Page 31 of Breaking Bristol

The caller ID said unknown number. Knots coiled in my stomach, and a cool sheen of sweat coated my skin. My fingers shook as I answered, and when I brought it to my ear, I bit the inside of my cheek as fear lodged in my throat. “It’s me, babe.”

“Oh my God.” It was just Scotty. Air rushed out of me so fast I got light-headed. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry, I know it’s late there. But I just wanted to check in with you and make sure you were all right. I saw there was a nasty storm and knowing you were all alone in that cabin had me worried.”

Scotty was my lifeline, and I trusted him with everything. Because he worked in cyber security, he helped me escape and was my only connection to back home. As much as I hated Shane, I believed Scotty was the only other person who despised him enough to want him dead.

“I’m fine. School’s been closed this week, so honestly, I’ve been bored.” I needed to know why he called before I even thought about telling him about Matthew. “How are you?”

“I’m good.”

“How are they?” I asked after my family, allowing myself to feel how much I missed them instead of pushing those emotions away.

He sighed heavily. “They’re doing all right. Nothing new or of importance to report. Just living their lives.”

I sniffled and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. I hated that I wasn’t there because I knew they were worried about me. They had no clue where I was or how I was doing. I’d contemplated asking Scotty to secretly get word to my parents that I was okay, but decided against it because I was afraid Shane would somehow find out. I honestly wasn’t sure what my plan was at this point. I got away from him, and he hadn’t found me, now what? Was I going to stay hidden forever, never see my family again? “What about him?”

“I wouldn’t know. He’s out on another one of his benders. Last time I traced his cell, he was in Vegas.”

“I wish he would just stay there and forget all about me.”

“Maybe he will this time.” He paused, and I heard the keyboard clicking. “We can only hope. And you know whenever you need me to make a move, I’ll do whatever you want.”

Of course I knew that. Scotty had offered to do any and everything to get back at his brother for not only me but for everything Shane had put him through when they were growing up. I refused to let Scotty do something that could get him in trouble; he’d already risked a lot helping me as much as he had.

The hatred that Scotty had for Shane had me worried that he would actually kill him, and I couldn’t live with that guilt on my conscience. A part of me did want Shane dead, but not at my hands or his brother’s. That cross was just too much to bear. Which is why I was at such a crossroads, because aside from death, nothing would stop Shane from finding me.

A thought that had been on the back of my mind the entire time I’d been with Matthew wouldn’t go away, and I blurted, “I met someone, Scotty.”

“Cool.”

“Don’t sound so happy for me.”

“You know I am.”

I did know that. Scotty was one of my favorite people in the world, and from the first time I met him, we just clicked. He wanted me to be happy, and it became clear just how different he and his brother were. When Shane found out that Scotty and I were texting each other, he let me know how much he didn’t like that in more ways than one. If I’d told Scotty then, I wasn’t sure what he would have done, so I hid the truth as usual.

I was not sexually attracted to Scotty; he was more like a brother to me than anything. He was hot, though. His hair had a red tint to it, his jaw was chiseled, and he had the body of an underwear model.

“He’s a good man, Scotty. His name is Matthew, and I really like him. He likes me, too.”

“You’re likable, Bristol. This shouldn’t be a surprise to you.”

“I didn’t tell him about Shane, but I’m terrified of what will happen in the future. You know? If things get serious between us, and I decide I want to introduce him to my parents…” I blew out a breath. “I’m not saying I want to marry him or anything—I’ve only known him a couple of months and that’s too soon—but I’m just saying, what if? What happens when he finds out I had to run from my psycho ex before he killed me? And if Shane finds out about Matthew, he’ll probably try to kill him, too.”

Scotty sighed. “I get it. But I can’t make that decision for you. I’ll support whatever you want to do, but the choices you make for your life have to be yours because you have to live with them.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Well, when I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know.”

“All right. Just wanted to touch base ’cause I know how you worry. Take care of yourself, Bristol.”

“You, too, honey. And thanks for the call.”

I hung up with him and held my phone in both hands, tapping it on my forehead. The past couple of years had been such a whirlwind that I was only worried about one day at a time. Now that things had settled, I was finally starting to feel safe enough to fret about the future.

“Fuck you, Shane,” I whispered to myself. “Fuck you.”

I gave myself ten minutes to feel sorry for myself, and then I pushed thoughts of him away. When the time came to figure out what I would do next, I’d just have to deal. But right now, I was happy, and I wanted to cherish it.

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