Page 1 of Vaughn

CHAPTER ONE

Val

The nights are the worst.

When I hear every single noise that this creaking old building makes. When I imagine all the fears I had while living at home come to life and smother me with their intentions. That’s why I’d ended up leaving in the first place.

He’d tried to touch me.

When I cried out, no one rushed to my aid.

Immediately, I knew I wasn’t safe there anymore, and I would have to make my way. Which is why I’m here; in a studio apartment above Get Baked. Sleep will not come, at least not easily, and not soon. Rolling over, I grab my phone and hop onto my new social media account. A text comes through when it shows I’m active.

Hot Lineman: What are you doing awake?

I laugh when I see the name I gave him appear. If he ever sees, he’ll never let me live it down. I still can’t believe we text with one another. If our friend group knew about it, they would be surprised.

Me: Couldn’t sleep. Too quiet and loud at the same time.

There’s a request coming through for a video chat. I look awful, but I want someone to talk to, so I accept it and push back my wild hair. “Hey.” I give him a smile.

We’re both in the shadows, but I can still make out the ink on his arm, hand, and throat. I knew no one like him in my previous life, but as soon as I saw him walk into Get Baked, he made me feel things I’ve never felt before. He appeared dangerous, and stupidly hot in a book boyfriend type of way. I've been reading those romance novels that have appeared everywhere lately, and Vaughn looked like a main character come to life. Everything I shouldn’t want, but all the things I did.

“Hey,” he returns the smile, his lip lifting at the corner. “It’s too late for you to be up.”

“Me? What about you?”

He lays back, showing off the tattoo on his neck as he situated himself against the pillows. “I’m used to my sleep being fucked up and getting as little of it as possible. Not you though.”

“How do you know?” I lick my lips. No one knows what I deal with at night. I make it a point not to talk to anyone about it, and to do my best to hide the circles under my eyes. It seems to work more than I thought.

“You haven’t seen the shit I have, the destruction, and the lives irrevocably changed. I have an extremely hard time turning it off. Thank God I didn’t decide to go into a profession like being a police officer or a firefighter.” He shakes his head. “Pretty sure I would’ve already quit that job. People like you? They shouldn’t witness that. You’re too pure.”

My throat tightens, halfway closing, and tears pool in my eyes. If he only knew.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” I fake a yawn. “Just finally getting tired. I’ll see you soon?”

“Tomorrow.” He promises. “Sleep sweet, Val.”

“I will.”

We disconnect the call and I put my phone down next to my thigh. At some point my former life is going to intersect with the new one I’m carving out for myself, and I’m scared of the repercussions. Because the life I had before? It was danger; it was destruction, and it almost killed me.

Pulling the blanket up to my chin, I turn on the TV to one of the streaming services I’ve broken down and purchased. It’ll run at all hours, hopefully lulling me to sleep. It’s times like these when I wonder why I got a job during the day. It would’ve been easier if I had worked on the night shift, but I can’t change it now. I love what I do, I appreciate the friendships I’ve made, and I’m a loyal person to those who show me the same.

Plus, I’m scared.

There. I admitted it. I have no one in this world. I’m not willing to go back where I came from, and there are many worse places that I could be. Actually imagined I would be. The fact that I ended up here is one of the luckiest things I’ve ever had happen to me. Gabby is an angel sent from heaven, and I’m choosing to believe that having her in my corner is the answer. This is what God wanted me to do.

That’s what I need to place my faith in.

I slept a total of three hours last night, and it’s written across my face. I run the cold washcloth over my eyes and go about putting my hair back in a ponytail. My body aches, because I haven’t hada restful sleep in so long, and I keep working harder than I need to, hoping I’ll wear myself out enough to get that rest.

It’s five am, and when I hear Gabby’s door shut, I hurry to put my shoes on, and meet her downstairs. Time for me to pretend like I’m a productive member of society.

Her voice greets me. “You know you don’t have to show up when I do.”

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