Her Rancher, Her Protector

Chapter 7 - Angel

I was now alone and I was freaking out. I f****d up and bad. I allowed him to send me over. It was wonderful but at the same time so bad. I couldn’t have this now. I was going to leave as soon as I could. I looked at the cash I had saved up. I had a few hundred bucks. f**k it, I will leave tonight. After Tyler went to bed, I would leave. But he was expecting to see me, I can’t. Cause if anything like what just happened in the kitchen happened that night, I might never leave and that isn’t good for none of us. Especially Cory. And Tyler would be pulled into our mess. He didn’t deserve to be pulled into my mess. I went too far with this man and cause of that, I had to leave, asap. But how to avoid him to come after what he wanted. I would pack later on, tried to avoid him coming to me, and leave once he was asleep. It was the only way. I had to, for all of us. Especially for him. He didn’t deserve my baggage.

The day went on, as it did, I did research how much farther I had and how much money it could take. I could make, barely, but I could. It was decided. It was now evening as I was on the laptop still doing my planning for our departure. Cory came in, excitedly, as Tyler came in after him smiling. Cory ran over to me, talking a mile a minute about the fun he had. I kissed the top of his head and nodded. Tyler than said, “I am going to make dinner. You like steak?”

I nodded. Didn’t really want to say anything to him. Just the little time I spent with him, I already didn’t want to leave him. f**k this was hard. I really didn’t look at him. I avoid eye contact. I knew he wasn’t happy with it. The rest of the time, I stayed quiet as Cory talked and talked about the ranch and the animals and Tyler. f**k, Cory already got close to Tyler and now we were going to leave. I couldn’t deal with it. I tried to avoid eye contact with Tyler as I talked with Cory. We ate dinner, which was painful. I kept feeling Tyler’s eyes on me, he knew something was wrong. I hated that I was doing this but I had no other choice. After dinner, I told Cory, “Come on. Let’s get ready for bed.”

As I got up, Tyler asked, “Angel?”

I just looked at him for a moment as he seemed confused and hurt on why I was pushing him away. I just said, “I really have to get Cory to bed and turn in myself.”

This might make him understand. To keep his distance. Without a word, I put a hand on Cory’s back and rushed upstairs. As soon as I got Cory to bed, I went into the room, I gathered my stuff together and threw it in my bag. Another good thing about being paranoid, I kept a bag of clothes in the car for me and a bag for Cory. This way I was prepared. I was half tempted when I was in Arkansas to take it out as I thought it was over. Thank god I wasn’t rushing it. I hated to do this to Tyler, cause I know he was starting to feel something for me, cause I was for him. I heard a knock. Before I could react, the door opened and Tyler walked in. “Look, Angel, if I was out of line ear…” He stopped dead in his trail when he saw my bag. “You’re leaving?”

“Yeah, it’s best if Cory and I get the hell out of here, we have been here too long. I gotta get away from here.” I kept packing, trying to act as if this didn’t bother me. “It’s time we moved on.”

He stepped forward. “Is this cause of what happened today?” His voice sounded to be in pain. It hurt me to hear him this way.

“No...Yes...I mean…” I stopped packing and looked at him as I threw my hands up. “f**k I don’t know what I mean.”

He moved to me. “Please, don’t go. If I stepped out of line earlier, I’m sorry. But don’t go.”

Yeah, there was pain in his eyes, my heart wrenched. This was sucking. “Look, Tyler, you don’t know me or my past. There is a reason for that. I am dangerous.”

“What?” He was confused.

“I mean, if we continue what this is starting out to be, it could end badly for you. For all of us. I don’t want that. I keep moving for a reason. It’s cause a dangerous man is following me. Keeps finding me. He will stop at nothing until he kills me or worse, drags me back.” I told him.

“Drag you back where?” He asked me.

I sighed. “Tennessee.” He looked at me, waiting for more. But I went back to packing.

He grabbed my arms to stop me. “No! Stop! Tell me now why you are leaving. I deserve to know that much. I deserve to know. You have no idea what it meant to me what happened earlier. It might not have been much, but touching you, kissing you. It was like I was on a high.” He wasn’t the only one. That small time in the kitchen, earlier was intoxicating, a feeling I didn’t want to let go. “I haven’t wanted anyone after my wife died, until you. And I don’t mean just s*x. I want to know you, who you are, what you are about.”

I pulled away. “And there lies the problem. You can’t know. Cause if I tell you, it could get you killed. I can’t put you in harm's way, I would never forgive myself if I did. Cory and I will never be able to fully escape the man who is searching for us. But that doesn’t mean I have to drag you into it.” Than my demeanor softens. “Tyler, you are a good man, that is why I cannot involve you.”

“Who is this man after you?” He asked. I ignored him. He grabbed me again. He almost yelled, “Tell me!”

I pushed him away, angrily. “Fine, it’s my ex husband! Alright! Are you happy?”

“Your ex….ex husband. Why is he looking for you?” He asked, more calmly, yet more confused.

I sighed and looked away. “He was my high school sweetheart, I got pregnant right before we graduated. Our parents forced us to marry. Kurt wasn’t happy about it cause he had to throw away his football scholarship to marry me, raise a kid, and work on my dad’s farm.” I looked at him. “He blamed me, Tyler. Do you know what I mean by that?” Tyler shook his head. “It meant he beat me. Every. f*****g. Day. I was beaten cause to him, I ruined his life by getting pregnant.” Now I was getting angry. “Do you know what he did? How bad he was? How dangerous he is?” Without a thought, I took my shirt off as I was now in my bra and jeans. I expected him to look at my breast but he didn’t, his eyes stayed locked on mine. s**t, I was hoping he would, would make it easier for me to leave because he was a pig. But he was a gentleman. f**k, he was making this hard. I pointed to a scar under my collarbone. “You see this, this is where he threw me down on our glass coffee table. It shattered and a piece of glass was lodged into my body.” Than I turned my back to him and reached around as I pointed to another scar. “And this, this is where he took a knife and sliced my back.” I turned back to him, there was sadness in his eyes, but I was still pissed. But not at Tyler, no, at the years of pain I had to endure. I parted my hair to show another big scar in my head. “This is where he rammed my head into the wall repeatedly.” I took my hands out of my hair and looked at him, fiercely. “Oh, and there is more from where that comes from.”

I started to unbutton my pants. What I heard next, surprised me. “Please stop.” Tyler’s voice was tight. He was heartbroken. I looked at him. He was heartbroken for me. “Don’t...just stop, please. I can’t stand to see more.” He did hurt for me, he looked to be on the verge of tears. I didn’t know how to respond to this. He was a big, strong man. But sharing my scars, showing him the real me, it caused him pain.

“You wanted to know this. This is what you wanted. But it is too much for you.” I almost hissed.

He moved to me, slowly. I just watched him as he walked toward me. Once he got to me, he moved a finger on the scar under my collar bone. “You are right, it is too much. But that is because I can’t believe anyone would hurt you like this, Angel. It’s too painful to know that you had to endure so much pain. So much fear and you still do. I hurt for you. I want to take it all away from you. So please let me and please don’t go.”

His eyes moved to mine and locked onto mine. I pushed him away as my fears set in. I started to panic. “No! Don’t do that sweet, tender s**t. It’s lies.”

He looked confused and hurt. “It isn’t lies, Angel.” He seemed so confused by my demeanor. “Why are you pushing me away?”

“Where do I start? Oh, for one, the man that did all this to me, will stop at nothing to get to me. He will kill you, Tyler, especially if we are together. You do get that, right? Or are you f*****g dense? And second off...second off…” My voice trailed.

“What?” He asked.

I started to tear up as my fears surfaced. I looked away from him. I said, much softer now, “You might end up just like him. That is what scares me the most. That is why I can’t trust a man. I am scared of being in a position like that again. He was the only man I have been with, my first love and he did this to me. I never thought he would. So, now I question my own judgment, especially since women who were in position never leave their abuser or end up with another one.”

“f**k, baby.” Before I knew it, he was at me and held me tightly. I melted, even though I told myself not to, I did. I felt safe in his arms. “Listen to me, Angel. I could never ever do anything to hurt you. I swear that. I could never do anything to cause you or Cory any harm.” He pulled away and looked at me. “You do know that, right?”

I wanted to believe, god, how much I wanted that. I stammered, “I..I don’t know. I want to but it’s so hard to.”

He cupped my cheek. “Listen to me, Angel. I would never ever harm you or Cory. I can promise you that. I know it’s not that easy to believe but let me prove myself, please. Stay and let me show you that there are some men out there that would never do what that monster did to you. Please. Give me that much. Please, Angel, don’t leave. We can move slow. I don’t mind. Just stay.”

I looked away as I was still unsure. “But he will find us.”

“And I will protect you, I swear. When you are with me, I will protect the both of you.” He said, calmly.

Without a word, he moved in and kissed me, softly. We kissed for a moment, then pulled away. He hugged me again and at that moment, I felt safe with him. I didn’t want to go, I felt like I belonged there, with him, in his arms.

We moved to the bed, I never got around to getting my shirt back on, but I didn’t mind. He wasn’t eyeing me or groping me. No, we just laid there, him holding me as we talked. In fact, I loved feeling his hands on my bare skin, even if they were just comforting. I told him everything, what Kurt did, how Cory saved me, how I left, and how I kept moving after he found us. He listened and let me let it all out. I cried, he held me, eased my pain. After some time, I was exhausted. I fell asleep in his arms where I felt safe. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe.