Page 85 of Dare You to Run
“I’m sure there’s a list of things you find that are wrong about me. I’m older. I’m not so perfect. I live two states away. But all that should really matter is that I want to be with your daughter.”
“Do you love her?” Vaughan snarls.
“It’s headed that way.” The honesty is shocking to both of our ears. “Look. The distance between you three is killing her. Every day, the hurt takes over the joy a little more. I hate that I can’t be there physically to reassure her, but that’s your job. I’m not her parent, just the man who’s going to fall to pieces if she ever leaves.”
Camille’s eyes blink rapidly as she bats away the tears that build, and Vaughan’s throat bobs as he swallows.
“She’s hurting?” he asks.
“She is. Dagen won’t tell me as much, but I can hear it in her voice. She misses you guys. She misses Sloane and AJ, but she’s afraid to call because she sees it as caving to your demands. You don’t have to like me. That’s fine. But she does. Did you ever think that there may be something redeeming about me to have your daughter so blatantly disobey you? She’s the most pure and loving person I’ve ever met. I don’t think she’d fight so hard for something so evil.” My body sags in my chair as I breathe out the last word.
A tear falls over Camille’s lid and Vaughan’s breathing turns more labored. They both are flimsy dams waiting to burst. It’s obvious they feel the same pain and distance Dagen does.
“I’m going to be here for her as long as she’ll have me, but I won’t come between a family. If you can’t find a way to accept our relationship then…then I’ll have to break her heart. What’s something you can see yourself living with and being okay with? Me in your life, or a broken daughter?”
Neither one says a thing as they stare at each other. My nerves are warring with my anger. I want to bang on this table and scream at them to wake up. If they can’t see what harm they’re doing, one of us is going to lose Dagen and I don’t think any of us will survive a life without her.
After another minute passes in silence, I slowly rise from my chair and walk over to where AJ sits. I squat down and she smiles at me.
“I have to go, AJ. Be a good girl?” She nods, a food pouch still attached to her mouth. “Can I have a high five?”
She puts down her pouch and holds her chubby hand up to mine, giving it a hard smack.
“Bye bye, chicken,” she giggles.
“Bye bye.” I tap her little nose and brave myself to make the drive to Dagen’s house. I don’t know how she’s going to feel about this. I’m worried I may have just made it so much worse.
“Hendrix. Wait please.” I freeze in my tracks, terrified that Vaughan may be hiding another gun that has a bullet with my name on it.
He steps toe to toe with me, his face still hard and unreadable, then holds his hand out. I gawk at it, wondering if it’s going to rise and wrap around my throat. When he holds steady, I take it cautiously with my hand.
“That took some balls to come here. Not many men would be brave enough to face the unapproving father of the woman they’d move mountains for, and I respect that. It’s just…it’s hard for a dad to admit he’s not the number one man in his daughter’s life. It hurts like hell, but I hate that I’ve brought her so much pain.”
He drops my hand and Camille stands beside him, supporting him with a gentle touch. I get a flash of what life with Dagen could be like. The stubborn and the strong part. I feel like maybe Vaughan and I have some things in common. Mainlyhow we each want to protect Dagen from things that threaten to break her.
“I just want to see her happy, sir. She makes me happy so I think it’s the least I can do for her. And right now, she could use some more happiness in her life. I’m headed up to see her. I should be there just after her last class and hopefully before her study group.”
“You know all of that?” Camille asks.
Nodding I tell them, “I know when she wakes and when she eats. I know what she dreams about and what makes her smile each day. This isn’t some momentary fascination for me. I don’t know where this relationship is headed, but I’m traveling down this road wherever it may lead.”
Camille gives me a warm smile and rests her head on Vaughan’s shoulder. “Have you eaten, Hendrix?”
“No ma’am. I grabbed coffee and headed straight here. I wanted to be sure to catch y’all before you got busy with your day.”
“AJ,” she calls. “Want to help me make Hendrix some breakfast?”
Little arms raise high up in the air and she pops up from her chair, abandoning the puzzle and cartoons.
“Chicken. His name is chicken, Momma.” We all laugh as she rushes into the kitchen, dragging a stool over to the stove. “Are we gonna cook or what?”
Vaughan pats my shoulder and passes me a look that I interpret as an approval. A silent one, but one nonetheless.
THIRTY-FOUR
My professor droneson and on and I watch the clock as each second passes. For two days I’ve been battling a stomach bug and right now, I just need this class to be over so I can rush to the bathroom and empty out the granola bar I had before walking in here.
“You okay?” Lizzie asks from her seat beside me.
