right,” she whispered, her voice thick. “Maybe if I’d just listened…” She hunched her shoulders. “Never mind. No sense in bringing up the past.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t marry him. Maybe now you can start over, pick up the pieces and focus on what you want. That’s always been a problem for you.”
Allina was a gifted seamstress, and her dream was to design gowns. He wished she hadn’t been so willing to abandon that dream for Isaac, but the good news was she could still make it a reality. He was pretty sure Cali was still interested in going into business with Allina like they had planned before she’d started dating that clown.
Reaching out, she grazed his chin with her fingertips, and he almost forgot to breathe. Closing his eyes, he willed that more between them away. She’s better off .
Standing up, he squeezed her hand. He needed to put some space between them. He eyed the door. “I have some work to do,” he lied. “Rest now.”
“Good night, Kent.”
“Night.”
C hapter Seven
A llina woke up with a start, practically tumbling out of the bed, arms swinging like she was fighting. She didn’t even realize she was screaming until Kent charged into the bedroom. It was the second time since Kent had left her that she’d drifted off to sleep and had a nightmare.
She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, grateful that it was finally morning, albeit early morning. It had been a horrible night.
Kent approached the bed tentatively. “Allina, it’s going to be okay. It was just a bad dream.” He sat down on the bed next to her, his presence immediately putting her at ease.
“It was so real,” she whimpered, clutching the thin sheet to her chest. “I thought he was going to…” Kill me . She didn’t even want to say the words out loud. It was ridiculous. Wasn’t it? It made more sense for him to just let her go. Would he?
Kent pulled her into his arms. “I won’t let him hurt you,” he promised. He’d told her that countless times, but he couldn’t be there every minute of every day. Allina didn’t doubt that Kent would do everything he could to protect her. She knew he would, but she had to start making wise decisions herself. Staying away would work for only so long. It just wasn’t realistic since her parents were in Ohio. She wouldn’t allow herself to let her guard down anymore.
Lying back on the bed, she stared at the ceiling. “I need to get myself together.” Even though her words were directed toward him, she was talking more to herself.
“Allina, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since you left. There’s a lot that has to happen. It’s going to take time.”
Aunt Laura had disrupted her sleep for years. It had taken years for her to work through everything that had happened then. It was hard, but she’d done it.
But now, it seemed Aunt Laura was back, taking up residence in her dreams. Except this time, she was with Isaac. He was chasing her, and Aunt Laura was helping him. Laura had promised to destroy her if she told anyone. Isaac had basically done the same thing. Two people who were supposed to love her had threatened to kill her. It was no wonder she was terrified. For a long time, she’d thought her life was ruined.
“I just don’t have it in me to go through this again,” she said, her voice cracking. “What did I do wrong? Why did God let this happen to me?” Allina had done what she was told—went to college, worked hard, and didn’t turn her back on God, even though there were times when she thought she’d buckle from the pressure. “I’ve always tried to do the right thing—no cheating or stealing—and I thought Isaac was the man that God sent for me. And even with him, there were things I didn’t do. I waited…” She was unable to finish her sentence and reveal that she’d avoided random relationships with men, never even went to second base. “It feels like God is punishing me for something.”
A flicker
“It’s a good thing you didn’t marry him. Maybe now you can start over, pick up the pieces and focus on what you want. That’s always been a problem for you.”
Allina was a gifted seamstress, and her dream was to design gowns. He wished she hadn’t been so willing to abandon that dream for Isaac, but the good news was she could still make it a reality. He was pretty sure Cali was still interested in going into business with Allina like they had planned before she’d started dating that clown.
Reaching out, she grazed his chin with her fingertips, and he almost forgot to breathe. Closing his eyes, he willed that more between them away. She’s better off .
Standing up, he squeezed her hand. He needed to put some space between them. He eyed the door. “I have some work to do,” he lied. “Rest now.”
“Good night, Kent.”
“Night.”
C hapter Seven
A llina woke up with a start, practically tumbling out of the bed, arms swinging like she was fighting. She didn’t even realize she was screaming until Kent charged into the bedroom. It was the second time since Kent had left her that she’d drifted off to sleep and had a nightmare.
She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, grateful that it was finally morning, albeit early morning. It had been a horrible night.
Kent approached the bed tentatively. “Allina, it’s going to be okay. It was just a bad dream.” He sat down on the bed next to her, his presence immediately putting her at ease.
“It was so real,” she whimpered, clutching the thin sheet to her chest. “I thought he was going to…” Kill me . She didn’t even want to say the words out loud. It was ridiculous. Wasn’t it? It made more sense for him to just let her go. Would he?
Kent pulled her into his arms. “I won’t let him hurt you,” he promised. He’d told her that countless times, but he couldn’t be there every minute of every day. Allina didn’t doubt that Kent would do everything he could to protect her. She knew he would, but she had to start making wise decisions herself. Staying away would work for only so long. It just wasn’t realistic since her parents were in Ohio. She wouldn’t allow herself to let her guard down anymore.
Lying back on the bed, she stared at the ceiling. “I need to get myself together.” Even though her words were directed toward him, she was talking more to herself.
“Allina, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since you left. There’s a lot that has to happen. It’s going to take time.”
Aunt Laura had disrupted her sleep for years. It had taken years for her to work through everything that had happened then. It was hard, but she’d done it.
But now, it seemed Aunt Laura was back, taking up residence in her dreams. Except this time, she was with Isaac. He was chasing her, and Aunt Laura was helping him. Laura had promised to destroy her if she told anyone. Isaac had basically done the same thing. Two people who were supposed to love her had threatened to kill her. It was no wonder she was terrified. For a long time, she’d thought her life was ruined.
“I just don’t have it in me to go through this again,” she said, her voice cracking. “What did I do wrong? Why did God let this happen to me?” Allina had done what she was told—went to college, worked hard, and didn’t turn her back on God, even though there were times when she thought she’d buckle from the pressure. “I’ve always tried to do the right thing—no cheating or stealing—and I thought Isaac was the man that God sent for me. And even with him, there were things I didn’t do. I waited…” She was unable to finish her sentence and reveal that she’d avoided random relationships with men, never even went to second base. “It feels like God is punishing me for something.”
A flicker
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