Page 1 of Delicate Escape

PROLOGUE

How many wayscould you kill someone in your mind? Nikki and I had gotten creative over the past few months, coming up with some real gems.

“Buried alive with fire ants,” I said, burrowing deeper into the overstuffed couch in her tiny apartment.

She scoffed from her spot, sprawled on the floor, wineglass precariously balanced in her hand. “Not nearly bad enough. I’m going with…eaten by piranhas, starting with his dick.”

I snorted, taking a sip of my drink. “Maybe he could just choke on his lies,” I muttered.

Nikki sat up in one swift move, her red hair flying around her face and wine sloshing out of the glass. At least it was white and not red. Even though she was tipsy, her eyes narrowed on me in a now familiar way. One that managed to be both fierce and gentle. She was the kind of best friend who had your back—one of the few who hadn’t been swayed by Brendan’s bullshit.

“You need to tell someone. Someone who can actually dosomething to his ass. Or I’m going to run him over with my car,” Nikki grumbled, setting her wineglass on the coffee table.

I squeezed my knees to my chest, trying to take comfort in the pressure as if I could hug myself out of my current situation. “And say what? I’m getting heavy-breathing phone calls from an unknown number?”

“Sel, he got you freaking fired. From a job you worked your ass off for.”

I had. Undergrad in business. Masters in nonprofit business management. Countless hours of unpaid internships and volunteer work. All to land a job at my dream organization: The Literacy Project. But all that had gone down the tubes this morning when I found out I’d been fired.

“There’s no proof,” I said softly. But an ache took root in my chest. I knew Nikki was right, even though there wasn’t a shred of evidence. Brendan’s fingers stretched far, and his grip could be strangulating.

Nikki let out a huff of air. “You know it’s him. Tossing money around and pulling strings.”

I worried the corner of my lip as pressure built around me—as if I were being suffocated by the air itself. It was starting to feel like Brendan waseverywhere. I’d thought breaking up with him would be the end of it. That I’d be free. But it had only been the beginning.

“This has to be it,” I said, finally meeting her eyes. “He won. And I think that’s what he’s wanted all along. Maybe I can finally move on.”

I just wasn’t sure where that would be. Los Angeles didn’t feel like home anymore. For so long, I’d loved living here. The live music scene, museums, and amazing restaurants with every type of cuisine imaginable. I’d always felt like I could melt into the sea of people and get lost in their diverse uniqueness. Now, it felt like every single pair of eyes could be watching.

“Maybe,” Nikki mumbled.

I leaned over the coffee table and squeezed her hand. “Thank you for being the bestest friend a girl could have.”

She just scowled at me. “I want to junk-punch him before I throw him to the piranhas.”

I choked on a laugh. “Have at it.”

But the laugh quickly died away. I’d only told Nikki bits and pieces of the bad stuff. If she knew it all, she reallywouldbe gassing up her car for a hit-and-run. But knowing that just made me love her more.

I stood, picking up my wineglass and emptying its contents. “I need to get home. It’s almost time for Moose’s dinner.”

Nikki shook her head. “Better keep that beast fed. If you don’t, he’s liable to take off a toe in your sleep.”

That had a genuine smile stretching my face as I carried my glass to her sink. “He’d never.”

Nikki grunted as she struggled to her feet. “Keep telling yourself that. You ordered a car, right?”

I shook my head. “I switched to Fresca after my first glass.”

Her mouth fell open. “You bitch. I’ve been getting sloshed, and you’re sipping freaking Fresca?”

I chuckled as I pulled Nikki into a hug. “Sorry, babycakes.”

The truth was, I never had more than a single glass of wine these days. My anxiety had already reached the red zone, and I needed all my faculties.

Nikki hugged me tighter. “Want me to come with you? I can sleep on your couch tonight.”

God, she was an amazing friend. “I’ll be fine. I’ll probably stay up late looking at what other nonprofits might be hiring.”

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