It’s evident I have some serious shit to work through.
Space could be good for me. But also…
“You sure you don’t want to go? I just called off our wedding, Sydney. People are going to talk. Fuck, will they ever. I don’t want you having to deal with my mess.”
She waves me off before leaning down to kiss my forehead softly. “The only one you need to worry about talking to is my father. But I’ll fight him off till you get back. Don’t worry about the rest of them. They got an all-expenses-paid trip to Nashville out of it. I’d hardly count that as a loss.”
I guess that’s one plus to Sydney coming from money.
A smile creeps up my face, shocked to feel even a sliver of joy right now. I know I’m a long way off from better, but I’m hopeful of what’s to come.
It may take me forever to get there, but I intend to startprioritizing myself. No matter what it takes. And I can only hope Sydney does the same for herself.
“Okay, I’ll go,” I tell her calmly. “But there’s still some things we need to talk about when I get back.”
Sydney nods. “I know. And all that can wait. I’ll get my stuff cleared out of the condo while you’re gone and have everything figured out before you get back.”
“You’re welcome to stay however long you need. Hell, you can have it if you want. The lease is up in a few months anyway. If you need me to cover the rent, just say the word.”
She smiles. “Nah. That’s okay. I think I’d prefer to start fresh. It’s kind of exciting, actually.” Just when I think she’ll tell me her plans, her smile falls. “It may take some time to rebuild, but I’m ready to try.”
“You wish Ben were here?” I ask, feeling the sting of his absence myself.
One simple nod is enough to tell me I did the right thing for both of us. I place my palm over her heart. “He’s right there, remember?”
Tears fill her eyes as a choked sob leaves her lips. “Thank you, Easton. You saved me from so much pain. Past and future. Now, you go find out who Easton Voss is without all this.” She waves her hands around us, and a strong sense of hope washes over me.
“I’ll do my best, Syd. I promise you that.”
2
COLLIE
“What doyou mean my flight is canceled? Planes fly through bad weather all the time.”
“Ma’am, I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. Unfortunately, we cannot allow passengers to board until we get word from the inbound crew confirming the weather has cleared up. It’s a precaution that’s strictly for the safety of all passengers on board.”
“What kind of bad weather could there possibly be in Tennessee during the winter?”
“Fog, ma’am. There’s vapor fog in the air due to the cold temperatures.”
I yank my suitcase to my side, the same one now suffering from a broken wheel, and hike my weekender bag over my shoulder. “You mean to tell me…I’m missing my flight back home because offog?”
The poor guy looks ready to bolt. “Yes, ma’am.”
I inch my face closer to his, reading his name tag just in case I need to bethat girland ask for a manager. I’m not above it today. “Thomas, is it?”
The terrified airline worker nods.
“Can I call you Thomas? That good with you?”
Another nod. “Excellent. Now, listen here, Thomas. Picture yourself in my shoes. You just get off a work conference in Nashville, only to get fired right before heading to the airport to travel back home. Your boss basically buys you off with a five-thousand-dollar check that you quite literally would rather burn than take from her at this point. Then, you show up at the airport, only to be run over by a group of church kids hustling past you and bust your ass on the concrete. But wait. You thought it was only concrete, and come to find out it’s icy mud. Yep, you heard that right. Mud. So, not only did I get mud all over my favorite sweatpants, I also broke a freaking wheel on my suitcase. And now this! How does that kind of morning sound to you?”
Thomas looks close to tears. I’m very much acting out of character, but I’m too far gone. Might as well see my sassy behavior through.
“Uh…that sounds pretty bad, ma’am.”
“You betcha, it is. So, I apologize if I seem a little dramatic?—”
