The Unwanted Runaway

Slight Trigger Warning

Anna’s POV

As the week went on, I couldn't help but notice the harsh realities of life on the ranch. Denton, , had me doing back-breaking labor like fixing fences, feeding animals, and cleaning up after them. It was all part of the ranch life, but as someone with no experience, I couldn't help but feel out of my depth. Denton had assigned Jason to work with me closely both on manual labor taking care of the basic needs of the horses . Jason was still needed to help do some of the training with horses At times as well . The four roommate of mine Adam, Ben, Carlin, and Donnie, whom I had nicknamed the "Inbred azz hats." They were in charge of training, breaking, and breeding the majority of the horses mostly I found out.

By Friday, I was exhausted from all the work. Mia,, asked me to hang out with her, but I hadn't really spoken to her since the Miller family dinner. Denton was avoiding me as well, only communicating through Jason. It was like a game of telephone. I must have really angered him when he found me sleeping in the barn that early Monday morning. Since then, I had been avoiding Donnie and Adam as much as possible. Luckily, Carl and Ben were away, delivering a horse in South Dakota. But Donnie had cornered me on Monday night in the bunkhouse, and I was reminded of the trauma I had experienced in my previous relationship with Joey.

I panicked as Donnie, who was clearly intoxicated, started verbally abusing me. I could sense his physical presence closing in on me, and I was immediately transported back to the horrors I had endured before. He didn't care about my fear, he simply continued his tirade, saying things that still send shivers down my spine. He threatened me, saying I better not get in his way or he'll "ruin me." He even made unwanted s****l advances, saying I must be "a girl who doesn't like dick." It was a terrifying experience, and I couldn't help but flinch as he raised his fist, only to laugh and walk away, leaving me in tears.

I couldn't take it anymore. I gathered my belongings and found a spot on top of the barn to sleep. It was cold and uncomfortable, but at least I felt safe. I knew I couldn't shower without risking another encounter with Donnie, Carl, Adam, or Ben, but I managed. I just focused on my work and stayed away from them as much as possible, often with Jason by my side. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best I could do to protect myself from the trauma and abuse on the ranch.

Since it’s Friday and Mia wants me to come over, I know she also wanted me to watch her kids so her and Evan can have a date night or something like that.

I decide I’ll take a shower and then head over to her house.

As I heard the sound of the guys' truck pulling out of the ranch, I quickly grabbed a change of clothes and dashed to the bunkhouse. My heart racing with fear, I locked myself in the bathroom and hopped into the shower. I knew I had to be fast, to finish before they returned for the evening.

But as I was washing off the dirt and sweat from my body, the door handle started to jiggle. I froze, my mind racing in panic as I heard Donnie's voice on the other side, taunting me to come out and have some fun. I tried to dry off and get dressed quickly, but before I knew it, the door was kicked in and I was pushed back.

With only a towel covering my body, I managed to push Donnie away and ran out of the bathroom with my clothes in hand. But he caught up to me in the kitchen, his eyes filled with lust and determination. "Oh, you like to play cat and mouse, huh?" he sneered, "You are getting me hard my precious little fat cow, running around like that. Let's have some fun."

Daddy needs a release and daddy wants to teach you a lesson.

I screamed at him to leave me alone, to get away from me. But he just laughed, saying Denton had him doing extra work and now he needed to release some tension. I could feel the panic rising in me as Donnie lunged for me, and I reached for the kitchen knife in a desperate attempt to defend myself.

"What are you gonna do with that, little girl?" he taunted, his eyes glinting with a dangerous excitement. "You think you can take me on?" I trembled, tears welling up in my eyes as I begged him to back off. But he didn't listen.

In a flash, I stabbed him in the hand, causing him to howl in pain. With only a towel wrapped around my naked body, I struggled to hold onto my clothes as I ran out of the front door, screaming for help. I saw Evan, Denton, and Jason talking with Brooke, and I ran towards them, desperate for safety.

As they all turned to look at me, I could see the shock and concern in their eyes. Brooke quickly wrapped me in Jason's jacket but the moment didn’t throw his jacket at Brooke saying his jack is bigger and will cover more, leading me to the side as Donnie came out of the bunkhouse, accusing me of seducing him. I tried to explain, but the trauma of the situation overwhelmed me and I blacked out.

But even in my unconscious state, I could still feel the weight of what had just happened. The terror, the violence, the violation. Reliving my past trauma.As I slowly regained consciousness, I noticed that I was dressed in my own clothes, the ones I had been clutching before I blacked out. I was lying in a soft, inviting bed, in an unfamiliar room.

As I reached up to touch my face, I winced at the pain and realized I had a small cut and a gash on my forehead. Suddenly, a hand appeared out of nowhere, holding a cup of water. "You're awake," a familiar voice said. "How are you feeling? Wait, don't answer that. I know it must be overwhelming."

It was Brooke, her eyes filled with genuine concern and pity for me. She gently informed me that I had taken a hard fall and that I had been brought to this room to rest. No more bunkhouse for me. Confused, I asked where we were. Brooke replied, "We're at Uncle Luke and Aunt Rosa's house. You're down the hall from Nikki's room."

I nodded, trying to process everything. "Where are my things?" I asked, realizing that I wasn't in the bunkhouse anymore. Brooke's face fell as she told me that the boys had gone back to retrieve my belongings, only to find out that they were no longer there. I sheepishly admitted that I had been sleeping in the barn for the past week to avoid Donnie. Brooke's expression turned sympathetic. "You should have told us, Anna," she said, shaking her head. "We would've helped you."

"Well, I've been avoiding them since Monday evening," I replied. "I would sneak back into the bunkhouse to shower and then go straight back to the barn." Brooke looked at me in disbelief. "You're crazy, Anna," she said. "It's been freezing cold out. But I've managed."

She then informed me that I didn't have to worry about that anymore because I would be staying in this room from now on. But I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and inconvenience. "I think I should just leave altogether," I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "I feel like I've caused so much trouble. I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

Just then, Mrs. Rose entered the room and my heart clenched at the sight of her. She walked over to me and said, "Oh, sweetheart, you're not a burden at all. And don't worry about Donnie. He's gone, thanks to Denton and Jason who took care of it personally."

As I fiddled with my engagement ring, my thoughts drifted to Joey and the similar situations I had been through with him. The tears finally spilled over as I looked at both women and said, "I'm so sorry."

Mrs. Rose immediately sat on the bed and pulled me into a tight hug. "You have nothing to apologize for, my dear," she said soothingly. "You're safe now and that's all that matters." I couldn't hold back my tears any longer as I cried into her shoulder, feeling a sense of comfort and warmth that I hadn't felt in a long time.