AllFreeNovel
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She’s spent her life looking over her shoulder and being afraid, not knowing when she’ll ever have the chance to be “normal” and live without fear.
It’s been one thing after another since the day she was put in foster care and placed with parents who had no business having children in their homes. Even when she aged out and married Sebastian, her nightmare never ended.
My heart breaks every time I catch her staring off with a sad look on her face or playing with her fingers, like she does whenever she gets nervous. She thinks I don’t notice, but I do.
I notice everything about her. Iknoweverything about her.
She puts on a brave face for me and everyone else, but underneath her mask is a scared little girl who was forced to grow up so fast and has never truly been protected. She hates being a victim, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being one.
She’s a warrior. A fucking queen for living through all she has, but she’s also a victim. I wish I could take away her fear and promise her that everything will be okay, and that one day she’ll have to stop looking over her shoulder.
I don’t know when or if that day will ever happen, but I sure as fuck hope that, for her sake, it does.
I hope that one day she’ll be able to heal and live as normal of a life as she can.
It’s what I want for her. She deserves it.
“Ace?” Lee’s voice cuts through my thoughts. Blinking, I turn my head and glance at her.
“Hm?”
“You okay?” she asks, rubbing my hand that’s holding the steering wheel.
“Yeah, I’m fine. What did you say?”
“I asked if we could stop at the upcoming exit,” she asks, pointing toward the sign showing the exit coming up.
Nodding, I switch lanes, getting closer to the right so I can take the next exit.
Perfect timing, too, because we have fifty miles remaining with the gas we currently have.
Parking at an empty gas pump, I turn toward Lee. “Get me water and a snack, please?” She agrees with a smile, and we get out at the same time.
While I begin pumping the gas, she wakes Rachel and Olivia, and the three of them go inside the small convenience store to load up on snacks.
We still have hours to go until we’re back in the city and at the safe house. When Lee told me she wanted to move Rachel and Olivia, I immediately checked the house to ensure it would be safe for them.
It’s temporary until we find somewhere else to move them to for a more extended period of time, but for now, it’ll have to do.
“They didn’t have ranch corn nuts, so I got you regular,” Lee says, holding up the white shipping bag as she walks toward me, a carefree smile lighting up her beautiful face. “I also got you FIJI Water and a Vitamin water.”
“Do you know it’s not healthy just because it saysvitamin? It’s still loaded with sugar.” I chuckle, removing the gas nozzle from the car and hanging it back up once the vehicle is full.
She rolls her eyes and leans against the car. “I thought you might like something besides water. You’re such a health freak.” I’m not a health freak. I just watch what goes into my body and workout. I don’t enjoy fueling myself with junk.
Well, that’s not entirely true, considering I always have a craving for ranch corn nuts. They’re my guilty pleasure and one of the few indulgences I allow myself to have.
I can count on one hand the things I allow myself to give in to.
Ranch corn nuts.
Vanilla ice cream.
And Lee.
She is the main indulgence that has my sweet tooth aching whenever she’s near, and she’s the one thing I haven’t yet enjoyed.
One day, when the time is right, I’ll taste her sweetness. I’m positive she’ll taste just like my favorite flavor.
