Page 109 of Dare You to Run

“I’m not strong enough.”

“You are. You just have to get up and fight.”

My body breaks as does the wall I’ve been holding up with a thin wire. I feel my chest crack as my heart bleeds out. Tears fall and I shake, sobs overwhelming me.

Vaughan wraps his arm around my shoulders and lets me rest my head on him. I cry like I never have in my life. Not when I was dropped at the steps of an orphanage. Not even when I was passed over, time and time again by families and fosters.

I had finally found where I belong and I lost it all. I let it slip right through my fingers. And the man who should hate me is being the father I’ve needed in my life for so long.

“There’s still time to fix this, but you have to want it. You’re either all in or all the way out. What’s it going to be?”

I lift my head and wipe my face clean. Alcohol still swirls in my head, but there’s no doubt what I want. Nothing can dull the truth of how much I need Dagen to live.

“All in. I want to be all in.”

Vaughan pats my arm and smiles. “That’s what I was hoping to hear. Now,” he pushes to his feet and dusts his pants off. “Let’s get you looking and smelling better. You can’t beg my daughter to forgive you smelling like a brewery and looking like you slept on a park bench.”

“My car,” I correct.

“What was that?”

“I slept in my car. A park bench probably would’ve been better. I could have used the fresh air.”

“I wasn’t gonna say anything, but since you did.” He curls up his lip and waves a hand in front of his face. “Let’s go.”

Who would have thought that the person to save me would be the man I thought wanted to destroy me.

Vaughan took me back to the barn cottage and dumped my ass in the shower. I don’t know what he told Camille, but he came back with clean clothes, food and a jug of water. He wouldn’t let me leave without eating everything and drinking at least half of the water. I did so then made several trips to the bathroom to empty out all the food and water he practically forced down my throat.

I look at my reflection in the glass doors, noticing how damn much I look like the bad boy version of Vaughan. His creased Levi’s and crisp white t-shirt is only missing the brown boots and cowboy hat. Thank god for the tattoos.

The door slides open, scaring me half to death, and a little head pops out. I struggle to push away the tears that Vaughan somehow turned on.

“Hi Chicken,” AJ’s little voice calls.

“Hi Autumn Jade.”

She tilts her head to the side and studies me.

“Why you sad, Chicken?”

Fuck. Even a three year old can see how bad I am.

“I just miss Day.”

“She’s sick.”

“Yeah. I want to make her feel better. Do you think she’ll like these?” I hold up the large bouquet that was quite a feat to get.

I had to enlist the help of Vaughan who got Luca on the phone immediately. I don’t know how that rich bastard didit, but he had the most unbelievable bouquet of black roses delivered an hour later.

“Bwack fowers?” she asks, very unimpressed with the color.

“Yup. But look,” I hold them closer to her face and spread the petals of one open. “They’re red in the middle.”

Her eyes light up in wonder and she whispers, “Wow.”

“Can I come in, little lady?” She digs her teeth into her lip and nods.