Emily avoided the eyes of the customers as she made her way back behind the counter, sending small smiles to Derek and Spencer as Aaron sat back between them. "I'm really sorry for everything, especially since it's one of your first days in town. Have you figured out what you wanted?"

Derek shook his head as he looked her over, seeing no signs of bruises, while Spencer fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. "Emily, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Miss Prentiss, that man was awful hard on you. Are you sure you're alri-"

"I said I'm fine, Derek." She let her eyes soften as she quickly shook her head, running her fingers through her waved hair. "I promise you don't have to go all ape on him, alright? Thank you though. You guys are very thoughtful."

"Ape?"

Emily smiled at Spencer before patting his cheek. "I meant ape shit, but I didn't wanna curse. But now I have."

Spencer blushed as he quickly picked up his coffee mug. "I'm sorry Miss Emily."

Emily bit her lip as she smirked, shaking her head as she laid his breakfast down in front of him. "No need to call me Miss Emily, honey. But, have you seen my daughter?" She looked over his shoulder, and felt the eyes of a suspicious Aaron on her. "I didn't see her when she came back in."

Derek nodded as he ran his hand over his bald head. "I think she went into the bathroom."

She shook her head slowly, looking down at her shoes before pointing behind her. "I'll be right back, ok? Just give your orders to Steven and he'll get it ready for you." She ran out from behind the counter and made her way to the bathrooms, feeling the eyes of all three men on her as she walked through the door. She let her eyes wander the room before letting her head peek under the stalls. "Amy? Sweetie, are you in here?"

When she was rewarded with a sniffle, she immediately ran to the last stall and opened the door, letting her eyes water at the sight of her crying daughter sitting on the seat. "Oh, sweetie…"

Amelia looked up and wiped her eyes before quickly standing, and marching past her mother. "You should be working, ma."

Emily shook her head as she followed the brunette girl over to the sinks, and watched as she washed her hands, seeing them both in the reflection of the huge mirror that lay above the counter. "Sweetheart I am so sorry that me and daddy made you cry."

Amelia sniffled as she wiped her hand under her nose, letting a tear fall and mix in with the water in the sink. "You didn't make me cry. Dad did."

Emily bit her lip as she looked at her teary eyed girl in the mirror. "Amelia, I am so sorry that you have to deal with all of this. No one as young and beautiful as you should have to go through this, any of this. And please, you have to forgive me for bringing you into thi-"

"It's not your fault!"

Amelia whipped around after turning off the faucet and looked at her mother dead in the eye. "Stop saying stuff like that! It's not your fault, it's not my fault. It's no one's fault but his, ok? And what the hell do you mean by 'so young and beautiful as you'?" She watched as her mother's eyes began to water as she stared back at her. "I feel disgusting because of this! I don't feel at all beautiful, and don't fucking tell me that I am. Last night when you were asleep on the couch because he threw a bottle at your head, he came into my room. That was the fourth time in my whole life that he's done something so filthy to me, and it made me feel like shit! So don't you tell me I'm beautiful when he makes me feel so grimy and disgusting."

Emily's mouth hung ajar as tears cascaded down her pale cheeks. "Ameli-"

"What?"

"Why haven't you ever told me that he's done something like that?"

"Because if I told you, he'd come after you! And he already does that enough. I know it! The kitchen staff knows it. Fuck, the whole town knows it! And you wanna know why, mama? Because he goes off braggin' to everyone around here, like he's the coolest thing around. Well lemme' tell you that he most definitely is not. He's a pig, and I hate that he touches you and makes you feel so worthless. It's revolting and the reason we're thinking of leaving in the first place!"

Emily let out a sob as she brought her raging daughter into her arms, feeling the tension immediately relieve her body. She ran her fingers through her daughter's ponytail as she let her cry into her shoulder, and as she silently cried into her hair. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry. Just let me say that, because you cannot believe how much I know that feeling of stupidity and dirtiness. But now you let me tell you something, ok? I believe in the right moment, at the right time, I'm gonna get us out of here."

A knock at the door broke them apart, and Amelia immediately opened it and gave a small smile as she wiped her cheeks. "Hello sir."

Emily wiped her face before running her hand down her daughter's back. "Sweetie, go back to work, ok? I'm going to talk with him for a minute."

"Ok."

Once Amelia was out of sight, the man quickly entered before closing the door behind him. "Emily?"

Emily shook her head as she folded her arms in front of her breasts. "I just met you sir, and this is already getting way too personal. It's a little weird, so I'm not explaining this to you."

"Why did you call me sir?"

"I don't know. Why did your awkward little partner call me Miss Emily like I was some school teacher?"

He nodded his head slowly before shoving his hands into his pockets. "I just wanted to know if you were alright, Emily."

Emily nodded slowly before running her fingers through a lock of her hair. "I'm fine, now lets get back outside so you can eat and then do whatever you do."

"Bu-"

"Don't make me throw you out of my diner, Aaron."

Aaron sighed before opening the door, and holding out a hand in front of her. "Lead the way."