Page 21 of Vanishing Point
Her therapist said it was healthy, but now it seemed dangerous. Like every step forward was drawing more people into the hell she’d escaped. If this was just about her, she probably would have bolted. Even now, she considered it.
Audra had every legal right to raise Magnolia. If Vi just disappeared…
“I need you to promise me one thing in all of this, Vi.”
Vi blinked out of her whirling thoughts, looked at Thomas. His expression was grim as he drove. “What’s that?”
“You’ll be honest with me, no matter what. With anything that happens, with what you’re feeling. Any contact that feels off. If you’re considering running. Just tell me.”
Could he read her mind? Was she that transparent? Or did he just understand, because he dealt withvictimslike her, all the time? And there was something about that awful thought—that she was just like the people he helped—that had her saying the truth.
“I’ll probably consider running every day.”
He glanced at her once, oh-so-serious. “It would break my heart if you did.”
A quick, painful stab went right in her own heart. “That’s not fair.”
His mouth quirked up on the side as he looked back at the road. “I know. That’s why I said it. I’m not above being unfair to keep you safe.”
“I just don’t want anyone else paying for a mistake I made.”
“So, let me handle this for you, Vi. And there won’t be mistakes.”
She wondered if the confidence was natural, something born from all the work he’d done, or something he was putting on to settle her, but it worked.
When they got to the ranch and went inside, Thomas talked to everyone and Vi got Magnolia down for her nap. She knew she should go see what Thomas was saying to everyone, but instead she just watched her daughter sleep.
For over a year, she’d been running. Hiding. For over a year, she’d spent time healing herself, but there’d always been this little part of her—thevictimizedpart, she could accept now—that was waiting.
Waiting to be hurt again.
Waiting to run.
She’d known this moment was coming.
Thomas slid into the room. He came to stand next to her, wrapped his arm around her. He looked down at Mags, fastasleep in her crib. And Vi saw one of the things she’d first allowed herself to recognize about Thomas.
He loved her daughter.
“I want you to come stay in town with me for a little bit,” he whispered, tearing his gaze from Mags to her. “The ranch is too big. My house is small. I’ve got great neighbors who know who should be coming and going and are just busybodies enough to let me know. I’ve got some security, and a friend who can bulk it up.”
“What about Audra, Rosalie and Franny?”
“I talked to them. Audra said she’s going to talk to the neighbors, ask that anyone who sees something off to let them know. Rosalie’s going to put up some cameras she uses for work. She also informed me they are ‘armed to the teeth,’ which I can’t say made me feel great. I’ll have whatever manpower I can manage check in throughout the day, drive by at night.”
Vi tried not to feel like she’d ruined everyone’s life. Made everything ten times more difficult on the people who’d helped her through the worst.
“Everyone is happy to rally around you, Vi. You and Mags. Because they—becausewewant what you want. This life you’ve built. For you. For Magnolia. We want you to have it, and we want to be a part of your life.”
Vi looked down at her sleeping daughter, felt the easy strength of Thomas next to her. Thought about this life—and he was right, she’dbuiltit. Out of the wreckage of her old one, with the help of her loved ones,forher daughter.
Her daughter, who called ThomasTata. Magnolia loved him. And her honorary aunts. Audra was Aw. Rosalie, Ee. Franny, for some inexplicable reason, was Geen. She’d taken her first steps in this ranch house and was thriving. After all the NICU business, she wasthriving.
So Vi met Thomas’s gaze and nodded. Yes, this was the life she wanted for her daughter.
“So, we’ll fight for it. Together.”
For the first time since she’d gotten those pictures, Vi thought…maybe they could.
