For Once In My Life (Stevens Book 2)

Chapter 14

After traveling around, Dana had ended up in a small little town in far west Texas. It was a quirky little college town that was surprisingly liberal in its views.  There were a lot of students who ended up staying because it was one of the few places that they had ever honestly felt accepted.

Here, Dana was just another college student.  No one asked her about her past or wanted her to share her deepest secrets.  She was accepted at face value, and she did her best to do the same for the people that she met.

She felt she was finally coming to terms with the fact that Quinn was no longer in her life. If she chose to think about it, which she generally didn't, she very seldom thought of her time with Marcus, which should have been much more devastating than her time with Quinn.  Quinn was where the ache was. Perhaps it was because she had never really cared for Marcus.

Quinn, however, was never far from her thoughts, but she managed to hold his memory at bay a little bit longer each day. There had been many nights where she had cried herself to sleep, and her new roommate, Phoenix West, who was just as determined to forget his past as she was to forget hers, had to have heard her through their thin walls and said nothing. He would just have an extra-large cup of coffee waiting for her when she emerged red-eyed the next morning.

But she was ready for a change. She was caught up on her studies and had even managed to jump ahead a few semesters by doubling up on classes. Her advisors had told her she would overwhelm herself, but she found that the busier she was, the less time she had to think. Now, it was time to test the waters. It was spring break the following week, so she was going to relax, watch T.V, read books, and try to live a life that wasn't wholly packed from morning till night with tasks to complete.  She was going to live like an average person who was getting a little easier to do every day.

Dana pulled her old beat up car in front of the library and quickly dropped off her books before picking out a few good murder mysteries to keep her company. It was her night to get dinner, and she had picked up a pizza, and she didn't want it to get cold, and It was almost closing time, but she just had time to get a few more books to read for the week. 

Dana was sure that when she got home, Phoenix would be curled up on the sofa with Ace, and they would both be snoring away while some old black and white movie was playing in the background.

Phoenix had told her that morning that he was going to show her a movie that would change her life. Dana had her doubts, but part of Phoenix's charm was his deliberate exaggeration about everything.

As Dana stepped out of the library, she inhaled the sharp, crisp air.  It was truly beautiful country, and most of it was untouched and pristine. The only other place she had felt so totally at peace was at the Ranch.

The drive back to their small rental house was a short one, and when she pulled up into the drive and didn't see any lights on so, she was a little concerned. Phoenix had texted her earlier to remind her that she was in charge of dinner so he should be there.

When she walked into the house, it was silent. She moved into the kitchen and turned on the light, and she almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Phoenix sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands.

"Phoenix? Are you alright?" Dana quickly set her things down and moved towards him.  Ace was lying at his feet, his head on his paws, but when he saw her, he jumped up to greet her.  He was her comfort, and it seemed Phoenix's too.  Ace was a ragged old hound dog mix she had found on the side of the road, injured, just as Quinn had found her, and it seemed fitting that she pay it forward, so she took him in and gave him a home.

He groaned as he always did when she scratched him behind his ears. He was a sweet old thing, and it was apparent he was not long for this world, but she would make his last day's good ones.