Now herglass was empty. If she intended to catch the eight in the morning flight, she needed to packherbags.
Em placed her hand on Belle's shoulder as she stood from her barstool. "What aren't you telling me,Belle?"
"I'm going home to pack. My flight isearly."
"You had already had aticket."
"Yeah. I'll see everyonelater."
She hugged all her friends and then rushedfrom the building. A few minutes later, she climbed the steps to her apartment and realized she still didn't have any pictures onthewall.
Anyone who came here would assume she was a drifter or newly out of the Marines. In reality, she just hadn't had the time or motivationtoshop.
Home and decorating could wait. She went to her closet and tugged out her folded duffel. Then shefroze and stared through the park and back toward the Capitol Building. It illuminated her bedroom, and she didn't need to turn on thelights.
Change needed to happen. She hugged her stomach and shook on her feet. "I loved Colt. He loved Victoria. Please make the pain stop, okay? I don't want to become numb and I feel sad. Why wasn’t I enough? What did I do to make you hate me this much?I always tried to do the right thing, so whypunishme?"
Praying wasn’t her thing. Action was and her father always said ‘God helps those who help themselves.’ If she let Colt go, then she’d be open to whatever or whoever was next. Or she’d get a cat from the shelter. She blinked, wiped her eyes, and picked upherbag.
A second later, she grabbed her hairbrush and accessories. Thenshe went to her nightstand and took her mother's picture, which had been thrown down but was otherwise intact. Belle had never gone anywhere without her mother and wouldn't start now. Finally she went to the closet and picked up her small supply of civilian summeroutfits.
Now she was packed. She rifled through the pocketbook but couldn't find that invitation. Somewhere she must have lostit. She shrugged. At least she had the plane ticket. Done, she stormed tothedoor.
"God, you and I both know that I will never be the bride or girlish, but please help me stay strong. I have to be happy foreveryoneelse."
Dawn peeked through the air. She hadn't slept at all. Perhaps on the plane she'd close her eyes and not have a rush of heart palpitations every fewminutes.
She unlocked the front door, and her nerves stood on edge. Nothing stirred outside. She rubbed her temples and told herself she'dbefine.
She'd never be sweet or the kind or the girl that a guy threw everything away for. She straightened her spine. She took care of herself. She was always fine with anything that was thrown in her way. She used a phone app and called a car to pickherup.
As she turned off the lights, she continued her conversation with God. "I'm too closed off to ever truly fall in love. We bothknowthat."
She locked the door behind her and ran down the stairs as fast as she could. Miami was warm, and the wedding invitation for tomorrow meant she'd be too busy to worry about herself or feel sorry that she was no longer the bride. She pocketedher phone. Everything wasperfect.
