Kim and Maddi needed time alone to be together. They had been apart for more than six months and that was a really long time especially for someone as young as Maddi. I went outside to where Angela stood with a man who I guessed was her boyfriend.

"Jack this is Austin Bailee" Angela said.

"Nice to meet you" I said as we shook hands "Angela thank you for allowing Kim to see Maddi, by the looks of it you have made them both really happy"

Angela smiled properly for the first time since I have met her. "It is nice seeing them both together laughing and smiling how it used to be"

I put my hand on the glass looking in on Kim's room. "How do I tell her that he's watching all of us? By what my uncle said he's planning something big"

Austin put his hand on my shoulder "You'll figure it out"

I hope so. I said to myself as I watched Kim plaiting Maddi's hair. They were both laughing and smiling. At least Maddi was distracting Kim from thinking about the babies right now.

Angela and Austin led me to the café across the road from the hospital. I was looking forward to taste something that does not taste like dishwater.

"Has Kim thought about what she is going to do when she is released from the hospital?" Angela asked as we sat down at a table next to the window.

I took a sip of my coffee "That's more like it erm no sorry we haven't actually spoken about it – we've only spoke about the babies and before you ask she is going to keep the babies"

I played with the leather bracelet that Kim had bought me.

"So you've not spoken about where she is going to live?" Austin asked.

I shook my head. I was worrying about that myself but I thought that it might remind Kim of everything that has happened with him and I didn't want to give her any more nightmares of it. "I didn't want to remind her"

Angela smiled weakly "No-one knows about my nightmares about him, I've not even told you Austin"

He kissed her cheek "You don't have to"

She shook her head "You both need to know what we are up against and I'll tell you how I got away with Maddi"

Angela

I woke up the smell of stale booze surrounded me. He must have knocked over another couple of bottles last night. The smell made me feel sick. He rolled over and breathed on my face.

My face ached as I rubbed my eyes. Then I remembered the night before and what he did. For many years before Maddi was born he had hit me for getting something wrong, or all least something that didn't meet his satisfaction. But that night something in him just changed and he attacked me for no reason. He punched me and kicked me, pulled my hair and held a knife to my throat. And I thought that was bad. He slammed his beer bottle on the edge of the kitchen table and before I could defend myself he used it to scar my cheek just under my eye.

I don't know how I slept after that, there was so much blood and it didn't stop. It soaked through all the bandages and towels that I held to it to stop the bleeding. I was so tired and it was the last straw.

I crept out of bed and I went into the bathroom. I covered up the mirror first. I wasn't sure if I was ready to see the fresh marks on my cheek. I didn't have much time to cover it up though, in less than an hour I had the school run to do and I am not sure if I could possibly disguise the scar on my face, the reminder that would always be there to remind me what he is capable of if I was to step out of line again. I couldn't let this happen to my girls, my sweet innocent girls.

It took me longer to put on my make-up as it sung like hell as I gently applied some cover up and then some foundation to try disguise it. But there was no way to hide how scared I felt.

Eventually I managed to cover up the mark and I put my brush down. I reached into my make-up bag and took out the secret mobile I has stashed in there. I dialled the one person who I knew I could trust. I let Austin know that I was leaving Lucas and I then I went to get ready. I grabbed a couple of outfits and wrestled them into my handbag.

I woke the girls up and I made breakfast. After that we got on our shoes when Lucas tried to come down the stairs, he stumbled and fell and knocked himself out. The perfect opportunity to leave the house and I took it.

First I dropped Kim off at the mall where she was going to meet you and the guys and then I drove on to Maddi's school. I could have ran and I should have but Kim would never have forgiven me if we went anywhere and she didn't tell you. Besides I didn't tell them what was going on I didn't know for myself. I decided to give them half an hour with their friends and then we would go. And we wouldn't come back until I was sure that he wouldn't be here.

I didn't want the girls to live their life in pain or agony or paranoid about shadows like I am because of him. I didn't want him to steal the lives of my beautiful innocent girls and he wasn't going to get the chance. I am going to protect my girls if its the last thing that I do.

I dashed into Maddi's school and pulled her out of class. Of course she was confused and kept asking me where are we going? But when we got out of the school there he was waiting leaning against my car.

We had an argument in the street. He wanted Maddi and I wouldn't let him take her, she didn't want to go with him because he was so angry. She was shaking and trembling clutching to my leg like she used when she was three. He tried to get her but I hit him with a brick I found at the side of the road and we got into my car.

I fumbled about to get the key into the ignition and Maddi was screaming. Lucas had pulled himself up and was trying to break into the car.

I drove us away as fast as I could. We were both crying and we both wanted Kim with us but I had to sacrifice her to save Maddi from him. I had no other choice.

"And that is why I left and how I left" I said, tears rolling down my cheeks "I had no choice I had to leave Kim behind and its been the worst decision I have ever made apart from leaving Austin for Lucas"