Book 2 - Into the Light

Chapter Ten

"You know I am pretty proud of you too you know," Gunnar says to Victoria. Catching her off guard. She looks at him confused. "Everything you have been through. You still have that light about you,"

She sits chewing her breakfast absorbing the words she just heard. "Broken hearts love the most because we know what pain feels like. I don't want anyone to ever feel that and if they do, they should know they are not alone," She responds.

"How are you so strong?"

"I never got the chance to be anything less," she responds. "Maybe next year I can finally do things for myself. I hadn't really thought about what to do."

"Before all of that, what did you want?" Gunnar asks.

She laughs at the question. "I don't know, I mean, it was always about getting to the next day. I guess I just want to settle down in one place to call home. Like a permanent place. Before the apartment you saw, we stayed in public housing or with my parent's "friends". Once we spent a few weeks living out of the car. That was different,"

"You lived in a car?"

She nods her head looking down at her plate of food.

"Baby, I am so sorry," Gunnar apologizes.

"Why are you sorry? It wasn't your fault,"

"Because I never knew or even asked. I feel so selfish!" he says.

Victoria laughs hard. "You selfish? Gunnar you are the most selfless person. Listen I didn't let you in back in the day but I let you in further than anyone else at that age. You loved me and because of that, I was able to tell a few people what happened and not be embarrassed. It's taken years but I promise I never saw you as selfish," she pats his leg and looks up at him. "Now let's clean up and get out of here, what do you say?

"You got it," Gunnar smiles down at her.

Getting dressed, Victoria sits at the end of the bed putting her shoes on and zones out. Is this what settling down looks like? One place, one home, one person? She was always jealous of Gunnar that he had one parent who loved him then he ended up with two parents and siblings. They gave him that strong foundation of family and love. It wasn't easy but they wanted to be in each other's lives. She would've given anything to have that and sitting here with him makes her want it all over again.

"Beautiful Belle, are you ok?" he looks at her worried.

"Yeah, come on my beast lets go!" she smiles at him.

They climb in his truck and head to his center. Pulling up its all brick, old factory looking building. Green vines cover one side of the building and Victoria smiles at the look. This is all Gunnar. There is a big gym behind the building and she can't help but look at Gunnar with such admiration.

"This is incredible!"

"Thanks! I am really proud of it. I don't need big or fancy, just something, you know,"

"A safe place," she says.

Gunnar nods his head, "Exactly"

"Hey, Guys!" Josh says walking up to them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Hey! Showing Victoria around. You in town for a while?" Gunnar asks.

"Nah, heading back tonight. Just came to talk to Austin and his mom. I got word his dad's locked up again," Josh says.

"What for? I thought he was in the halfway house?" Gunnar asks.

"He was, but decided to fail a drug test so they locked him up," Josh explains.