Page 66 of Something Borrowed

I clench my jaw. I still don’t want to tell her I have no idea. But I can’t lie to her. What is the point of being together if I can’t be straight with her.

“Right now, the plan is to get as far away from the city as possible. Its better we don’t know where we’ll stop because if we don’t know - no one else can work it out either.”

I can feel her eyes on me while I focus on the road.

I steal a glance at her and she softens her expression.

“Ok.” She says, after a little while.

“Ok?” I’m surprised. I expected her to be furious because of my lack of planning.

“Yes. Ok.” She snaps.

Over the next hour she sits with her eyes on the road ahead. Tension fills the car.

I didn’t expect her father to react swiftly. I can’t believe he launched an attack on one of our warehouses. This really is all out war.

I need time to think.

I need to keep Verity safe until I figure it all out.

The back roads are dark, and keep me off the main highways I drive with no route in mind. Turning here and there and not following any logical pattern or direction.

Verity shifts in her seat and turns her body slightly towards me.

“What pushed your brothers to come after me? They were angry before - but what made them get to where they agreed that taking me from you by force was the better option?”

I take a deep breath before answering her.

“Your father attacked our business.” My fingers are gripping the steer wheel, my knuckles turning white.

She takes in a sharp, shaky breath.

“He attacked your family?” She gasps. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Three people died. My employees.”

Verity presses her lips together, fighting tears.

“It’s my fault.” She whispers, her voice weak and pained.

“No, absolutelynot. This is yourfather’sfault. You didn’t hurt those people - he did. All you did was fall in love. There is nothing wrong with loving someone, Verity. Everyone deserves love.”

She turns her face away from me, looking out the window again and falling into silence once more.

I see a dirt road to the left and turn down it. The landscape is barren on either side of us. Long expanses of open grass lands, dried and empty, scattered with an occasional lone tree.

Crows caw in the sky above us, doing lazy circles as they hunt for food.

The air is crisp and dry out here and the sun is hot against my skin.

I have the window wide open, letting the grass scented breeze clear my thoughts. In the wind Verity’s hair whips around her face, free and wild. Just as she should be.

I hate seeing her like this. She withdraws and tucks herself away somewhere.

She closes up when she gets scared and she lashes out when she gets angry.

I need to figure out a way to reach her, to make her understand I won’t let anything happen to her.

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