Page 29 of Slow Burn (The Boston Beauties)

BRETON:We’ve been through this

JESSA:Either you let me call, or I will fly home right now.

BRETON:How, you have no credit card, and you need me to hack the system for your passport to work

JESSA:I’ll go to the police here and turn myself in

BRETON:You wouldn’t...

JESSA:I can pack right now and get someone to take me to the police within the hour

He was silent for a bit before he replied

BRETON:Can you wait till Wednesday (Thursday your time) until I am home to explain everything and make sure everything is safe?

BRETON:You cannot do what you said, Matt’s trial is set for the new year. Please, wait a few days ‘till I’m home

BRETON:Can you promise me that?

JESSA:If you promise me I can talk to them before the weekend

BRETON:I promise

As he always did, he kept his promise to me. It was early Thursday morning when he texted me that he was about to tell them. I told my trainer Marcus that I had cramps and left the gym to head back to my room. I sat on my bed, holding my knees, rocking back and forth. I was nervous, and the time seemed to take forever. My hands were shaking so much when I put my earphones in my ears and answered the call.

It was emotional when I picked up the phone, we all cried for the first few minutes. Then they yelled at me, then we all cried some more and then we started to chat, cried again, finally laughed at it all.

‘When are you coming home?’ my mother asked me.

‘We’re working on that, but not for a while yet,’ Breton answered for me.

‘Where are you?’ my father asked me.

I shrugged. ‘I’m in a good place no one would think to look for me, and I’m safe,’ I told him with a genuine smile.

‘Can we call her whenever?’ my mother asked Breton.

He shook his head, ‘No, it’s not safe, but I can give you the email we’ve been using.’

They seemed to be content with that,

‘Please don't be mad at us. I needed to do this to protect myself, and you. The less you know about where I am right now, the better.But we can check in every week or so.’

‘We love you so much, and we are so happy with this news,’ my mother cried, and my father wrapped his arms around her.

‘I miss you and I love you too,’ I cried.

CHAPTER 9

JESSA

My time away was hard and isolating. It wasn’t as if I left a large group of friends, but I really missed Zoe and even Amber. We had grown closer over the past year. I spoke with Breton a few times a week, but it just wasn’t the same.

After the first month, our conversations were rather predictable. He’d fill me in on the limited information he had on Zoe, and even more scarce, Amber. And when I was brave enough, I’d ask about Drew. It took a lot to hear about him, and even though I’d try my hardest to push him from my thoughts throughout the day. At night, without the distractions of the routine of the retreat, the classes, the group sessions, training, and cooking classes, I was alone with my thoughts. And completely alone, missing Drew.

I had been emotional after speaking with my parents, and I needed a few days to digest it and come to terms that I was missing my first of many holidays with my family. It was the weekend after Thanksgiving that Breton called to tell me that a trial date had been set, pushed up due to the influence of my father, his friends and the DA seeking re-election on the tails of a high-profile case.

It was all so real, and I was grateful that Breton had let me come clean to my parents last week, that they now knew I was alive, and the trial would be a formality to put Matt away and buy us time.

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