Page 92 of Shelter from the Storm

“Right. How did you find me?”

“Briggs told me where you were.”

“He knew I was at Whiskey Abbey?” Gretchen glanced around, suddenly afraid her ex had now resorted to stalking.

“No. He told me you were living in Gracemont at some Millholland House.”

Gretchen hadn’t been aware that he knew she was living with Edith.

“Apparently, when he came looking for you, he went there first but no one was home. That’s when he drove to where you work and found you.” Destiny’s tone was calm, easygoing, but there was an unmistakable hardness in her eyes that told Gretchen she was angry. “I stopped by the Millholland House, but the old biddy at the door said you were out with friends and wouldn’t be back until late.”

Gretchen fought to hide her smile when she realized Edith had her back—then she got pissed. “She’s not an old biddy. She’s a lovely woman.”

Destiny shrugged. “I did a quick internet search. This town only has a couple bars, a movie theater, and a bowling alley, so I thought I’d take a chance and look for you. This was my first stop.”

“What are you doing here, Destiny?” Gretchen decided to cut to the chase. The sooner Destiny spoke her piece, the sooner she could get back on the road and away from here.

“Briggs is falling apart, Gretchen. Losing you has really taken a toll on him. He’s stopped working out, rarely shaves, and he’s long overdue for a haircut. He looks rough, and Darryl is concerned he’s drinking too much.” As Destiny rattled off her list, she studied Gretchen’s face closely, as if expecting some sort of reaction.

Gretchen felt nothing. “Okay. I’m not sure what you expect me to do. Briggs and I aren’t a couple anymore.”

Destiny scowled. “You guys were together for six years. You were a great couple.”

Gretchen couldn’t hold back her scoff. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Destiny, I came to you when Briggs hurt me. You saw the bruises.”

Destiny rolled her eyes. “Are you still going on about that? It was one time, Gretchen, and Briggs apologized, even though it was your fault. He brought you roses, and I could see how sorry he was.”

“He whipped me with those roses when we got home.” Gretchen turned slightly, pointing to a spot on the back of her left shoulder, covered by her sweater. “I have a three-inch scar right here from where the thorns tore my skin.”

“Briggs told me you’d say a bunch of shit about him, told me you were suffering from one of your mental breaks. Look, I get that you had a rough childhood, but that’s no reason to tell lies about a good man who’s only ever loved you.”

Gretchen’s temper flared. “I’m not lying, and my mental health is fine.”

Destiny flipped her bleach-blonde hair over her shoulder. “I stopped by to see your mom when we were all still looking for you. Worried about you,” Destiny stressed. “She said you’ve always been prone to drama, always telling lies to hurt people. She told me what you told the police about Shaw. The lies that sent your stepfather to jail. Don’t you feel even an ounce of remorse?”

Gretchen leaned back and crossed her arms. The last thing she wanted to do was continually defend herself to this bitch, when it was clear her mind was already made up. She heard a saying once and it had stuck with her. You can’t fight crazy. And right now, Destiny was saying crazy things because she hadn’t just drunk the Briggs Kool-Aid. She’d guzzled it.

“I didn’t lie to the police that night, and I’m not lying about Briggs. I’m also not in the mood to argue about it. If you have a reason for being here, please get to it. Otherwise, I’m going to go rejoin my real friends.” As Gretchen said the words, she realized how true they were. While she’d been trying to play things cool with Remi, Mila, Nora, and Kasi—too afraid of being hurt again—they’d been nothing but open, honest, and good to her.

“You need help, Gretchen. Psychological help. While I don’t agree with his choice, I swear if you started therapy, started finding a way to heal yourself, Briggs would take you back. He told me so.”

Gretchen barked out a loud laugh. “No thanks.”

“You need to listen to me!” Destiny insisted, somewhat desperately. “Briggs is in trouble at work. He’s under investigation for searching phone records without a warrant. And then there was this situation where he got too rough during a routine traffic stop. He shoved a guy against the hood of his car when he said he left his driver’s license at home. Darryl pulled him away, but the guy called the station and complained to the chief, said Briggs had left him with a sprained wrist and bruises.”

“He lost his punching bag,” Gretchen mused aloud, unsurprised. Briggs’s temper wasn’t something he could ever control for long. Without her, he was floundering.

Destiny slammed her hand on the table. “Stop it! Stop saying shit like that! You’re destroying his reputation. This is all your fault. You broke that man’s heart!”

Gretchen shook her head. “He never loved me. At least not in a healthy way.”

“Come home,” Destiny demanded.

Gretchen gestured around her. “I am home. Gracemont is my home.”

Destiny looked ready to go another ten rounds, but Gretchen was done. She stood up.

“Briggs and I are finished for good, and I’m not going back to Harrisburg. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go dance.”

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