Runaways by Nicole Dykes
The next few months are fucking insane. And I mean insane. Da Silva took a plea deal when three other girls came forward and is spending a minimum of twenty-five years in prison. Enough? Fuck no. But twenty-five years is good.
It keeps him away from Rae for that long.
She still feels guilty, but she’s working through it. I hate what happened to those other girls. It’s not fair, and I’m grateful to the one who didn’t take his bullshit threats. Who had the courage to tell her parents who reported it in a different city.
Rae thinks she’s weak for running and not reporting him, but I know she’s not. She had to live with Colin threatening her every single day, feeling unsafe in her own home with a mother who refused to help her.
Speaking of that bitch, she’s thoroughly humiliated and ran away to California. Rae and I went back briefly, only to grab our IDs and for her to reclaim her trust fund, which, now that she’s eighteen, is all hers despite her mother’s protests.
I hate that she got away without any jail time. But for Rae’s mother, I think the humiliation is far worse. She was always about her image.
Rae didn’t have to see her though. The trust attorney told us about the fit she threw about Rae’s trust fund still going to her. Rae and I were seen as victims of a horrible circumstance. We were even able to get our GEDs.
Now, we’re back at the resort, and we’re Law and Rae. Legally.
“So what do you want now, Rae? What’s our next step?”
She leans into my chest as we look out over the lake, sitting on the dock. The sun is setting, and she sighs, “I want our own place.”
“We can do that.”
She smiles. “But I want our own resort.” I cock my head to the side, waiting for more of an explanation. “Not like this one. Not luxurious. More comfortable.”
I nod my head in understanding, looking back at the lake. “I think we could do that. More like cabins?”
“Yes.” Her grin widens. “Cabins would be awesome. We could use my trust fund.” She shrugs. “Even though it’s not much.”
“It’s enough. We can buy a fixer-upper.”
“And who’s going to help us fix it up?”
I smile and kiss the top of her head. “I can think of some people.”
Tammy moved out here with us after we returned, and honestly, I’m surprised Rae and I have time alone out here right now because Tammy hasn’t left her side since. She caught us up on the town drama, which really wasn’t that much other than the mayor’s daughter marrying the town’s local used-car dealer.
I mean, really not much to update us on. We both apologized for leaving her like we did, but she understood. Tammy is still awesome.
“Yeah. I think we found our people, Lawson.”
“Whatever you want, Rae. I’m all in.”
She kisses me and then lays her head on my shoulder.
This is our home now. And I have no idea how we ended up being some of the lucky people.
I always thought I was cursed.
Turns out, though, Rae changed everything for the better.
