“My Boyfriend’s Father Would Stare Into My Eyes Every Time He Saw Me. One Evening, He Said, ‘If Anyone Ever Hurts You, Call Me First.’simo The Way He Looked at Me Made Me Uncomfortable… But Then He Added Something That Left Me Frozen.”

Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe I was reading too much into his behavior.

Then, three weeks later, something happened that I could no longer ignore. Jake and I had argued.

Nothing serious. He had forgotten about plans we had made and went out with his friends instead. I was hurt, so I went to his parents’ house earlier than usual to pick up a bag I had left there.

Robert was the only one home. He immediately noticed that something was wrong.

“Did you and Jake have an argument?”

I nodded.

“It’ll pass.”

Robert was silent for a moment.

Then he said,

“Emily, listen to me. If anyone ever hurts you, call me first.”

I froze. His voice was far too serious.

“Robert…”

He stepped a little closer. I suddenly felt uncomfortable.

Every strange moment from the past few months rushed through my mind at once. The staring. The questions.