Levi droppedme off in front of the Merc and said to give him a call when I was ready to be picked up. He made sure to program his phone number into my new phone and insisted I reach out if I saw Kyle slinking around town. For someone who’d been strong armed into giving me a place to stay, he was being very protective.
Reminded me of Kyle in a way, but Levi’s concern came from a very different place, and I got the sense he truly cared about me staying safe. Kyle always wanted to know exactly what I was doing, who I was with, and where I was going, but it was only because he wanted to control me. The brothers might share the same sandy blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes, but they couldn’t be more different on the inside.
I tucked thoughts of Levi away so I could focus on my trip into town. First, I needed to find a job. Preferably something where I would make more than minimum wage and would be able to squirrel away the money I’d need to move. I probably could have asked Ruby for a loan, but there was a teeny tiny part of me deep down inside that wanted to stick around to show Kyle he hadn’t broken me. I might end up regretting it, but I wanted to prove I could make it on my own before I left. I also needed tobuy a car and figure out where I wanted to land. With the entire world as an option, it would take a little while to decide where I wanted to start over.
Standing on the sidewalk in front of the Merc, I glanced up and down the main street running through town. Ace’s was always hiring since they tended to go through servers faster than the cafe went through huckleberry pie, but I wanted to minimize my chances of running into Kyle, so that was out.
I walked down the street, the new phone in my hand providing a sense of security and scanned the storefronts in search of aHelp Wantedsign.
“Brooklyn?”
I turned toward the familiar voice coming from behind me. “Oh, hey, Peyton.”
“Long time no see.” She reached out and gave me a quick hug. “What are you doing in town?”
Peyton had been one of the first friends I’d made when I moved to Mustang Mountain. Who was I kidding? She’d been the only friend I’d made, and that was just because she’d been dating one of Kyle’s friends at the time. After they broke up, Kyle didn’t want me hanging around her anymore, so I’d let our friendship go. Just one more thing I’d let him take away from me.
“I’m actually looking for a job.” I reached up and brushed my fingers over the bruise on my cheek, hoping the heavy concealer Ruby had given me covered it.
Peyton leaned close. “Is it true you left Kyle?”
A ribbon of fear coiled inside my belly. “Where did you hear that?”
“Where do you think? Word travels fast around here, you should know that.” Her eyes softened in sympathy. “He’s telling everyone he threw you out.”
I took in a shaky breath. It didn’t matter what he told people. As long as I was free of him, I didn’t care how it came about. “Yeah, we broke up.”
Peyton looked at me like she wasn’t sure how to react. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good.” Nodding, I tried to muster the confidence I didn’t feel inside. “It’s going to take some time to figure out my new normal, but I’m going to be just fine.”
“Of course you are.” She gave me a huge smile. “What kind of job are you looking for? We can always use new agents at the real estate office if you’re interested in that.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think I’m cut out to work in real estate.” Especially since I wasn’t planning on sticking around Mustang Mountain long enough to build a clientele.
“How about catering? I heard Lily is looking for some extra help.” Peyton tapped her finger against her lip. “Or you could probably start today over at Ace’s. He always has openings for servers.”
I’d already decided working at Kyle’s favorite watering hole wasn’t for me, but Lily’s catering company could be a good fit. As long as she didn’t need me to make toast.
“Thanks for the tip. I think I’ll stop in at Lily’s.” Though we hadn’t spent enough time together to form a close friendship, I’d always liked Peyton. It had been so long since I’d had a true friend, though, I wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. The friends I’d had back in Virginia had all been friends from college. When I started dating Kyle, we’d lost touch, and I hadn’t reached out to any of them since I’d been in Mustang Mountain.
“Do you want me to introduce you? I’ve got a few minutes before I have to meet a client at the office.” Peyton seemed so casual about it, like she wouldn’t be doing me a giant favor.
“Are you sure you have time?” I’d seen Lily a couple times around town and at the few events Kyle and I had attended, butdidn’t know her very well. A personal introduction from Peyton would be nice and would have the added benefit of helping me keep my nerves under control.
Peyton linked her arm with mine and we started down the sidewalk. “You’re going to love Lily. She’s almost as sweet as those caramel cookies she’s known for.”
Within half an hour, I’d secured a job with Lily’s Mountain Delight Catering Company for thirty hours a week, plus an invite to a girl’s night Lily and Peyton were planning in a few days. I was feeling so proud for putting myself out there that I decided to walk over to the cafe and treat myself to lunch before checking in with Levi.
I’d been such a recluse when I was with Kyle that I’d pretty much convinced myself I wasn’t good with other people. He’d always said he didn’t want to hang around others because he wanted to keep me all to himself. The truth was, he just wanted to control me, and it was easier to do that if he cut off all my connections to the outside world. I hadn’t been willing to see it at first, but as the weeks turned to months and the months turned into years, I’d had to face the truth.
I was so caught up in wishing I’d done things differently in the past, I didn’t see him sitting on the bench in front of me until it was too late.
“Hey, babe. We need to talk.”
My body shut down at the sound of his voice. His lips spread into a friendly smile, but there was ice in his tone. I shook my head and backed away, one small step at a time.
Kyle stood and moved closer. “It was just a misunderstanding, Brooklyn. It’s time for you to come home so we can make things right.”
