Page 67 of Brage & Dinah

"Babe." He stepped in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Everything." Her pain turned to anguish. "I need to go to Idaho."

"Why?"

"Because I don't have anything here." She clenched her teeth together and growled. "I've been wearing the same six outfits over and over. My mail slot is probably full back at the apartment. I can't even remember the last time I put gas in my Jeep—God, my Jeep. I love my Jeep. It was the first thing I ever bought myself, and it was used, but it was mine. Now, everything that's mine is gone. Just gone."

"Dinah, you can—"

"Don't tell me what I can do or can't do." She glared at him and finally muffled her scream of frustration, pushing past him and walking out of the room.

He followed her out the door and watched her hurry down the stairs. Perplexed about what was behind her tirade, he jogged after her.

She made it outside before him. In the alley, he looked around and caught the door of her Jeep slamming shut.

Elling stepped into his view. "Marcus picked up the cases of oil this morning."

"Mhm." He gazed across the alley.

"Do you want me to have someone change yours out?"

"Nobody touches my motorcycle." He inhaled deeply. "I'll get around to it."

"Figured you would. I'll be getting around to doing mine later, before the..." Elling walked off giving him half a conversation.

Pushing club business to the side, Brage walked to the Jeep and opened the passenger door. He sat inside, leaving the door open.

A cloud of smoke filled the interior. He stared at the dash of the vehicle, reminding himself that she hadn't started the Jeep, she wasn't leaving.

"Don't lecture me. I know it's bad for me." She flicked the ashes off the cigarette out the window. "I quit. I really did, but it's all too much, and gum isn't helping."

He looked at her. "I have no room to judge."

"Well, I'm judging myself." She inhaled deeply and let her head fall back on the seat, blowing out the smoke. "Maybe I don't deserve good things. I fought my whole life to prove I wasn't like my brothers. I saw how teachers curled their lips when dealing with them about my grades and activities. Every time I tagged along to the store, I noticed how people skirted around Brad and Tony—I don't know, maybe they were afraid they'd get stabbed or raped. From as early as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be different. I wasn't like them. I wanted an education. I wanted a good job. I wanted to become a mother and be married to the father of my children. All the things that other people had and I didn't."

"You're young, you can still have all that," he said softly.

She took another hit on the cigarette and searched for a place to put it out. He took the butt from her and held his arm out of the Jeep, knocking off the coal and pocketing the filter.

"Maybe." She sighed. "On the outside, at least. But, what about how I feel on the inside?"

He had no answer for her. All he'd known throughout his life was acceptance. While he felt the impact of growing up with a father who was a Slag member and experienced the prejudice against an unconventional lifestyle, he had love waiting for him at home where he was accepted for who he was.

"I'm lightheaded." She closed her eyes for several seconds. "I went without smoking for three months. Time to quit again."

He pulled out a package of gum from his vest pocket and handed it to her. Lately, he'd been carrying a spare around for the times she ran out or was away from the bedroom.

"About going to Idaho—"

"No." She laughed sadly and sobered. "Just forget it. I'm apparently not ready to face everything that will come by returning there."

"Promise me one thing?"

She looked at him and nodded. "If I can."

"When or if you leave, you'll let me help you. You won't go alone," he said softly.

She looked away from him. He snagged her hand and held it between his.

"Don't," she whispered.

He refused to let her go. Instead of pulling away, she squeezed onto him

She turned back around. There were tears in her eyes.

"What do you want from me?" Her dark eyes begged for the truth.

He never hesitated. "You."

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