Page 81 of The Breakdown

“Natalie, no.”

“’Fraid so.” She handed June the bowl of veggies and June put a pot on to boil, inserting a collapsable vegetable steamer into the pot. She poured the veggies in and put the lid on.

“But I met a really nice woman. A social worker, and she honestly saved my life. She got me into a rehab and I got cleaned up. But…that’s where I met Allen. My ex-husband.”

June opened the oven and checked the rolls. They weren’t quite done. The pork chops, however, smelled delicious.

“Tell me about him,” she said as she closed the oven door.

“There isn’t much to say. He totally swept me off my feet, June. He was handsome and successful business-wise, and he seemed to really love me. Said he wanted to give me the life I’d always deserved, full of love and acceptance and security. But it was all a farce. He wasn’t real. That person wasn’t real. The real Allen, as I soon found out, is…your worst nightmare.”

“It took me a while, but I finally managed to leave him. I had to give up everything though. Friends, finances, you name it. I was on my own once again. I slowly rebuilt a small existence, but he wouldn’t let me go. He’s never going to let me go.”

She sat at the table and stared off into space again. June came and sat next to her. She tilted her chin toward her.

“You listen here. You will have a life again. And he will leave you alone. You just have to keep fighting.”

Natalie’s gaze shifted over to hers. “I don’t know if I can, June. I feel so defeated. So unimportant in this world.”

“That’s your past haunting you. You’ve got to tell it to get lost, that you’ve already lived through it and you’ve moved on.”

“How?”

“By doing what you just did. By talking about it and facing it. By exposing it to the sunshine, instead of letting it grow and fester in the dark.”

Natalie wiped away a stray tear. “You really think that’ll work?”

“I know it will.”

The door opened and Vaughn came back in, removing her hat. She took one look at Natalie and June and asked, “Am I interrupting?”

“No.” Natalie said. “Not at all.” She smiled and wiped her eyes again.

“We’re just finishing up supper,” June said. “So have a seat.”

Vaughn hung her hat on the back of the chair and sat, keeping her eyes on Natalie. June stood to check on the rolls again and when she glanced back at the table, she saw Vaughn and Natalie holding hands.

Chapter Thirty-five

Vaughn sat on the end of her bed, putting on her cotton pajama pants and soft Wrangler T-shirt. When she was dressed, she stood at her dresser and combed her wet hair. Her day had been long, beginning at five and going well past six. She was so exhausted that she could hardly keep her head up at dinner. Thankfully, June had poured her a glass of iced tea and the caffeine in it had seemed to help. But now it was nearing nine o’clock and exhaustion was plaguing her once again. She set down her comb and examined the dark marks beneath her eyes. She looked as tired as she felt. If not more so.

She headed for the door and winced, her back tightening in pain once again. When was it going to let up?

She reached the living room and sat to slip on her sneakers. June was sitting at the desk working at the computer, her wild mane piled into a loose bun.

“Going somewhere?” she asked, peering at her over her reading glasses.

“I’m going to go check on Midnight.”

“You just did that before supper.”

“I need to do it again. He’s anxious.”

“You’re not going to start sleeping out there with the horses again, are you?”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Vaughn, I was kidding.”

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