I’m cleaning up my spare room because I have a crew coming over today to turn it into a nursery.Bridger will need his own room and I have extra ones to give him his space while Nora has her own room right next door.She picked the rooms and I even offered my master bedroom to her because she’ll be here more than I will.Once I’m done helping my best friend, I have to pick back up on the tour with Wicked Angels.Jagger has already issued a press release about me having a family emergency and having to leave the tour for a little bit.Someone else will take my place until I can rejoin.
My phone starts to ring from the bed where I left it so I could start dismantling the furniture in this room.Looking down, I see Nora’s name on the screen and immediately rush to answer the call.
“Hey, Babe.How are things going at the apartment?”I ask her, trying to keep my voice light and gentle because she’s been so emotional and I understand why.
“Can I meet you with Bridger?He’s ready to eat and it’s slowing me down.I just want to get out of here, Keaton,” she asks me as if I won’t take my Godson so she can get the work done she needs to.
“Of course.I told you I’d come to the apartment to help you,” I remind her as she sighs on her end of the call.
“I know.But if Dillon shows up, I don’t want you involved in whatever he decides to do,” she says, the same words I’ve heard countless times since we started talking about this.“You’ve already seen me at my lowest, Keaton and that’s never how I wanted you to view me.I used to be so strong and now I’m just a weak, pathetic woman who lets a man control her and beat the hell out of her.”
“You’re the strongest woman I know, Nora.Yeah, you stayed longer than you should have with Dillon, but you had your reasons.He held you hostage if I’m being honest.Dillon has your bank card, credit card, and uses any tactic he can to convince you to stay with him when he sees you hitting your breaking point.You’ve made the decision to leave him behind to rebuild yourself and the life you want for Bridger.That makes you so much stronger than you believe you are.I’ll meet you at the parking lot where the abandoned shopping center is.I know you won’t allow me closer to the apartment than that in caseheshows up,” I tell her honestly because I know how hard this decision is for Nora.It’s one of the hardest choices she’s ever made in her life and I know it’s taking every ounce of strength she thought she lost to follow through and actually leave him.
“Okay.I’ll start heading that way now.I’ll walk over with Bridger so Dillon sees my car in the parking lot of the complex if he shows back up,” Nora says before hanging up the phone and I rush out to meet her.
Grabbing my keys, I don’t bother with anything else as I head for the garage and climb in my car.I’ve got an SUV, a truck, and a car.Since I’ll have Bridger, it will be easier for me to use the car since his car seat is already in place.Nora made sure I had one vehicle with a car seat after Bridger was born because she knew I’d want to take him so she could have alone time to shower, eat, sleep, or do whatever else she needed to while recovering from his birth.
After leaving the house, I make my way across town to the ‘bad’ side.It’s where Dillon forced Nora to move so he wouldn’t have to leave all of his so-called friends.The people who support his idiotic tendencies to blow money he doesn’t have to spend and cheat on his girlfriend who sits at home doing nothing unless he tells her she can.People who constantly talk shit about Nora and make her feel even worse than Dillon does on a daily basis.Of course, the women he cheats with are all there too.
It doesn’t take me long to get to the parking lot where I see Nora walking up to the car.My eyes dart around for any signs of Dillon.I don’t know if he’d be in a vehicle or walking, that’s one of the problems with trying to make sure someone doesn’t get too close to you.I park close to the entrance as Nora quickens her pace.I can see how nervous my best friend is as she practically races to my car.Getting out, I open the back door so we can get Bridger in his seat as quickly as possible.
“Here you go,” Nora says, handing her son to me as I hear the squeal of tires like someone just locked up their brakes in an attempt to stop as fast as possible.My head shoots up and I know the shit is about to hit the fan when the car whips into the parking lot and heads for mine.“Get him inside and lock the doors.Now!”
Nora yells as I dive in my car with Bridger and close the door behind me.I lean over my seat as carefully as possible to lock the doors as the second car almost hits mine before stopping.Nora is trying to get away when the door is shoved open and I get my first glimpse of an unhinged Dillon screaming at her.I can’t make out the words he’s screaming, but I can hear the venom lacing his voice as he gets in her face.One of his hands is gripping her arm way tighter than he needs to.I move to strap Bridger in the car seat as he looks up at me with his wide, innocent eyes.Tears fill mine as I realize today is about to be one of the worst experiences of my life.
Once Bridger is strapped in his seat, I reach forward again to grab my key fob.Getting out of the car, I quickly lock the doors again as Dillon stops screaming and pulls a gun from his jeans.
“Dillon, what are you thinking?”I ask him, trying to move in front of Nora to protect her.
“This is all your fault, you stupid bitch!”he screams at me, his face red as his entire body shakes.
Dillon’s clothes are all wrinkled and stained with food and what appears to be blood.There’s a huge bruise on his arm where he’s injected something into his body.I can clearly see track marks on his skin as he steps closer to me.His body odor is so horrible it gags me as I try to hold back from throwing up on him.Dillon’s hair is standing up on end like he’s run his fingers through it repeatedly.He’s lost his damn mind and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he’s currently high as hell on something.
“I haven’t done anything, Dillon.Nora hasn’t either.We’re just going out to grab some lunch,” I lie to him in some kind of weak attempt to talk him down.
“That’s bullshit!Nora hasn’t been home in days.She won’t answer her phone when I call either.You talked her into leaving me.That’s not gonna happen, Keaton.I’m good for her and you’re not going to come between the two of us.You won’t rob Bridger of a family because you’re a selfish bitch,” Dillon screams, spittle landing on me as I flinch in response.
“I’m not going anywhere, Baby,” Nora says, her voice breaking and wavering with the fear filling her body as she trembles behind me.“Keaton’s home for a small break and asked Bridger and I to lunch before she heads back out on the road.I promise that’s all that’s happening here.I wasn’t home for two days because Bridger got sick.Remember, I sent you a message and you told me to take him to the hospital?”
Dillon doesn’t say anything for a minute.He actually appears to be thinking about my best friend’s words as he starts to drop the hand holding the gun and I release the breath I’ve been holding.
“That’s a damn lie!Bridger isn’t sick,” Dillon finally says, raising his arm once more and pointing the gun at Nora.
Before I can move more in front of her, he pulls the trigger.The explosion of the gun going off fills the air around us as time seems to slow down to nothing.I turn my head and watch in horror as the bullet hits Nora’s chest and she starts to collapse to the ground.Grabbing her, I fall with her and keep her head and chest in my lap as a scream rips from me.It’s guttural and full of the pain ricocheting through me as my eyes remain locked on my best friend.
“Nora!No!Don’t close your eyes!”I scream as the world around me fades to nothing but my best friend and me.“You still have so much life to live and a son who needs you to protect him and teach him how to be the best version of himself he can be.Someone kind and gentle who protects those he loves and doesn’t stand down when it seems like the world is against him.Nora!”
“I-I-I l-l-love B-B-Bridger and y-y-you,” Nora stammers as blood runs out of her mouth and her breathing becomes labored.She can barely get a breath in as she tries to look up at me with unfocused eyes.“L-L-Lawyer.”
I watch as Nora’s eyes slowly slide closed and the breath in her chest stops.Tears fall from my eyes as I rock her back and forth, running my fingers through her hair.
“Help!Someone help me!”I scream, not taking my attention from the woman in my arms who’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember.“Help!Nora, don’t you leave us.You stay with us!”
“Miss, I’m calling emergency services right now,” someone says but I can’t see who it is or where they are.“The shooter has left already.I got the license plate of the car.”
I don’t respond as I keep rocking Nora and gently touching her face and hair.Nothing else matters in this moment except for my best friend as I watch her chest stop rising and falling.I’ve lost her and she’s not going to come back.Dillon has robbed me of a life with my best friend because he’s a selfish prick who can’t stand to lose.Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I manage to send a message to Memphis.
Me: Need you.
