Maybe it was time to fly, after all.
The logistics of it all flashed through my mind. I had to pack and get out this weekend, while Lydia and the girls were gone. It’d just be easier to leave without her whole confrontation.
But what about Bruno?
Maybe I could ask James or Gwen to look after him until I got settled at least? I knew either of them would do it in a heartbeat.
The knowledge that I was actually leaving everything I’d ever known—my home, my father’s business, my family friends, the safety of it all—was so hugely scary. I didn’t know anyone in LA. I’d be all alone.
Don’t get me wrong—I wanted to go. But I’d never been away from home before. And I wouldn’t have a safety net to fall back on.
It would also mean walking away from my father’s diner. His lifelong dream. The business that had kept us clothed and fed and had been my entire world for so long.
It was the last piece of him that I still had. Every time I was here, I felt closer to him. Half the time, I still expected him to yell something from the kitchen. He could cook for a six-top while chatting with regulars at the counter. This place was him.
And I’d be letting it go forever. Because once I left, Lydia would never let me come back.
But it was time.
Dad wasn’t here anymore, and he wouldn’t want me working here forever in some sad, desperate attempt to hold onto him. Like Gwen said, he’d want me to live my life for me.
I opened the other envelope. The huge bundle of bills inside made my heart skip a beat. I pulled them out to count, and a lanyard fell to my feet.
What the heck?
I bent down and grabbed it, flipping it over to read the front.
A VIP, all-access pass to the festival this weekend. Starting today and good through the whole festival.
My giddiness returned tenfold.
I was going to the festival!
That was so amazingly kind of Gwen to do. I couldn’t believe she was able to get me tickets, let alone a VIP pass, considering the festival started in…an hour.
I was practically skipping as I headed for my car with the lanyard and cash clutched in my hand.
Step one, deposit the money in my account ASAP.
Step two, get ready for the festival.
Chapter 3
As my Uber drove toward the festival, the specter of my step-family niggled the back of my brain. I couldn’t let them see me. I was supposed to be working this weekend, and I really didn’t want to get Gwen in trouble.
Maybe this was a bad idea.
No, I was being ridiculous.
This was a huge festival with two stages. The chances of me seeing them were pretty low. Especially if I avoided the VIP areas.
As my Uber pulled up to the drop-off point, my anxiety traded out for anticipation. There were so many people. The parking lot heaved with cars, and people streamed to the entry point. No way would I bump into Lydia and the girls here.
It was going to be fine. I wanted to do this. It was my last hurrah in Astoria before I left for good.
Filled with resolve, I muttered a distracted goodbye to my driver, grabbed my bag, and slipped my lanyard over my head. Then I joined the masses streaming toward the entrance.
Everyone around me seemed to be in big groups of friends. Laughter and conversations warred with the music that already streamed from the concert area ahead.
