Page 114 of The One I Want
I shake my head. “No. I love you for everything you’ve done for me over the past week. Hell, the last six months. But I need to figure out what’s next. And if I can get out of my lease.”
Whitley’s eyes go wide. “What do you mean get out of your lease?”
I take a breath, bracing for what I’m about to say. “If Wes and I are done, I think it’s best if I leave Rolling Hills.”
“What? This doesn’t sound like you. The Betsy I know doesn’t give up like this.”
“What am I supposed to do Whitley?” I hold back the tears of frustration, though they are seconds from spilling over. “If he and I can’t work this out, can I stay here? Can I live in a house owned by his parents? Whit. I love you, and I know no matter where you are, or where I am, you’re going to be my best friend. But I don’t know if I can be near him. It hurts too bad. Hell, I could barely survive last night. I can’t imagine just seeing him around town, or just randomly running into him at the grocery store.”
“What about the kids?” she asks.
And there go the tears. “I don’t want to leave them. They already have abandonment issues, and I don’t want to add to that. But can I stay for kids who aren’t mine? I don’t know Whitley. I’m so confused.”
She reaches over for my hands. “Let me ask you this. Hypothetically, if you were to leave, where would you go? Did you get the job in Birmingham?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t get it.”
“I’m sorry, Betsy.”
“Don’t be,” I say, trying to stop the tears. “I didn’t get it because I never went to the interview.”
“What? I thought you did?”
“I couldn’t go through with it. I emailed them from the parking lot saying that I changed my mind and best of luck to them.”
In a moment of rage after Wes and I fought, I emailed back Alabama Now Network asking if they were still interested. They got back to me immediately and told me I could come in the next day.
So that morning, I got in my Jeep and drove to Birmingham. I had on my best interview outfit and was ready to wow them so much they would just have to offer me the job on the spot.
Then I pulled into the parking lot and I just sat there. I couldn’t make myself open the door.So I told them no thank you and turned around and drove back to Rolling Hills.
“Wow,” Whitley says. “So what would you do? If you decided to leave?”
I shrug. “I don’t know yet. I’ll figure it out. I always do.”
She stands up, pulling me up with her. “Damn right you do.”
We hug for at least a minute, each of us crying for the same, yet different reasons.
Could I leave her? This town that I’ve grown to love? The family I found here?
Whitley brought me to Rolling Hills, promising that it would heal me.
That promise was kept. She healed me. Wes healed me. The kids healed me. I became the person I always wanted to be.
But all chapters end. Sometimes you see them coming. Sometimes you don’t.
Maybe this is where mine ends.
“Okay,” I say, wiping the tears from my face. “I need to go.”
Whitley nods. “I’ve hid for long enough. I’m sure Jake is probably wondering where I’m at.”
“Either that or he’s still fending off your mother’s friends.”
This gets a laugh out of her. “You’d think now that he’s married they’d quit asking for lap dances.”
“That’s what you get for marrying a thirst trap.”
