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“I already do,” he mumbled, then waved me off when his phone rang.
I skipped through the office to find Sofie. My heart ached at the thought of not seeing her again, but I had to do this. I couldn’t stay here indefinitely. I was in limbo while at the safe house. I needed a purpose. Normality. And going home and hopefully back to work would be that for me.
Sofie wasn’t hard to find, her soft giggles echoing through the large open-plan setup. She and Carter were in the break room, Sofie putting butterfly clips in his hair. She must have also painted his nails, because they were now bright pink.
“The color suits you,” I said, approaching their little bubble. He was great with her, and I was glad she had so many people who cared for her. But knowing Lucius, he would have never left her if he wasn’t sure they would keep her safe and happy.
Carter held out his hands. “Pink has always been my color. Brings out my eyes.”
I chuckled. “Makes the blue pop.”
“You want to be my next customer?” Sofie asked, her attention on wrapping a hair tie around Carter’s short strands.
“Not today, chipmunk. I came to say goodbye. I’m going home tomorrow.”
She stopped pulling the hair that would never be long enough to fit into the tie and looked at me. “Why are you leaving? Are you mad at me?”
I rushed up to her and pulled her into my arms. “Of course not. But I don’t live here. I live in San Diego. And I have to go home.”
She sniffled into my top. “Will you come back to visit me?”
I brushed back her hair. “Of course I will. I still need to beat you at Uno.”
Her tears dried up as quick as they’d appeared and she nodded, holding out her hand. “Then shake on it. Because that means you can’t take it back.”
She looked so serious with her nose crinkled and her mouth pursed. Leaving her meant leaving my last connection to Lucius.
But I had to move on. It wasn’t healthy for me to stay here.
After a teary goodbye, I called Thea from one of the secure lines to let her know I was coming home the next day. She let out an earsplitting scream. She also insisted on picking me up, something I gratefully accepted.
The next day, I was finally standing outside San Diego Airport, waiting for my best friend to show up. And she didn’t disappoint, driving up in a bright-blue Mercedes AMG. She honked and rolled down the window. “Hey, hot stuff. You need a ride?”
I grinned at her and hopped in the passenger seat, careful not to smudge the shiny door handle. She threw her arms around me, ignoring the cars honking behind us. “I can’t believe you’re back. I was so fucking worried.”
She pulled back into traffic, earning more honks and a few middle fingers. As usual, she ignored everyone. In her life, there was only sunshine. She brushed off the haters and embraced the lovers. It made it easy to be around her and was one of the many reasons why she was my best friend.
We’d known each other since fourth grade and had been inseparable ever since. She was someone you wanted in your corner.
Even when she married a man twice her age who spent more money on a house than I’d ever see in my lifetime, we stayed close.
“New car?” I asked, taking in the new car smell. The engine was so quiet, you could have a conversation even when speeding down Pacific Coast Highway. Which was what we were currently doing.
But Thea did whatever Thea wanted. Maybe that was why we worked as friends. She ignored any walls I put up, and whenever I wouldn’t speak up for myself, she’d do it for me.
“Sure is. William thought it was time to upgrade.”
William thought it was time to upgrade anything about five minutes after he bought it.
I watched the familiar sights fly past the window, but the sense of unease in my stomach didn’t disappear. Maybe once I returned to my apartment, I’d start feeling more at peace.
Thea stopped at our favorite coffee shop, The Mission, on the way, the coffee ready and waiting. She liked to call ahead to order so she didn’t have to stand in line. But I wasn’t complaining, since it meant all I had to do was jump out and grab the cups.
We finally pulled into the familiar surroundings of University City. I lived in a nondescript apartment building, most likely the oldest in the area. But San Diego real estate was expensive, and even my outdated, small two-bedroom apartment still cost a mint.
Thea lived in La Jolla Farms, which was a short drive away. Her house sat atop the cliffs and had more bathrooms than a hotel. She didn’t have kids, so it was only her and her husband living in a place big enough to accommodate an entire football team.
She double-parked, turning the engine off. “Okay, so here’s the plan. Pack a bag, then stay with me for the next week. William is away on business, so it’s just us.”
