Page 3 of Burn With Me

Leo’s face is red, and if this were a cartoon, smoke would probably be coming out of his ears. “Do you think you’re anything without me? Do you think you’ll have any success without me to keep you on track? Amelia, let me tell you, you’renothing without me. You know what? Fuck it, I’m leaving for the night. But know this: if I walk out that door and you’re gone when I come back tomorrow morning, I will not come save you when your little plan fails.” He’s yelling so close to me that his spit hits my face.

I don’t fight the tears in my eyes anymore, but they aren’t the heartbroken tears I thought I would cry. These are tears of fear of what he might do and tears of the deep-seated fear that he might be right, and I’m going to fail, but you never know until you try, right?

“I am something,” I whisper, more for myself than him.

“You. Are. Nothing,” he repeats. “But you know what? You want to follow this stupid dream? Be my guest. But if you choose to leave, you have until I come back after work tomorrow because that’s all the time you’re getting to get the fuck out. Just remember, if you leave, you’ll regret it. I’ll make sure of that.”

Before I can say anything, he punches the wall next to the door by my head, and I flinch out of instinct. He turns on his heels and walks away.

Once the front door slams shut, I finally take a full breath with tears streaming down my face. I reach into my pocket to grab my phone and call Pam. When she answers, I cry harder.

“I’m going to castrate him with a rusty knife and put his balls in a blender and then make him drink it.”

A muted laugh breaks through my tears, knowing how lucky I am to have her in my life.

“It isn’t even worth it. I’m panicking, and I need you to talk me down,” I tell her as I spin in a circle, looking around the room.

“What the fuck happened?” she asks.

Starting from when he came home, I tell her everything to when he left.

“I have to leave tonight. I don’t know where to start or where I’m gonna go.” My shoulders slump as I realize how much time I don’t have.

I hear drawers opening and closing on her end of the line, and I think I hear Sam in the background.

“What are you doing? Is Sam with you?”

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m packing so I can make the plane tickets I booked to come help you. And yeah, it’s Sam. He said he’ll be there first thing in the morning so he can help with any big stuff we can’t do on our own.”

“Sam is coming too?” I asked, shocked that her brother would be down for a last-minute trip so soon after starting his new job at a fire department in Boston.

“Yeah, he was here for the last load of his stuff, but when he heard what was happening, his He-Man brother side came out, so he’s going to help as muscle. Listen, I have to go or I won’t make it to the airport on time. I’ll send you the Airbnb information when I get one at the airport.”

“Okay,” I whisper.

“Hey, slut bag, I’m on my way,” she says to try to make me laugh. “Love you. See you soon,” she whispers.

After the call disconnects, I look around and have never been so happy to have totes for everything because of my hatred for cardboard boxes.

There are no touches of me in this home . . . if I could even call it a home.

I make my way to the closet and grab armfuls of clothes. As I wait for two of the few people I consider family to come and help me start the next—and possibly scariest—chapter of my life, I throw them in my suitcases.

The whole time I remind myself that I’m going to build the best life and business New Mexico has ever seen, and I’m going to show him and anyone else who doubts me that I’m more than they thought.

Less than eight hours later, the three of us are in the Airbnb, and I’m dead on my feet. I call my boss and give them the lowdown on what’s happening and take the day off. Finally, I lie in bed and have one of the best nights’ sleep I’ve had in a long time.

One

Amelia Five years Later

Ismile as I pull into my driveway and throw my Jeep into park.

I finally feel like my hard work is paying off. When I found Griffin’s Den, it didn’t take long to know it was where I wanted to not only live but to build my farm. It’s exactly what you picture a small town being like. Where everyone knows everyone, and there’s a much slower pace of life. However, the town welcomed Pam and me with open arms, and we haven’t looked back since.

I’m happy and have built an amazing life for myself here, despite feeling exhausted every night. I have a dog—who’s probably mad I couldn’t take her to work today—business friends who are more like family, and a best friend who always has my back.

I hop out and grab my backpack with all the things I still have to complete today.

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