Page 73 of Dare You to Run

“And?”

I twist my face and squint. “He got arrested.”

“What the fuck, Dagen?” My head blows back like she punched me.

Mom very rarely curses and this is a big one. Especially with Sloane and AJ just down the hall. Loud stomps can be heard climbing the stairs and I just know the fight with Dad is going to hit a peak.

“Sunshine? Are you okay?” he asks, walking over to her and placing his hand around her waist.

“I’m fine, but why don’t you ask your daughter about the news she just shared with me.” Dad looks at me and I shake my head, my eyes large and panic stricken. “It seems her new boyfriend got arrested shortly after landing in Mississippi.”

“What the fuck, Dagen?”

“Jesus. Do you guys know any other words? There is more than one curse word in the English language.”

“Yeah, but it’s the only one that fits this situation.” Dad’s chest rises and falls and he shakes his head slowly. “I knew that boy was bad news. I could just tell.”

“Oh whatever, Dad. You were practically kissing his feet just hours ago.” I jump up from my bed and stand in front of the two of them.

“That was before I knew he violated my daughter and before he was arrested,” Dad yells back.

“What was he arrested for? You failed to give us that information.” Mom’s expression matches Dad’s and it hurts my heart to see it.

I don’t think I’ve ever disappointed her, but it’s obvious I’ve done more than disappoint.

“He and his brother got into a fight. I guess it was bad enough that people called the cops.”

“For Christ Sake.” Dad throws his hands up in the air and paces the hallway. “That’s it. You are never allowed to see him. Never, Dagen, and you will not defy me.” He points his finger at me with a hardened face and the tears burst free.

“You can’t tell me what to do. I’m twenty-one!”

“I just fucking did, so try me.” He huffs and I do the same.

Without another word, I scurry to where my bags lay in my small sitting area and start throwing them over my shoulders.

“What-what are you doing?” Mom asks, her voice distraught.

“I’m leaving. I was going to wait until tomorrow to go back to school, but I can’t spend another night under the same roof as him.” I look around for a pair of shoes and find my Berks at the foot of my bed.

I slide my feet in and snatch my phone from the bed as I pass by. I try to squeeze between the two of them but they refuse to move. Still defiant and still angry, I turn and walk over to my balcony doors.

“Where are you going?”

“If you won’t move, I’ll jump out of my window.” I glare at Dad and yank my french doors open.

“Stop it! Just stop this.” I freeze when I hear the emotion that laces my Mom’s words.

Looking over my shoulder I see her crying, tears pouring down her face. A moment later, AJ begins to cry, no doubt awakened by our screaming match. Mom stands there, staring at me, then spins and rushes to AJ’s room. Dad remains, a deepscowl on his face. With mom gone, I move to exit my room once more.

He grabs my arm as I try to move past him. “Don’t do this, baby bird. Please don’t run again.”

I close my eyes, gathering myself and letting the sob in my throat fade away, and tell him, “I’m not running. This is you pushing me.”

I pull my arm free and shove him, walking away from my parents for a second time in two weeks. Crushed, yet again, by their words. My heart is so tattered, I don’t know if there’s any left to see me through the tough roads ahead.

TWENTY-NINE

It tookme longer than the usual three hour drive back to school after storming out of my house last night. The tears that wouldn’t stop falling made it difficult to see, causing me to drive well beyond the speed limit. Plenty of people honked as they passed me, but I just couldn’t gather myself enough to care.