.  He’s got his mother’s features he decided.  And he was going to do his best to not resent the kid for what he reminded him of, and Ted decided that he would do his best to put the past behind him.

“I’m going to get going.” Liz and Ted both said at the same time.

          Ted started to walk out.

As he passed by Liz, he smiled at her, and stuck out his hand.  “I’m Ted, Jamie’s fire chief, and you are?”

“Liz, best friend of Jamie and babysitter.  But mostly babysitter.”  She laughed warmly as she shook his hand. 

            Later that night as Jamie tried to sleep she tossed and turned.  She couldn’t get Ted’s kiss out of her mind, yet the things she couldn’t tell him about Luke ate at her.  How would he react?  What would he think of her?  Would he even believe her after all these years?

She had a nightmare about Luke beating her again and again.  He wouldn’t stop even as she screamed for him to stop.  And the blood spilling down her legs into a pool on the floor soaked through the bottom of her nightgown.  She remembered the pain in her abdomen and waking up in the hospital bed. 

            Luke was her childhood friend but she never knew the darker side of Luke until it was exposed before her.  By then it was too late.  He had a temper, thought the world owed him and never hesitated to take it out on her.  Luke had always been jealous of Ted and her apparently.  On one stormy night he decided it was time to get what he wanted.  That one night changed her life forever.

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