It took her a moment to place the voice, and when she did, she felt bile climb in her throat.What was the man who wanted to marry her while she lived at the convent doing there?How the hell had he found her?She tried to concentrate on what they were saying, but it was next to impossible when her heartbeat was thundering in her ears.
“I’m glad you were able to find me,” Derek Sanchez said.
“I heard you were looking for her,” Thomas said.
A searing pain in her gut just about doubled her over.Why would he bring that man into their home?Then a thought popped into her mind.Maybe Thomas wanted to get rid of her, and this was his way of doing it?She knew he’d been quiet the last few days, but when she had asked, he told her it was nothing for her to worry about.Had this been what he was doing?Planning on giving her to the man?
But he knew how she felt about the guy.She’d told him how uncomfortable he made her.Why would he do that?He’d said he loved her, but what if he hadn’t meant it, or after he’d gotten to know her better, he found her lacking and didn’t want to tie himself to her anymore?
“She’ll be back in a while.Come back in a few hours, and you can see her,” Thomas said.
“I’ll do that,” Sanchez said and walked out the door.
Angel peeked around the corner to see her daddy—no, Thomas—pinching the bridge of his nose, which was a telltale sign of his distress.She jerked back when he turned to go into his office.
Angel leaned against the wall and concentrated on calming down.She needed to get her thoughts in order.Her first course of action was to pack what she could carry and leave as quickly as possible.There was no way she’d be able to handle Thomas handing her over to another man.
She bit down on her lip when a groan of pain started to slip from her lips.She didn’t have time to weep.There would be plenty of time later when she was alone and hidden.
She rushed up the stairs, pulled a bag from the back of the closet, and started stuffing a few pairs of jeans and shirts into it.She grabbed a few pairs of panties and socks before rushing into the bathroom.She took the smallest container of shampoo, toothpaste, and soap to keep the bag from being too heavy for her to carry.
The last thing she wanted was her blanket, which she had brought with her when she came to be with him.She had to swallow and grit her teeth to keep from crying out.She hurried across the hall to the bedroom she used before and found the blanket folded in the closet.
She was walking out the door when she decided to write him a note:
Thomas, I’m sorry I left without a proper goodbye, but I thought this would be easier for you.I’m sorry things didn’t work out with us, but I would rather die than go with that man.I wish you had just told me you wanted me to leave instead of finding the man I was supposed to marry.I would have left peacefully because you’ve done so much for me.I’ll never forget you.Please be safe.Scrappy
She looked around one more time before walking down the stairs.She was careful to be quiet because she didn’t want anyone to catch her before she got away.
It seemed to take forever, but it was, in truth, only a few minutes for her to sneak out of the house.She heard many voices and turned in the opposite direction.There was a tree line within yards of the house, so she took off into it.At the moment, she didn’t have any other idea, and she knew it.If she walked to the road, the chances of being caught were high.
When she felt she was at least a mile from the house, she began to breathe more easily.She kept her mind on the task of moving as far from Thomas as she could.She had plenty of time to cry later.
At least a few hours had passed, and the shadows in the forest grew, making it hard for her to see.She knew she had to find a place to stay for the night because she couldn’t keep walking in the dark.She’d hurt herself.
Angel suddenly saw what looked like a rundown shack through the trees.When she got within a few feet of it, she realized it wasn’t as bad as she thought.She stayed still and listened for any sign of a human, and when she was sure she was alone, she carefully opened the door.
There were a few cots with pillows and blankets folded on top of them.There was a fireplace and enough wood to last for a few days.Across the room was a counter and shelves lined with cans of food and spices.
She set her bag down on one of the cots and lit one of the lanterns on the table.Nighttime was descending quickly, making it nearly impossible to see anything, so she needed to get enough light to see in the tiny cabin.
Angel opened a few cupboards and found a case of bottled water.Although she wanted nothing more than to roll up in her blanket, she needed to drink because she was incredibly thirsty.
When she finished the one bottle, she took the lantern over to the cot that had her things.She set everything but the blanket on the floor.When she finally got settled, she rolled herself into her blanket, staring up at the ceiling as the flame from the lantern danced on the wood.
She wasn’t aware she had been silently crying until a pain ripped through her and a sob tore from her throat.Angel turned her head into the pillow and wept until her throat hurt and her eyes burned.She tried her best to keep her thoughts from dwelling on the last few hours, but she always came back to the picture of Thomas standing by the front door, looking sad, and the tears would come again.
Although she felt her life was coming to an end, she knew she’d made the right decision to leave without having him tell her to go.She knew it would be hard on him because he did care for her, at least a little, and she didn’t want him hurting.
She knew the betrayal would eventually make her feel like dirt, but she was too tired, and the feeling of being lost was overwhelming her.She knew she needed to try to get some rest because she had a lot of miles to walk the next day, and she’d need her strength.
As she dozed, her thoughts went to the night Thomas had first made love to her.It was unlike anything she could have imagined.Although there had been a sharp pain when he entered her the first time, she would never get over the feeling of being connected to another person.
It had felt like they were one, and since then, they had had sex several times.He had never been able to get enough of her, or so she thought.How could he have been so loving to her and want to throw her away at the same time?It was a question she thought she’d never get the answer to.
