Broken Bonds

II

The highway. All the different sounds of vastly different cars, racing past me to get to nowhere. I was headed to the one person I knew could help me, no matter how stupid I was at any given time. That person is my number 1. best friend in the entire world, my one true confidant in life, one of the few people I know that can always make me smile and feel safe. My older sister, Brooke. Or as I like to call her, Brookie Cookie. And she was in Van Alstyne, Tx.

Welcome to Van Alstyne! Population: 3,058. Enjoy your stay!

Good Lord, how long had it been since I had last seen that sign? Two, maybe three years ago, when I was burning rubber to get out of this town with Mark? My grip on the wheel tightened, almost to white-knuckling strength. The memory of that night with him, the way we kept laughing. God, his electrifying smile and those eyes. Mark had those eyes that showed sparks of life, adventure, love, lust... everything a girl could and would fall for. I bit my lip hard, fighting back the painful memory.

Whoever could've guessed that I would wind up coming back to the one place I had loathed all those years ago? Had I really been that blind as to leave my true home? The answer is yes.

Yes, I fell for Mark, and I fell hard. Yes, he and I had dated for about two years, his Senior year of college, my Junior year. After my graduation, in front of my entire class, he made me blush, smile, and cry all at once. Mark had gotten down on one knee and asked me to be his forever, to always be by his side so that he could make me smile, to be there when I couldn't, and to be the reason I was happy. Smiling through the tears, I said yes, and he picked me up bridal style, laughing and shouting to the world that he had finally gotten the love of his life. He and I left that night, headlights shining on that Godforsaken sign, leaving behind that, what I thought at the time, was that deadbeat town.