𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘'𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 | 𝐍.𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐗𝐓𝐎𝐍 |

chapter six | getaway car...

Penelope Gardner

Loving someone is easy, it's letting go and forgetting them that's the hardest part of it all.

I had never loved anyone the way I loved Mikal, and he's given me every reason in the book as to why I shouldn't love him, and some of the reasons I was slow to realize, but each reason hit me like a brick at different times, but this time, the realization hit me more like a tsunami, drowning me until I finally realized what it was that I had to do.

I had to do what my friends had been telling me to do since college...

I hadn't spoken to Mikal in exactly two weeks. Every time he called me, I declined. Whenever he stopped by the apartment, I pretended that I wasn't home. When he'd pop up at my job, I'd tell my coworkers to not let him in. Whenever he texted me, I muted and deleted the thread. No contact. Simple.

Something told me that I would have to confront him about this sooner or later. I had never had a man put their hands on me before, sure it was just a push in the heat of the moment of an argument between he and Josh, but if that could happen in the heat of the moment while he was arguing with someone else; who knows what could happen in the heat of the moment if he and I got in a bad enough argument?

That's the thing, I didn't know, and I didn't wanna stay around long enough to find out...

I knew that I would need the encouragement and support to do all this, so of course, I called the two people that I knew could talk some sense into me, the crazy one, one that could be a bodyguard, and of course, the reasonable ones.

We had all decided to meet up at Starbucks and have this conversation over some delectable drinks so that this conversation could go over at least, easier for me and maybe it would calm them down to, because mentioning Mikal to them was like mentioning Justin Timberlake to hardcore Janet Jackson fans.

It started riots.

Wynslow, Paisley, and Ivy were the first ones to walk inside. Both Ivy and Paisley looked completely energized and relaxed, while Wynter looked exhausted and as if she could curl up on the ground and fall asleep right there with no issues whatsoever.

Aside from writing books and turning them into movies that brought people to both happy and sad tears, all the girl did was eat, sleep, write, and repeat.

Paisley looked like a model without even trying, and it's ironic, because that's how she always was, she looked stunning even in the simple pair of leggings, and plain crop top she was wearing.

Ivy must've just come from work, or she was on her break, because she was in her black pencil skirt, black stilettos, white button down that was slightly unbuttoned, and a cropped plaid blazer with her hair in a slick, high ponytail.

Wynslow had on an off the shoulder cable knit sweater, black leggings and tan Ugh Tasman slippers with her hair in a messy claw clip style and her black framed glasses.

"Hey guys," I said with a small smile. "How are you?"

"Pretty good," Paisley says as she sits down.

Ivy shrugged. "Another day, another dollar, I guess."

"Exhausted." Wynslow says. "Fucking exhausted. You're cutting into my afternoon nap, Penny Proud!"