Page 32 of Buck ’Em Cowgirl

“No,” I shouted back, more forcefully than intended. “I do not. I ran away because that was a one-time thing.”

Sure, it was healing as fuck. Because never in my life had I felt so connected to someone. It was like some part of me came alive when he took control—when he showed me what it felt like to be wanted. To feel dirty without needing to scrub the grime off my skin. He didn’t know how fucked up I was, but somehow, he knew how to take control, to pull me out of my head, and he did it without me even asking.

I shrugged, shoving those thoughts away. “Let’s go to my apartment and get my shit. I guess I’m moving to Lindley.”

“Come on, Fable,” Mike crooned from the doorframe where he was casually leaning.

His smug tone made my stomach churn as I yanked another suitcase open, shoving my clothes inside with little care. Harleigh had told me the guesthouse on Kline’s property was already furnished, and Mike wouldn’t let me take anything that wasn’t mine anyway. I was only taking what I needed.

“Come on, what?” I snapped, spinning around mid-throw, a shirt dangling from my hand. My patience was already threadbare, and his voice grated like nails on a chalkboard.

“What I did was a mistake. Trishelle was . . . around.”

I froze for a second before bursting into a humorless laugh. “Yeah, right. Sure she was. You’re never going to fire her. Don’t even try to spin it.”

“Don’t start with me! You think you’re perfect? Like you didn’t play a role in this?”

From the other room, Harleigh’s voice cut through the tension. “Don’t go there, Mike. You’ll regret it.”

Mike glared at her direction before turning back to me. “I can’t believe you’re doing this. Throwing everything away because of one mistake.”

I rolled my eyes, shoving another handful of clothes into my suitcase. “One mistake? That’s cute. Trishelle wasn’t a mistake. She’s a pattern.”

We continued arguing, his words growing louder and more desperate, but I tuned him out as I grabbed the last few things I needed. A few framed photos of my parents sat on the shelf, and I grabbed them carefully, holding them close for a moment before tucking them into my bag. They were one of the only things I couldn’t leave behind.

Finally, I yanked my suitcase toward the living room, brushing past him.

His voice followed me. “Where are you going? To Harleigh’s?”

I laughed, the sound almost manic. “No. Texas.”

“Texas?!” he yelled, his voice full of disbelief.

“Yup,” I said, popping the p as I dragged my suitcases into the hallway.

“You cannot move to Texas,” he said desperately. “You have no one. I’m your only family.”

“Not anymore.”

I placed the key to the apartment on the table. The home I’d lived in for years was a hollow shell of what I thought it was. It was almost funny how fast everything could fall apart and how freeing it could feel to walk away.

“You are my fiancée. You cannot walk out on me,” he shouted. “We aren’t done.”

I pulled my suitcase toward the door where Harleigh was waiting with it open. I paused long enough to glance over my shoulder, a sly smirk curling my lips. “Don’t worry about me, Mike. Turns out, I don’t mind getting a little dirty.”

His face twisted in confusion, but before he could piece it together, I pulled the door shut behind me with a satisfying click.

Harleigh grabbed one of my suitcases, dragging it down the hall as we walked toward the elevator. She pressed the button, and we stood there in silence for a moment before I turned to her.

“I don’t know what happened to me this weekend,” I said, my voice quiet. “I think… I was reminded of how good it feels to be wanted. And I did it because it felt like everything I’ve been running from—the dirt, the grime, the mess of being human. You know?” I paused, gripping the handle of my suitcase tightly. “John and Mike? They’re examples of people who never valued me. Never valued who I am. I spent the last year—probably longer—suffering because of people like that. People who weren’t there when I needed them, who took and took and gave nothing back.”

Harleigh nodded as the elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. “That’s right, babe. We’re heading to a new place, and we’re going to set some boundaries this time. No more letting people take advantage of you.”

I exhaled as I leaned against the wall. “Yeah. I’d like that. I’d like to start fresh.”

“We will.” She smiled and grabbed my arm.

“I want to be like the girl I was on Saturday.”