Page 45 of Broken Bonds

Looking at it that way, it makes sense.

“Also, Ethan lives nearby. He bought the house on the other side of the hill when I started developing this community. It’s difficult to see it from here. The driveway is private, and the man has taken it upon himself to make it safe for his family. But first…”

Lionel releases me from his embrace but takes my hand in his, goes to the refrigerator, takes one of the water bottles, removes the lid, and immediately puts it between my fingers.

“Unless you want something stronger,” he says with a small smile. “There is some scotch in one of the drawers in my office.”

Not a chance, now more than ever I need to keep my head clear, well as much as possible considering the circumstances.

As soon as Lionel goes to call Ethan, I take the opportunity to rush up the stairs, as fast as my legs allow me to.

I have to get out of here, and I have to do it before I turn completely nuts.

I brought very few things here with me, so packing my bags won’t take long, and the least of my worries is wrinkled clothing. My mental health comes before anything else.

It’s better to say a coward ran from here than a brave one dies here. I prefer to leave, not caring what he thinks.

“What are you doing?” he asks when he sees me in the dressing room throwing things into the small suitcase. I don’t bother raising my head to look at him, because I’m sure that would undermine my determination.

I need to get out of here.

“Where do you think you’re going?” At last he got the message, an image is worth more than a thousand words. “Ethan is coming to speak to us in a little while.”

That makes me stop what I’m doing.

“You can tell him it’s you who says he didn’t send that email,” I reply as I put my shoes in my bag. I’ve only brought two pairs and the others are on me right now. “The phone has all my email information. I have nothing to hide, so Ethan or one of his IT gurus can check on my account.”

His lips tighten, clearly my words are upsetting him. For someone who likes to be in control all the time, this must be very frustrating.

“And where are you going to…?” The suitcases are a sign that I’m not going to stay. “Are you going to break your word?”

I look at him for a moment, thinking about what to say next. Whatever it is must be precise because I don’t want to give him a chance to rebuttal my argument.

“Promises can be broken depending on the circumstances, and I have to think about what’s best for me.”

There it is, and he can interpret it as he sees fit.

If he thinks money is what I want, well, it’s going to be easier to let me go. I’m going to win either way.

His phone rings, taking his attention, which is good for me.

“Ethan is here, let’s go downstairs so we can talk to him.”

“I have nothing to say,” I reply as I begin to fold one of my shirts. “And as you can see, I’m pretty busy here.”

Lionel raises his hands to rub his eyes with his palms, like he has a headache. My determination doesn’t falter, it would also be good for him to let me go. We both need reassurance, and it’s very obvious that together neither of us would get it.

“Do whatever you want,” he tells me with a sigh. “I’m tired of arguing with you.”

He leaves the dressing room, but he leaves the door open, so from my vantage point I can see him walking. He stops in the hallway holding on to the wall, looking for a place to hold on for a couple of seconds.

Immediately worry fills my heart, and it takes a lot of willpower to not run after him, to make him feel better.

Ten minutes later everything is ready. I drop into the armchair in front of the window, looking for answers in the blue sky or perhaps in the vastness of the ocean. I’m sure it’s going to be a while before I see it again, so I try to save a mental picture to take back to Carrollton.

I just need to figure out how the hell I’m going to get out of here. I don’t think there are any bus stops nearby and my phone is dead, so I can’t use an app to request rides or call a taxi either. I don’t think I will get very far walking and I’m sure that the airport is not exactly near this place.

Nothing is impossible, somehow I will end up where I want to go. Maybe I could hitch a ride.

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