Courtney let out a gasp. “Oh my God, Whitley! You told everyone you tripped while you were running! Is that why you’ve pulled away from me so much? You didn’t want me to find out?”
I closed my eyes and nodded. “I’m sorry, Court. I really thought he would change. At first, I thought it was me, that I was doing something wrong. He always found ways to tell me how he’d given me everything, how I wouldn’t have anything if it weren’t for him. ”
I opened my eyes and stared down at my hands. “I’d met a girl who wanted to open up a party-planning company with me, and I was so excited, but he told me I couldn’t do it. He said I didn’t even have a college degree. When I reminded him I didn’t have a degree because I’d followed him to New York, he just slapped me and called me ungrateful. It has been a never-ending cycle. ”
“Fuck him, Whit. You can do anything you want. ”
I smiled and looked directly into her eyes. “I need your help. ”
Her smile faded. “Okay. I know people. ”
“Huh?”
“If you want to take him out, I know people who know people. It can look like an accident. Easy. ”
I just stared at her. “Oh. My. God. Are you being serious?”
“Shit yeah, I am. ”
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “As much as that sounds like a solid plan, honey, I think I’ll pass. Do you remember in high school when my parents and I met that guy from Texas, and he talked about his hometown?”
“Yeah, it was like an animal name, Llama or something like that. ”
I started laughing.
God, I love this girl, like she’s my sister.
I’d loved her since the moment we met on the playground in kindergarten. She’d pushed me and told me I had a squeaky voice, and I’d pushed her back and told her to choke on her lollipop. We’d been best friends ever since.
There wasn’t a damn thing I wouldn’t do for Court, and I knew she felt the same way.
“It was Llano, Courtney, but you were close, hon. ”
“Potato, patatoe. What about it?”
I smiled at her and tilted my head. “I called my dad this morning and told him I was leaving Roger because he was cheating on me. I said that I wanted a fresh new start, and Llano, Texas is where I wanted to go. ”
The smile that spread across Court’s face lit up the room. “No fucking way! We’re going to Texas?”
I let out a laugh. My head was already feeling better from knowing that my very best friend was ready to just up and leave everything behind to go to Texas with me.
“Depends on if you want to help me run a party-planning business there. ”
“Ah, yeah, I do! When do we leave? After we go pick up your stuff at the apartment?”
I took a deep breath. This was going to be the tricky part. “Um…I actually need to leave, like, right now. Roger is in New Jersey for the next two days at some summer retreat with his dad. He left me a text, saying he’s been trying to call the hospital, and they won’t give him any information even though he’s my fiancé. ”
I looked down at my finger at the diamond he’d given me two years ago. We’d never even talked about a wedding after he put the ring on my finger. It was all for show for his job. I knew that now.
Courtney smiled and turned to walk out the door before looking back over her shoulder. “I’m on it. I already have the doctor’s phone number. I bet I can get those discharge papers ready for you in an hour. ”
“That’s all you need?” I asked with a laugh and a wink.
“Get dressed, bitch. We’re busting you out of New York City and heading to Texas!”
Chapter Two: Layton
I stood on my front porch, looking out at the cattle. I smiled as I thought about how Mike would be happy to see that our cattle herd was so big. I heard Blake Shelton blaring from the white F-350 truck coming down the driveway.