Page 48 of Shattered Dreams

My feet drag, but I follow Jerricka down the plane’s stairs to her truck, the engine running, the door still hanging open.

“Bring your suitcases,” she says, her voice firm. “You’ll need the clothing.”

“Okay.”

I thank the confused pilot who exited the plane wondering what was happening, and mumble, “Please don’t tell my brother. I don’t want him to worry about me.”

These two weeks with Jerricka will be between me and her. It’s no one’s business I’m blowing off my vacation. The time will be better spent working on who I am, working on getting better.

“As you wish, Miss Maddox.”

“Thank you.”

The flight attendant sets my luggage onto the tarmac. She looks at me in concern and opens her mouth to speak, but I ignore her and shove my suitcases into the extended cab of Jerricka’s truck. I climb into the passenger’s seat and latch my seatbelt, my hands shaking.

Jerricka orders, “Text your brother and tell him you’ve changed your plans. It’s very important you stress he’s not to look for you. Your therapy will go much smoother without interruptions.”

I pull my phone out of my purse and send Zane a short text.I’ve decided I need some time alone. I’ll let you know when I’m back in the city. Don’t worry about me. I realized Gage and I got back together too soon and I need room to breathe. I love you and Stella. <3

That covers everyone who will be worried about me.

“Let me see what you sent.”

I show her the screen, my brain already shutting down in despair. I don’t want to disappoint Gage, and Jerricka’s words broke my heart.

“Good,” she says, pleased.

I drop my phone into my lap.

I’m a burden. Broken. Damaged and unlovable. Two weeks won’t fix me, but it will be a start. Time away to talk to Jerricka about my issues and what I can do to finally be normal.

She turns onto the road and snatches my phone off my leg. “Give this to me.”

“Why?”

“You won’t need it anymore.” She lowers her window and throws my cell into a snowbank. I should be upset, but curiously, I’m not. I’ll be able to focus on Jerricka and my recovery. I won’t have the distraction of looking for texts from my family or wanting to message Gage when I’m so lonely I could die from it.

“I only wanted Gage to love me,” I say softly, staring out the window, the sun’s glare not bothering me at all.

“He will. Two weeks under my care and you’ll be like a new person. I promise.”

I nod, lean back in my seat, and close my eyes.

A new person. That sounds good.

Gage never asked me to be someone else.

He didn’t ask, but he needs me to be someone else.

Someone better.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Gage

I’m walking that tightrope again, wanting so badly to be there to tell Zarah goodbye and giving her the space she needs to be her own person. I don’t know if I could watch her board a plane without me. It’s probably better she went to the airport alone or I’d act like a fool, latching onto her leg like a toddler at daycare begging his mommy not to leave him behind.

“You’re scowling,” my mother says, wrapping one of Max’s knickknacks in a page of oldChroniclenewspaper. It’s a bit ironic we’re wrapping up his life in the paper he died for.

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