Page 12 of Gunner

So why the fuck did Sarah not see me?

Chapter Four

Sarah

Holy shit. That was close.

Leaning against the brick wall to my parents’ shop, I took a deep breath. My heart pounding furiously in my chest. Cupping my cheeks, I felt my heated blush scalding my palms.

How in the hell did he get handsomer?

And his smile.

I groaned.

Just thinking about his smile had my girlie parts drooling.

God, if Daddy found me like this, he would have Gunner’s ass. He was crystal clear about how he felt. Not that I blamed him. Dad had always been a little protective of his baby girl.

Not that I minded, but with Gunner, all bets were off.

The first time I ever saw Gunner, my dad put a shotgun in his face and threatened to kill him. I’d never seen my dad so angry before. Then before I could blink, mom had me on a plane back to Rhode Island a week earlier than planned before my first semester of college started.

Since then, I tried not to think of the handsome devil with eyes so sultry that they took my breath away. I never believed in love at first sight, but if it was anything like what I felt when I saw Gunner for the first time, then I was head over heels in love.

Over the last year, I tried to forget about him. I dated, even thought about giving my virginity away once. In the end, something always stopped me. I couldn’t explain it. It just felt wrong. I thought my latest boyfriend, Carter, was going to be the one. He was everything I was looking for - smart, rich and fun to be around. But after our first date, I misread the warning signs and before I knew it,I found myself in a relationship with no voice.

I wasn’t lying when I told my parents that they kicked me out of school, but what I left out was the main reason I hopped on a bus in the middle of the night.

The night I ran for my life.

It was just a normal night. Carter and I were watching TV when his buddies showed up at the door. They were drunk, as usual, and I wasn’t really in the mood for company, but Carter never told them no. I was polite and courteous like I always was, but when his buddies left, Carter started yelling at me. Calling me frigid and standoffish. I tried to explain, but that was when he grabbed me and hit me. I was in shock. He never hit me before. Hell, my daddy never even spanked me before. Neither did mom. When I tried to get away from him, that’s when he dragged me kicking and screaming to the bedroom and tried to take what I refused to give him. If it wasn’t for the martial arts training my dad insisted, I learn, it would have been much worse.

In the end, Carter lay on the floor holding his balls, while blood dripped from his nose as I ran from his apartment. I grabbed what I could and left everything else behind. All I could think about was getting home. I wanted my dad and mom.

Only the closer I got to home, the more I realized I couldn’t tell them. I was already a disappointment in their eyes.

I couldn’t tell my parents that I put myself in a situation where I had to fight my way free. That would send them both over the edge. Mostly my dad. He was funny when it came to me. Mom was worse.

I loved how protective my dad was, but he wasn’t a spring chicken anymore. He was getting older and soon he was going to need a walker or, even worse, a wheelchair.

I couldn’t burden him with my problems.

No. I was going to have to handle this myself.

I got myself into this mess and I would find a way out.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

“Hi,Sarah.”

Jumping, I turned and smiled at Jamison, my mom’s new helper. “Hi, Jamie. It’s okay that I call you that, right?”

“Uh-huh.” He grinned. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, just thinking.”

“Want some help? I’m good at helping.”