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“Partly,” I mumbled.
“And the guys.”
My eyes shot up to meet hers. “You were always quite perceptive.”
“I can tell them to leave you alone if you want?” She smiled, and I shook my head.
“No, I need to suck it up for Trixie. We are here for her, and she thrives on boy stuff,” I replied, causing her to raise her brows in agreement.
“How’s the new job? I couldn’t imagine living out here. It’s so cold; although, I wouldn’t mind seeing a real cowboy before we leave.” She giggled, and I couldn’t help the small grin from forming on my face.
“It keeps me busy, and honestly, it's beautiful here so I don’t mind it.”
“Don’t mind it? Or don’t mind the views?” She winked, and I shook my head.
“If you’re referring to cowboys, I have met a couple of lookers.” I couldn’t lie, even if there were no feelings between Cassidy and I, he was incredibly handsome. The entire Duke family seemed to be. One in particular sat above all the rest.
“Well, where are they?” She grinned mischievously.
“And what would Michael say if he heard you talking like this?” I clicked my tongue teasingly at her.
“The same thing! I think he wants to see one even more than I do!” She giggled again.
I felt the joy slip away once more. I remembered that feeling when I’d seen the first real cowboy driving through Montana. It was a fantasy that had become reality, and now here I was missing a cowboy that I’d grown quite fond of. One that I’d become so close to. A man who’d given me experiences of a lifetime and lived something out of fiction.
A life that I was slowly desiring. The love and passion his family held for each other reminded me of my childhood, of better times with my family that seemed to be crumbling apart. He was the one who’d given me a chance to live again, and now I was falling to pieces on my own as well.
“Tenley?” she said again, and I snapped out of the sorrow that was consuming me once more. “I’m really sorry about your dad.”
I glanced towards him to find his eyes on me, a pained expression of guilt and grief across his own features.
“Me too, Tori,” I whispered. “Me too.” For more than what she was implying.
Chapter 23
The night wore on, and everything was becoming too much. No matter how hard I pretended to block it out and ignore the four men that followed me around, I couldn’t take it. The sun had set about an hour ago, the party only becoming livelier as a DJ was here now, playing music while everyone danced.
The girls tried to shove me out onto the dance floor, my mom pushed me towards Tommy, but I’d fought them the entire way. I was standing on the edge of the dancing group, watching Trixie with a soft smile upon my face, feeling a small glimmer of happiness for her when my mom approached again.
“You need to forget him. There’s a reason the town whispers about how much of a monster he is,” she said in my ear, though it sounded halfhearted.
“They also whispered about how deformed he was, yet you know that to be untrue. You’ve met him,” I snapped back, and she crossed her arms, tightening the deep purple cardigan around her body.
“There’s some truth to every rumor, Tenley. I heard the same thing your father did, and I won’t lose you to that… to that savage,” she added with hesitancy, and my soul shattered. It wasn’t worth the argument anymore. It wasn’t worth the anger. No, I felt sorry for my mom, for she would never give him the chance to show her who he truly was.
That last sentence was all I could handle, and I took a shaky breath then turned around. Disappearing out of the room and into the hallway, I pressed my back against the wall.
Someday I’ll make it out of this. Someday I’ll be saved, but it seemed a million years away from this life I was becoming trapped in. My lip trembled as I closed my eyes, tears once again silently slipping down my cheeks. Luckily, the mascara that I’d applied earlier was waterproof, but I could feel it beginning to flake from my lashes.
I needed a place to hide from this pain, but no matter where I’d tried to escape to, I’d been unable to find a way out. Clutching my chest, I leaned forward and soundlessly screamed. Death wracked my soul as I crumbled forward. This was the end.
Rough fingers suddenly brushed against my cheek, swiping away the tears, and I shot my head up. Blinking away the blur in fright, I stared at the face before me.
Fright quickly became disbelief. This wasn’t possible, it wasn’t real.
I never thought I’d see that shade of blue again.
My heart raced in my chest as I stared at every line etched upon his face, searching for something that confirmed this wasn’t all in my head. But the more that I stared, the more real he became. My chin trembled as his other hand cupped my opposite cheek. The tears vanished from my skin by a single swipe of his thumb.
