Camryn Quinn is finally getting what she wants...sort of. Moving into a dorm and away from her not so supportive father is a good first step, but like everything with him, it comes with strings. She must attend the college of his choosing for at lea...
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I somehow teleported to my dorm and packed a bag before winding up at the bus station. When I come to, I'm seated on a blue bench underneath an awning waiting for a Greyhound bus. I don't remember leaving Taylor, I don't remember if I saw Alyssa in our room or if I walked here or took an Uber.
I'm numb all over. I have no idea if the tears are still falling, or if the shaking in my hands ever stopped. I could be barefoot walking on broken glass and the pain wouldn't register. The only thing I'm sure of is the familiar ache deep in my chest. Except this time it's not the loss of my mom, or the heartache that comes from discovering that my dad and brother think the worst of me. I've learned to live without my mom, and I've come to expect that from me. I've always been the weakest link, their pawn to be sacrificed at any time for the greater good of the game.
But no amount of practice could have prepared me for Taylor's move. I never even considered it a possibility. I would have bet my life on being safe with him. I don't know what the goal was. I didn't give him the chance to explain. It was all too much. Seeing him, having the memories of the night before flooding through my mind. But it wasn't just one night. It was months of giving him my soul, or learning his too. I want to believe that the skill level it would take to fake that doesn't live inside of him, but I can't be too sure. I'm usually so careful, and the one time I decide to throw caution to the wind this is what happens.
My eyes are puffy and hurt to open. I've been lying with my head against the metal post behind me, eyes closed since I sat down. Lifetimes could have passed, but when I glance at the clock on the wall, it's only been twenty minutes. I had to turn my phone off because of the endless calls and texts. I ignored everything from my dad and brother. I only read the first one from Taylor, and it was enough to make me stop.
Taylor Reed: It wasn't a lie. Let me come to you please let me explain.
But I turned it back on long enough to make a phone call. Gabi answers on the first ring, and I can't help the way my voice cracks as I say her name. Between her shushing, and the sobs that have resurfaced, I manage to tell her the entire story. I'm not sure if she can even understand it, but she confirms that she's home and can pick me up from the bus stop when I get to Nashville.
After ten hours, and one bus transfer, the driver announces the last stop of the night even though it's nearly six in the morning. I watch other passengers file off, everyone in a hurry to get to their final destination. I wait, not because I want to, but because I have nothing in me. I couldn't sleep even though I tried. The entire ride was filled with forcing back memories that led to more tears until others around me started to stare and shush me.
A bus wasn't my ideal way to travel, but there weren't any direct flights until the morning, and I didn't want to wait. I didn't want to stay in that city any longer than I had to. It left too much of a risk of someone finding me. Miles and miles of distance was the only thing I wanted. I needed to create a physical divide between me and that place.
