Page 9 of Made For You
Andrew answered with a grunt, so I continued.
“I mean, after the hotel double-booked my room, they were more than willing to set me up for this year, and the conference comped my fee and airfare. That was about the only bright side to the trip last year.”
In his naturally deep, gruff voice, Andrew said, “It’s the least they could’ve done, when they left you stranded in Miami with no way home.”
My half-brother couldn’t see, but my eyes rolled at his response. I wasn’t left stranded, despite what he and our family thought. I’d been saving money since I took my first babysitting job at thirteen, and my savings account was nicely padded. My grades and essays earned me scholarships to a local college that covered all my tuition to earn my degree in education.
No one would listen to me when I relayed everything that happened last year and that I didn’t need any immediate help. I could have easily booked a new hotel in the area and taken a much-needed vacation, but I made the mistake of calling my sister, Autumn, and not ten minutes later, I found myself in the back of a taxi with a chartered flight home, courtesy of Autumn’s husband, Colton.
I was helpless, little Rory, and no one thought I could stand on my own two feet. They let me shape the young minds of our students, yet nobody believed I could survive on my own.
But I wasn’t nearly as naïve as they believed.
“I had a way home. Y’all just chose to ignore me.”
Turning his attention toward me briefly, Andrew snarled, “And what would you have done, Rory? You, a single female, were in one of the busiest cities in the country.”
“Oh, but our sister living inNew Yorkwas better off?”
Andrew jerked his face back toward the windshield, eyes on the road. The leather on the steering wheel squeaked as he twisted his palms against it, fingers outstretched as he repositioned them, then squeezed tightly once more.
“You’re… different.”
“I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“You’ll always be a little kid to me, Rory.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
Finally, we took the exit off the highway that led to the airport a few miles south of Knoxville, Tennessee. I peered out the window at the passing buildings until the landscape gave way to runways and the departure area. Before the truck came to a complete stop, I flung the door open and jumped down.
“Fuck, Rory! Wait.”
The truck lurched as he hit the brakes while I hopped on the running board, gripping the edge of the truck bed to hold on. “Don’t worry, big brother. I can do this myself.”
I reached down for the strap of my suitcase and hefted it upward. It was heavier than I remembered, and my arms struggled to lift it over the side. I felt a strange sense of satisfaction when a wheel on my carry-on ran down the side of the vehicle. Unfortunately, it didn’t leave a scratch. I probably would have felt bad though. But only a little bit.
My suitcase landed with a thud, and I jumped down.
“I could have done that for you,” Andrew exclaimed as he clicked the button on the luggage handle that rose it up.
“Yes, but then little ol’ helpless me would never learn how to do anything.” Reaching out, I grabbed the handle and held it in my grip as I turned and closed the passenger side door. My neck pinched as I looked up at my brother. “I’ll be back in a week. I’ll text you my flight info. If you can’t be here, I’ll call Franny.”
Crossing his arms, Andrew frowned. “I’ll be there.”
“Okay.” I shrugged.
“Rory,” he said, his voice laced with regret. “We love you.” He held his arms out, and I released my suitcase to nuzzle into his embrace. My cheek rested on his sternum as I squeezed my arms around his waist. “Travel safely,” he whispered into my hair.
“I love you too. I’ll call when I get there.”
After a minute, I watched him pull away as I stood inside the terminal—since he waited until I got fully inside—ready to give Miami a second chance. I was very nervous about returning, but there was a discussion happening during the conference that I was extremely interested in. It could directly affect the students and the schools in Ashfield in an exciting way, but I needed to learn more before I started allowing my excitement to cultivate.
I’d booked a first-class flight this time, and I enjoyed the extra space and amenities during the flight. It disappointed me that our time in the air was only a couple of hours.
After exiting the plane, I made my way down the terminal thoroughfare toward the pick-up area. I’d hesitantly booked a ride share again, but this time I was prepared for the Miami traffic.
My hair swished with each step I took as I navigated the crowd. Another thing I remembered about the heat and humidity, my hair was going to take a while to adjust, so I’d thrown it up in a high ponytail, letting the wavy ends brush against my shoulders.
