Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(132)

“Okay,” she says and shuffles down the hallway.

Beth whirls and her nostrils flare. “Get out, Ryan.”

“Not without you.”

Her fists curl and she smacks her leg with the words. “My. Mom.      Is. An. Alcoholic. And a heroin addict. Her boyfriend’s favorite pastime is      beating the shit out of me and if I’m not around he has no problem taking his      aggressions out on my mother. I have maybe minutes to get her out before he      comes back and kills us all.”

An eerie calm courses through me. Nobody hurts my girl. “He      hits you?”

“Yes, Ryan. He hits me and kicks me and slaps me. I’m his own      personal violent video game. If I don’t get my mom out of here he’s going to      kill her and if he doesn’t, then the heroin will.”

Every word Beth says is probably true, but I don’t care about      her mother. Beth is my only concern. “What’s going to happen to you if I let you      walk out this door with your mother? Do you honestly think that getting in a car      and driving to a different town is going to make anything better?”





Chapter 70

Beth

“YES,” I AUTOMATICALLY       ANSWER, but a voice in the back of my head screams no. “It has      to.”

Looking out of place in his baseball uniform, Ryan takes up      almost the entire living room thanks to his large body. “You know what I      think?”

“I think you lied to me.” He did and I try desperately to      hold on to that.

“I screwed up. I’m not perfect. I lied to my parents about      us, but I’ve owned up to dating you. They know I love you.”

It’s the right words, but... “You’re too late.”

“Bullshit!” Anger blazes out of his eyes. “For months I      thought you were the most courageous person I knew. You’ve never apologized for      being yourself, but standing here right now, I realize you’re a coward. You’re      so terrified of feeling anything that you’d rather give up everything good in      Groveton in order to feel safe.”

My head jerks to the side and my eyes narrow. “Safe? I’m      standing here in a f*cking drug den trying to save my mother from a boyfriend      who will be thrilled to kill me, then torture her. There is nothing safe about      this.”

“This is your safe. You’d rather struggle in this life than      live in Groveton.” He glances at the squalor of the apartment. “You feel in Groveton. In this life, you      don’t have to feel a thing and that makes you a coward.”

I drop the bag in my hand and raise a shaky hand to my      forehead. He’s wrong. He has to be. That’s not why I’m running. I need to save      my mom because if I don’t, who will?

Ryan closes the gap between us. My heart stutters when he      places a hand on my waist. “I wish I could say that I’m the one that drove you      away, but I’m not. I don’t have that power. You’ve been running from the moment      I met you and I’d bet you were running before that.

“You’re a lot like that bird in the barn. You’re so scared      you’re going to be caged in forever you can’t see the way out. You smack      yourself against the wall again and again and again. The door is open, Beth.      Stop running in circles and walk out.”

His other hand brushes the hair from my face and my lower      lip begins to tremble. “If I leave her she’ll die.” My gut twists and my eyes      burn.

He cups my face with his hands and I lean into his touch.      Ryan can always do this—make me feel safe. He continues, “If you stay it’ll kill      you. Maybe not physically, but you’ll die on the inside. If you don’t want me,      I’ll give you your space, but you have built so much more in Groveton besides      me. Give up on us if you need to, but don’t give up on you.”

The instinct is to flee. Instead, I grab on to his arms.      Fear claws at me and I don’t like how naked it makes me feel. “I’m scared.”

Ryan lowers his forehead to mine. “So am I, but I’ll be less      scared when we leave here.”

The front door opens. Bright sunlight blazes through the      door and a gust of cold air announces the entrance of the devil. Trent’s looming      figure stalks into the living room. Losing control of my body, I feel my hands      drop to my sides as my heart jumps to my throat. Ryan edges his body in front of      mine.