Page 31 of Only Everything
“Too much?”
“Yes, Dammit. You never listen to me. Listen. To. Me.” Her hands came up to drive the point home. “I love that you’re protective. I love that you watch out for me. I do not love being monitored like a child. I don’t like you not respecting my wishes. Please…just…stop!”
But I hadn’t. Nor couldn’t. Not thatshe busted me again after that. I’d been very careful not to get caught before I left. Tauren didn’t understand how I had to be there for her. With her. If she was in my presence, she was safe.
Just maybe not from me.
“Reid?”
Tauren’s concerned voice had me blinking back the onslaught of thoughts and memories that wanted to come.
“Sorry, what?”
“You disappeared there for a little bit. I was talking to you, but you didn’t hear me. Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I forced a grin. “I’m just hungry, and we’re about out of food. We should probably run to the market in town.”
“Oh.” The house of cards came crashing down as Tauren’s hand gave the smallest jerk. Alarms went off. I knew that tone.
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I can go by myself if you’d like some time alone.”
Each word had been harder to say. The last had been damn near impossible to push through my clenched teeth. I didn’t want to leave her. I wanted her with me. At my side. Holding my fucking hand as we played house and bought groceries.
Who was I kidding? She’d never hold my hand in public. Not so close to our hometown. Not where people might know our relationship.
“Alone? I…” A defeated sigh left her.
“You never have to be alone if you don’t want to. Taur, let’s do what we used to talk about all the time. Let’s run away together.”
Tauren’s lips parted in confusion. Her brow wrinkled but softened as she burst out laughing, losing the tension that had been building in her anxious features.
“Run away? To where? For what?”
As if it weren’t obvious.
“To…Montana.”
Her eyes widened. “And you’ll be a cowboy?”
I paused. “I’ll be a cowboy for you. And we can get a small little ranch, with some horses and cows.” I leaned over the pile of cards, grabbing the hand that was just to the side of her bruised face. “Moving might not be such a bad idea. It could be a fresh start for both of us.”
Tauren shifted, lowering her gaze to the table.
“That’s…crazy. Montana is so far away. My work is here. My friends. I…I don’t know. I was going to move before because I didn’t have a choice, but only to the next town over. Emmett—” Her head went down, but I reached over the table, bringing her face back up so she’d look at me.
“Taur, Montana was just an example. We could go anywhere. Just think about it. If you want to stay, we stay. But…I think for the future, moving might not be such a bad idea. Even if it is only a few towns over. It’s got to be better for us than here.”
She didn’t speak for a long moment. “Maybe. I’ll think it over. I guess it is about time to go home and face the world again even if?—”
“I wasn’t saying you had to leave, just…leave with me. Or stay. I want you here, at my house.”
“I can’t live here, Reid.”
Her voice sounded defeated. “Why not? It’d save youmoney. I own this place. I bought it with cash from Mr. Wheeler when I got out. I don’t mind you here. I love the company.”
She forced a smile. “So do I, but before I make any big decisions, I need to try to do this on my own. For me. You understand, right?”
No. I fucking did not understand. Nothing about what she said resonated with me whatsoever. Especially since she didn’t sound confident about it.
