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A hand fell into mine, and I was pulled away from it all. Royal kissed my hand.
“I’ll take care of it,” he said, then tugged me close. His mouth fell hot, heavy on my lips, and I felt every breath, every taste. He guided my mouth open, his eyes closed when he moved to my ear. “We’ll leave in the morning.”
Six
December
Royal’s text came around midnight. He wanted me to meet him at the local bus station in the morning. We were going to leave.
The time would be eight o’clock.
I wished I considered backtracking the decision more but I didn’t. I both wanted and needed to get out of everywhere having to do with Maywood Heights, my dad, and even my aunt. My sister and what happened to her haunted me and threatened to completely crush my sanity. I wanted escape. I wanted relief, and Royal was providing that. He had us going out to somewhere in Arizona according to his text message. I didn’t know if he knew people there or what, but whatever the case, he was getting me out of here. That’s all I needed. I packed a bag, left a note for my dad in the morning, and then I was off. I told him I just needed some space and did thank him for letting me stay with him for the time he did. I felt I owed him that, but that was about it. My aunt I’d give a little more to once Royal and I got far out of town. I planned to call her, give her something. Though, I didn’t know what. She’d taken care of me, but now I was relieving her of her burden. She could live her life, both she and my dad could. As far as my baby girl, my little Labrador in another town, I planned to ask the biggest favor from a good friend. Rosanna was already taking care of her, and I had a strong feeling she’d continue to do so. For how long, I didn’t know. I honestly wanted Hershey with me, but at the present, that wasn’t possible. I hoped Rosanna could help me out and I’d be calling her too once I got settled.
Birdie: I’m so sorry we didn’t get to talk more yesterday. I figured you wanted your space.
I’d seen Birdie, Shakira, and Kiki at my sister’s reception, but hadn’t really talked to any of them. I hadn’t talked to hardly anyone, hiding most of the day. I felt I owed my friends too from Maywood Heights, but currently, wasn’t in a state to explain anything I was doing today to anyone.
I gazed up, currently sitting on a bench outside the bus station. I waited for Royal Prinze, a running bus before me but he hadn’t arrived yet.
Me: You’re completely fine and a great friend. Thank you for that yesterday and to Kiki and Shakira too. Thank them for me?
Birdie: Sure will, and you’re welcome. You’re just so strong. Stronger than me, girl, to be going through this.
I didn’t know how strong I was, running away, but this was the only way I could deal with all this stuff, all of it too much.
Birdie: Hey, um, you free right now? I know it’s early and I know you’ve got plenty of things going on, but the girls and I would love to do breakfast. We’re all leaving this morning but want to see you first.
A running bus in front of me, breakfast definitely wasn’t an option, and if I weren’t leaving in moments, I didn’t know if I had the strength to look at them in their faces prior to departure. Escape was easier if one didn’t have to stare the people she cared about in the eyes.
I studied my phone time, rocking back and forth.
Where are you, Royal?
Me: I can’t, and yeah, unfortunately busy.
Before I had time to process what I sent, my phone rang in my hands, Birdie. Picking up was not an option, but when she called again, I broke down. “Hello?”
“Hey, hi.”
“Hi, what’s going on?”
Birdie paused before speaking this time, a nice long pause, and I had to check the phone to make sure she was still there.
“I really hate doing this on the phone,” she started, anxiety bursting within me for some reason. I think with all the stress I was already on edge, but her lead-in didn’t help. A swallow hit the phone. “But if I can’t see you today, I don’t want you to come back to town not knowing. If people are talking about something, I want you to know.”
“What?” I sat up, my heart racing now.
“There was talk yesterday, December.”
“What kind of talk?” I asked, adjusting my bag on my lap.
“Things were said, conversations going on in the midst of everything. Anyway, people were talking, talking about you and… some stuff that happened before you went to our school.”
Reality spun around me, the world quite literally turning on its axis. “What did you hear?”
Silence for a moment, but then a sigh. “I really hate doing this over the phone.”
Then make yourself. Please…
