“I can’t stay tonight. I’m going out with Casey and Parker.”
“Then you should go,” he says.
“I will once I’ve cleaned everything up.”
“Freya, it’s like two pans and a plate. I can do it.”
“It’s my job,” I argue.
“Which I pay you for. So if I’m letting you go early, take it. Go and get dressed up and have some fun.”
Excitement tingles inside me. “Are you really sure?” I ask, checking over the state of the kitchen. I was cleaning up as I went, so it really isn’t that bad.
“I’m sure. Go and enjoy yourself. You deserve it.”
“Thank you,” I say, grabbing my purse and tote from the stool. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Throwing my purse over my shoulder, I head toward the door.
“See you in the morning, whirlwind.”
I pause the second the nickname hits me before spinning around.
“Whirlwind?” I echo.
“Yeah,” he muses. “Seems fitting, don’t you think?”
I think about how I greeted him yesterday by banging my head against the cupboard, and then throwing eggs all over the floor this morning.
Maybe he has a point.
Until yesterday, his life and apartment were calm and tidy. That all changed the moment I walked in.
“Have a great evening,” I say with a smile.
“You too. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I’m still laughing as I let myself out of his apartment.
I go straight to the garage, and the second I step out, I notice something that passed me by first thing this morning.
My car stands out like a sore thumb.
It’s old. The paintwork is faded. There’s some rust at the back and a dent in the driver’s door from where I opened it on a post. I’ve had it for years. Honestly, I didn’t expect Mom and Dad to keep it while I was gone. But every time I came home, she was sitting in our driveway, waiting for me. And to my astonishment, when I moved back here and finally climbed into her, she started. She’s not always reliable, but the old girl is still going strong.
Ignoring the fact that she’s by far the oldest and most battered car in the lot, I get into her and send a message to the girls that I’m heading home and excited to see them, before I start the engine and put Cole and my first day behind me.
As I drive, I notice how much lighter I feel. It’s amazing what a little bit of hope can do to a girl. And an hour later, wrapped in a cute minidress with my hair and makeup done, I almost feel like the girl I barely remember.
Knowing she’s still in there, buried deep beneath the heartbreak and betrayal, is the best feeling in the world.
8
FREYA
Awolf whistle hits my ears as soon as I step out of the rideshare. For a moment, I panic, but then I look up and find my two friends smiling at me as they take in my outfit.
“Freya, you look banging,” Parker exclaims.
“Yeah,” Casey agrees. “This new job is already doing wonders for you.”
