Our Love

Quinn

I sat on the edge of the bed amidst the pile of clothing that Carrie so kindly gave to me. My small amount of time here had been filled with so many ups and downs. Today was the real sucker punch. Hearing that Rex had found me and was behind the destruction of my apartment put me right back into the dark abyss of my mind.

Grant arrived right on time to make sure Carrie and I made it back to her house. The officers followed, of course, wanting to discuss everything further. Carrie and I rode in silence, sitting in the back of her SUV as Grant drove. She held onto my hand, never saying a word.

Once we arrived at her beautiful home, she made us all feel immediately welcome, serving drinks as we sat in her living room. Grant and Carrie sat together on a small loveseat while the officers sat on the sofa, leaving me alone on a chair. I fidgeted my hands around in my lap, listening to them detail how they caught Rex after a few people from the complex were able to identify him.

Following up on that lead, they were able to conduct a traffic stop and bring him in for questioning. Of course, being the horrible individual he is, he made sure to mention that he was coming after me. Rex was facing a variety of charges here now.

I explained to them how I had dated Rex, then eventually married for two years; the last six months of our relationship was when his mental abuse turned physical. Those last six months were hell, and I tried multiple times to leave. After all of that information was shared in front of Carrie and Grant, they had to ask one of my least favorite questions.

Where was your family? Did you not have anyone you could reach out to? Is there anyone you can reach out to now?

"My Mother died during childbirth with me. My Father coped with alcohol after. My Grandmothers helped as much as they could, but by the time I was in middle school, they all had passed away. I was left with an alcoholic Father who was mentally abusive and blamed me for the state of our lives. As soon as I turned eighteen, I left. I finished High School and worked non-stop to support myself. I've not seen nor spoken to him or anyone that could be a relative since." I explained in my robotic voice.

The room was quiet after that, everyone soaking in my sob story. I hated it. I didn't want to be seen as a victim or looked at with pity. I didn't want to be treated softly because they were afraid to break me. I needed a moment to refresh and compose myself. So, I asked Carrie to use her restroom, and she directed me away.

Spending the rest of the afternoon going into more specific detail about everything was hard but necessary. I liked it here, and I wanted to stay. I knew it wasn't realistic to hide my dirty past, so might as well rip the bandaid off all at once. I was growing to care about all of them, Carrie, Wade, and Grant. They all listened to me, comforted me, and supported me. This was something I'd not had before

After thinking over everything that had happened today, I was feeling drained. I got myself off the bed and quickly put the clothing away. I took a nice hot shower and put on my pajamas. After brushing my hair out, I decided I needed a drink before turning in for the night. I quietly made my way back downstairs and into the kitchen. Most of the house was dark. I assumed Wade had long gone to bed himself. I noticed the sliding door was slightly open, and when I peeked out, I saw Wade.

"Hey." He stood to greet me as I joined him on the deck.

"I was just getting a glass of water before bed. Didn't mean to intrude on your quiet time." I smiled. I noticed as Wade ran his hand through his hair, his eyes danced over me. "It's peaceful out here," I observed, listening to the sounds of crickets and other nighttime critters.

"Yeah. I love it. I sit out here pretty often in the evenings to unwind. Sit with me; I'm sure you can use a moment to unwind and relax." He pulled the chair out next to him, and I obliged.

"It feels amazing out here too." I closed my eyes, feeling the breeze flow across my skin. The late summer days were insanely hot, but these evenings were perfect. I instantly felt myself relax and propped my legs up on the table, stretching out. The longer I sat there; I could feel Wade's eyes burning a hole into me. I gave him a few more minutes before I opened my eyes to look at him. "What did you do today?" I asked quietly.

"Me?" He squeaked out, rubbing the back of his neck. "I worked in the shop most of the afternoon after having lunch with Grant. I've been letting this new farmhand I hired to take care of a lot of those things lately, thinking I may get back out there tomorrow. I'm missing it." He smiled.

"Oh, yea? Where is it?"

"Just about a half mile down the road. I haven't cleared this piece of land off yet to bring everything closer to the house." Wade pointed to the wooded area on the side of his house and spread outward. The security light on his garage provided just enough light for me to see the space he was speaking about.

"So, you have animals? Cows? Chickens?" I pulled my feet down and tucked them underneath me. I wanted to know more about Wade and his career choice, and it was nice not talking about myself for a change.

"I have some cattle. A few small crops as well. Still a small operation, but just enough for me to take care with a little help and not overwhelm myself." He took a sip of his beer and then angled it toward me. "Would you like a drink?"

Without hesitation, I reached forward and took the beer from his hand. I threw it back and took a nice big gulp, enjoying the feel of it flowing down my throat. I was looking forward to the little buzz it would provide.

"I was going to offer to get you water, but I have to say seeing a lady down a beer like that is pretty hot." He laughed. I handed it back to him.

"I'm not a big drinker, but after a day like today, I think I can have a sip or two." I smiled over at him, admiring his beautiful dark hair that a few pieces had flopped over onto his face. The ease I felt around him, sitting here now, was the most comfortable I'd felt in a long time.