Page 101 of Sweet Escape

Which is why I dial Murphy’s number. The dial tone ringing is replaced by the soft sound of a guitar in the background when she finally picks up.

I need more than just my own opinion on this.

“Hey, Vi. Two nights in a row. You must miss me, huh?”

“You got a sec?”

The sound of the guitar cuts off, and then Murphy’s voice sounds closer.

“Everything okay?”

“You’re my best friend. You know that, right?”

“Awww. Thanks, girl. You’re my best friend, too.”

“And as best friends, we’re honest with each other.”

“Right,” she says, dragging the word out, clearly curious what I’m getting at.

“So I need you to be honest with me. Do you think we have a deep relationship?”

Murphy’s silent for a minute before she responds. “I’d say you like to keep things close to your chest,” she finally says.

“Don’t be diplomatic.”

“What is this about?”

I sigh. “Theo came by tonight.”

“He’s a prick. Don’t believe anything he says.”

At that, I let out a laugh. “Well, he told me that I never really let him in. That I don’t let people get too close. So now I’m wondering if that’s true.”

Murphy pauses for a beat before she speaks again. “All right, if you want an honest answer, no. I don’t think you let people super close. But there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that. And you shouldn’t let him make you think there is. Not everyone likes to be an open book, and that’s okay.”

I chew on the inside of my cheek, considering what she’s said. “So give me an example,” I say. “An example of something I could share with you that would be ... deeper. Letting you close.”

“You could talk to me about Memphis.”

“You really want to hear me talk about your brother’s big penis?” I joke.

“See? Right there. When there’s a chance to be honest about what’s on your mind, you make jokes. It doesn’thaveto be about my brother’s penis. We could talk about how he makes you feel or how much harder it was to leave than you thought it would be. Or the fact you miss him.Thatwould be letting me close.”

That same emotion wells in my chest from before. “But I don’t want to talk about those things,” I tell her, my voice quiet. “And why would you? Why would you want to hear about that?”

“Why did you listen to all the emotional, hard things I shared before I moved back to Rosewood? Or when I started dating Wes, why did you help me talk through the ups and downs? We listen to each other because we want to know each other, Vivian. And we share because we want tobe known.”

My eyes well with tears. I bat them away, trying to keep my eyes clear as I drive. We continue in silence for several minutes, and I appreciate my friend so much for sitting on the phone with me while I battle that little thing in my chest that tells me if I’m vulnerable with someone, they’re going to take advantage. That if I’m ever truly known, I’ll be turned away.

But the thing that speaks louder than my fear is the voice that tells me I can trust Murphy.

“I miss Memphis,” I tell her. “More than I was prepared for.”

“I’m sure you do,” she responds, her voice soothing and warm. “He misses you, too.”

“You said that last night. How do you know that’s true?”

Murphy snorts. “I caught him looking at your social media while he was at his desk,” she responds, shocking me. “I’ve never seen a man close a browser so quickly. You’d think it was porn.”

---