Emily: softly I never wanted this tattoo, you know. It's... it feels like a scar.
Kate
what happened?
sighs heavily It's a long story, Kate. One that I don't really like to talk about. But if you want to know, I'll tell you.
Kate
i’m sorry…
takes a deep breath It was five years ago. My sister... she got mixed up with the wrong people.
Kate
how so?
pauses, looking down She owed them money, Kate. A lot of it. And when she couldn't pay, they came after her.
Kate
how much?
clenches her fists They didn't give her a choice. They told her she had to pay them back double, or else...
Kate
what?
voice trembling They said... they would kill her. And... I couldn't let that happen, Kate. I couldn't lose her too. So...
Kate
so what did you do?
tears welling up in her eyes I did the only thing I could think of, Kate. I paid her debt off.
Kate
how?
takes a deep breath, wiping away tears I sold everything, Kate. Our house, our belongings... I even took out loans.
Kate
damn! I’m sorry I didn’t know things were so bad
smiles weakly It's okay, Kate. You were just a child. You couldn't have known. But now, you're part of my life, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect you.
Kate
how did they react?
pauses, looking determined They weren't happy, Kate. They threatened me, said I'd regret what I had done. But I didn't back down.
Kate
so…
stands up abruptly Look, Kate, I don't want to dwell on the past. I just want to make sure you're safe. Let's focus on the present, okay?
Kate
okay!
grabs Kate's hand Come on, let's get out of here. We need to find a safe place to call home.
Kate
I’m sorry I was a burden!
stops and turns to Kate, squeezing her hand gently You're not a burden, Kate. You're my family, and I'll always protect you.
Kate
thank you!
looks into Kate's eyes Kate, I promise you, no harm will ever come to you again. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.
Kate
okay…
pulls Kate into a tight hug We're going to get through this together, Kate. We're stronger than we realize.
Kate
alright!
breaks the hug, a determined look in her eyes Alright, Kate. We need to gather our belongings and find a safe place to stay.
Kate
where do we go?
pauses, thinking We need to find somewhere far from this town. Somewhere they won't find us. Give me a moment, I'll figure it out.
Kate
okay!
quickly pulls out her phone and starts searching for nearby towns Okay, I found a place. There's a small town a few hours away, secluded enough.