One glance. One touch. One note of her mesmerizing voice, and I'm undone. Like a dream I never want to escape, she draws me in, wrapping me in her presence. Consumed. Overcome with need. Fueled by an unshakable desire to claim her as mine. One night, I take more than she's ever given, and it only leaves me craving more. Needing more. Desperate for more. She's the one I've waited for my entire life. And I'll be damned if I let anyone-our families included-stand between us. She trusts me. Yearns for me, just as I ache to possess her. Forever. But fate throws a twist we never saw coming. A curveball no one could have predicted. Still, I cling to her light. She's my Angel. Something about her-about us-makes me believe I've found heaven on earth. She's now my world and I'm never letting her go. Not now. Not ever.
Chapter 1 PROLOGUE
STEPHANIE'S POV
Chills rise up my spine as Momma spins around quickly and locks the door. She pulls on the handle for good measure, making sure the lock is secure.
Nervously, I grab ahold of my suitcase tighter and wrap my arms aroundme. A breeze blows past, making my body shiver.
I don't know if it is the nightaround us, or all that we are attempting to escape, but suddenly a knot begins to form in my stomach and fear rises all around me as I stand on the front porch and wait for my next instruction.
"I won't stay here to be made a fool," Momma grumbles in her thick Georgia accent as she stashes the key in her pocket and turns to face me. Her eyes soften for a moment as she sees me and takes in the look in my eye.
Gently, she reaches up and cups the side of my face. She smiles tenderly for a moment and somehow just that gesture alone eases some of my fear.
"It is just you and me Stephie," she whispers in the night before quickly turning and looking around her as if scared that someone might hear.
My ear hears a noise in the background and we both jump. Birds take flightout of a nearby tree and I watch as they coast through the sky far away from here and I frown knowing that we are about to do the same and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
Soon, everything I ever knew will all be gone. Every place and every person I have ever met will be but a distant far awaymemory. Tears prick my eyes as I turn back and look at my mother.
The tenderness in her stare is now gone, and she grabs my hand tightly, pulling me down the steps from the run-down shotgun house I grew up in and out onto the gravel road.
"Come on baby," she insists, as she tugs my hand harder forcing me tofollow along faster. "I know you don't understand now, but one day you will."
Her words, though worrisome, somehow start to make everything a little more okay.
Momma is the only thing I have. Over the years growing up, I tried to make friends at school; every time I did, they didn't last long. No one wants their daughter associating with white trash. At least that is what I heard one of my short-lived friend's mother say when I was just ten.
The one night I was fortunate enough to attend my only sleepover I have ever been to in the 15 years I have unfortunately been alive.
When I was younger, it was easier to ignore even though I always heard parents whisper when I would come to school. Holes in my sneakers, stains on my dress, I was oblivious to it all. Until the night I finally got up the nerve to beg Momma to let me go to Tracy's party.
Ten years old is young, but old enough to learn the lesson of where I belong, and I didn't belong on the other side of the tracks, no matter how hard I tried.
Momma tugs my hand tighter as we make our way out to the road. Holding my hand is a gesture she hasn't forced since I was little, but tonight she is hell-bent on not letting me go as if she is worried that I am old enough to make up my own mind and fight. Fight to stay behind, in a world where I am not wanted.
And even though the thought occurred to me, I would be lost without Momma. The only choice is to follow. After a few more minutes, I force my hand away and she turns to look at me over her shoulder but never breaks stride.
Once she sees I am not turning around, that I am still following, she smiles and faces forward. We walk in silence as I try and piece together everything that led to Momma's sudden decision to flee. To leave everything behind in the middle of the night. I can't help but think whatever it is has to be worse than I could imagine.
Momma is a strong woman. She always stood up for me and always took my side when kids would tease me or when bullies follow me home. I could never imagine a reason why she would run. She always had more courage than anyone I ever knew and faced everything in life head-on.
She's been fighting for almost as long as I can remember. Soon after Daddy died when I was five, Momma got sick and has been in and out of the doctors since.
I take care of her, and her once full of life exterior has faded to frail and a sad shadow of the woman she once was. Still, I know the woman in front of me never backs down without a fight. So what is making her run now?
We come to a bus stop down the road from the house and Momma takes amoment to drop her suitcase and wrap her coat around her. She begins to cough, a nasty raspy cough, as she pulls her pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lights one.
"Momma," I scold. "You shouldn't be smoking. I thought you quit?"
She takes a large inhale off of her smoke and slowly lets it out. The white cloud mixes with the cool damp evening air and hangs in it as she turns to look at me.
"Just one baby," she pleads. "My nerves are shot." She backs away and tries to smooth out her appearance as she fumbles with her hands, straightening her shirt.
"I mean to look at me you'd swear I was more nervous than a whore in church on Easter Sunday."She laughs, but I can't help but frown as I see her shaking hand come up before she takes another drag off her cigarette. I've seen Momma many ways before, but never as upset as this.
Standing, staring at her for a moment, I watch her as she takes drag after drag from her smoke nervously and looks around us.
A knot forms in the pit of my stomach and I can't help but wonder why. So many questions in my mind begin with that word, and I fear I will never have any of the answers. But Momma has never steered me wrong before, having been the only one I've ever had to rely on, to never leave my side my entire life.
I push those thoughts, the questions, the unknowns, the fear to the back of my mind as I stand next to her in the gravel and wait, scared, nervous, anxious, trying to understand and wrap my brain around just where we are going and what that means for my future.
I hear the tires of the bus come down the road before I even have to look. Headlights shine down the street in front of us as I watch Momma throw her smoke to the floor and snuff it out.
When the bus comes to a stop, I look up just as the large doors swing open and a man who looks like he has been up for four days straight stares back down at the two of us.
"Where you headed?" He asks, as he eyes Momma up and down before licking his lips.
I can't deny Momma has always been a looker, but the gesture makes me shiver and I swallow over a nervous lump in my throat as he turns to look at me and a glimmer flashes in his eyes before a sick grin spreads across his face.
"Anywhere but here," Momma says as she tugs on my hand and we both quickly grab our suitcases. Once each, the only thing Momma would allow us both to take.
She climbs the step in front of me and I follow timidly. Every step up the metal surface a finality of sorts, taking me away from all that I have ever called home. I watch sadly as she hands the man two tickets before we pass by to find our seats.
"Next stop is Colorado." The man says as me and Momma walk towardsthe back of the slightly empty cab. "From there you can catch another ride further West, if you want."
Momma nods, even though the man can't see her, as we make our way to the last row. The doors close as I slump down into my seat and worry my bottom lip between my teeth as I look out the window to my world slowly slipping away.
"Don't look back, baby." I hear Momma say to me. I close my eyes as tears threaten to fall before looking over at her.
"Nothing good ever came from looking back." She smiles at me and pulls me close.
I rest my head on her shoulder as the bus jerks and bounces us down the gravel road, away from home and towards the unknown.
Something even with all the teasing, bullying, and lonely days and nights I never wanted.
Chapter 1 PROLOGUE
14/02/2025
Chapter 2 INNOCENT
14/02/2025
Chapter 3 I WANT TO KNOW HER
14/02/2025
Chapter 4 SCREW YOU, CHASE!
14/02/2025
Chapter 5 SHE MADE ME FEEL FREE
14/02/2025
Chapter 6 SENSATIONS
14/02/2025
Chapter 7 WITH HIM
14/02/2025
Chapter 8 YOU'RE STUNNING
14/02/2025
Chapter 9 US
14/02/2025
Chapter 10 HIS
14/02/2025
Chapter 11 ALL MEN WILL CHEAT
14/02/2025
Chapter 12 A BROKEN HEART
14/02/2025
Chapter 13 A BREAK
14/02/2025
Chapter 14 HI ANGEL
14/02/2025
Chapter 15 PROTECT ME
14/02/2025
Chapter 16 WHAT DO YOU SEE
14/02/2025
Chapter 17 IT'S STEPHANIE
14/02/2025
Chapter 18 IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN
14/02/2025
Chapter 19 TRUE OR FALSE
14/02/2025
Chapter 20 MORE
04/03/2025
Chapter 21 LOVE
04/03/2025
Chapter 22 COMPLICATED PAST
04/03/2025
Chapter 23 THE HATE
07/03/2025
Chapter 24 THE HATE
07/03/2025
Chapter 25 MATURE CONTENT
08/03/2025
Chapter 26 MY CATCH
08/03/2025
Chapter 27 UNEASE
12/03/2025
Chapter 28 HIS DECISION
12/03/2025
Chapter 29 SEDUCTION
14/03/2025
Chapter 30 OK
14/03/2025
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