Page 63 of Slow Burn (The Boston Beauties)

‘You want to go drive by?’ Drew asked putting on his blinker.

‘Better not, I’d want to jump out and seek her out.” I sighed.

‘She doesn’t live there anymore,’ he told me. ‘She moved in with John a while ago, but has been between here and LA, training for the summer and starting up the west-coast office for your dad.’

I knew they had grown close since my disappearance and it warmed my heart, even on the days I felt it was frozen over for all the pain I had put everyone through.

‘When do you think you’ll tell her?’ I knew what he was asking, when was I going to let her know I was still alive and well.

It was my turn to shrug. ‘Probably just before I’m about to resurface, I don't want to implicate her in anything or distract her; she has worlds coming up soon.’

‘How’s all that going?’ he asked me. I was surprised it had taken him this long. It had been a sensitive subject lately. He knew we had the final confession from Matt’s brother and felt that Breton and I were just dragging our heels with organizing the information and working on an exit plan for me. But it was more than that. Breton was super busy, and I was doing what I could to write up the narrative while working on finishing my course on health and wellness coaching, on top of recovering from surgery and being sick.

I was on my own timeline. I had fought hard to gain my independence and I didn’t relish giving any of it up. Drew might own my heart, but I was still in full control of me. One time a few weeks ago I blew up at him for the first time. It was our first real fight of sorts. I had felt bad afterwards, but at least he was aware that I was on my own schedule for the first time in my life, making decisions on my own and taking the steering wheel of my own life. Sure, I consulted him—after all, I am planning on sharing my new life with him—but I was no longer taking detours for the sake of someone else at my own expense.

The next day when we spoke, he told me he understood, but that he missed me. While he was proud of everything that I had done to discover my passion and learn to live life by my own rules, he just wanted to share that life with me, without an ocean separating us.

I got where he was coming from, and I wanted nothing more than to move home, into the house he was renovating for us to finally start our life together. I just wanted to do it right. I didn’t want to show up and get arrested without a plan. I was trying to make him see that we needed to be strategic in how we presented my case to the authorities, created my backstory with evidence that didn’t implicate me in breaking so many laws. Most of all, we needed to demonstrate that I had no alternative as to why I did it. Framing the evidence we uncovered of Matt and his siblings were going to be mine and Breton’s get-out-of-jail card.

‘It’s coming along,’ I told him, which was true. Breton was finalizing things.

‘So what happens with you?

‘Same plan as before. When the time comes, I turn myself in.’ I sighed. It had been weighing on my mind for over a year now.

‘But what about the fact you’re here now, does that change anything?’

‘Honestly, I have no idea.’ I looked out the window. ‘I need to speak with Brett and see when we bring Abby in.’

‘Are you guys going to be in a lot of trouble?’

I shrugged again, ‘I sort of have an idea, but I think she’ll be the one who could really tell me just how much shit I’ve gotten myself into.’

‘Do you think you’ll serve prison time?’

‘If we play our cards right, I hope not,’ I told him. ‘I intend to pay all legal fees associated with my “disappearance.” I’ve put a bunch of money aside if it comes to that.’

‘What about using fake ID’s? Surely Homeland Security will have an issue with that,’ he asked. ‘You have a plan for that?’

‘Yes, well, Brett does, he has a plan for everything.’ I looked back to him with a reassuring smile, reaching out and placing my hand on his arm.

‘You’ve been a busy girl,’ Drew commented.

‘Told you. Finally, you’re listening,’ I said resting my head on the seat, closing my eyes, the weight of the past few days finally catching up with me. ‘Thanks for everything you’ve done for my family,’ I told him heartfully.

‘No need to thank me,’ he said kissing my hand as he drove. ‘They’re like my family too.’

He’d been such a help to us all. He’d been doing coffee runs, fetching my father clothing, chauffeuring my mother and myself, and getting food for my aunt earlier today after she stayed with me overnight.

‘How are you doing?’ he asked. ‘Holding up all right?’

‘I think so, just happy that my father will be okay. I want to be there to help him get healthy again. It’s what I’ve been studying for the past few months and I just love it. It’s what I want to continue to do. I was just relieved the doctors seem to think after his surgery he will fully recover with some diet modifications and an exercise regime.’

‘You have a plan for that too?’

‘Working on one,’ I smirked.

‘Figured.’

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