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Chapter Eleven

Swayze

The world around me goes black, and I can’t feel my body. I’m not sure how long I’m out before I come to. My hands are free of their restraints, and I’m curled up against a hard chest. There are those soft caresses. Those gentle touches. I usually try to avoid those because I don’t want to connect. That would give them the power to break me, and I won’t allow anyone to break me again. But this? This is nice. My scalp tingles from someone playing with my hair. I don’t want to open my eyes because I know if I do, this dream will end, and I never want it to.

He’s mine. My daddy. This is where I want to be. Where I’m meant to be.

I’m being held. I can’t remember the last time I was cradled like this. Daddy’s strong arms are around me. I snuggle my face into his chest, inhaling his natural masculine scent.

“Swayze,” he whispers, “Zair-bear.”

“Hmmm.” Don’t wake me from this dream, I don’t want to move from this position. I’m light as a feather with no cares about the outside world. I don’t want this to end.

“Zair-bear, we have to go home.” His lips move against my hair, inhaling my scent as deeply as I am his. We are carving it into our memories, pocketing it away for safekeeping.

“Home?” I question, because the home he’s talking of isn’t my home. I don’t claim that place. This right here in his arms is where I consider home. It’s safe, warm, and filled with love.

“Yeah. We gotta get back.” He moves to put me on the seat beside him, but I wrap my arms around his neck.

“I don’t want to go back there, Daddy. That’s not my home.” I point to his chest. “This is. Can’t we run away? We don’t need to go back to her. Mom doesn’t care about us.”

His eyes search my face as if he’s considering my words. “I just have a few things to take care of. We won’t have to stay long. Just one more night, okay?”

A warmth spreads through my chest at his words. He’s saying we are going back, but it’s not going to be forever. Then we can go and live out our fantasies together. We will be happy. No more pain.

“Yeah, that sounds good to me.” I hug him tightly around the neck, and his arms wrap around my waist, squeezing me back .

Then, we eventually let go of each other, returning to reality.

We take our places, him in the driver’s seat and me in the passenger. We drive through the familiar back roads that have shaped my life, but things look different now. The outlook is more hopeful. When we get to the trailer, I place my hand over his on the steering wheel. He turns his hand over to intertwine his fingers with mine, giving me a reassuring squeeze before letting me go and placing the station wagon in park.

“Things are going to change around here,” he whispers, cutting the engine.