Are you in LA?
The three little dots pop up immediately before her reply comes through.
I’m a little closer than that. You should come downstairs.
Another image pops up, and this time, the front of my townhouse is on display.
She couldn’t be here, could she? I get up and walk over to the patio railing, peering down to the street below.
And there she is, looking up at me with a knowing smile.
“What are you doing here?” I call out. Thankfully, the buildings on either side of me are vacant.
“I was in town?” She shrugs. “How about you let me in, and we can finish this conversation with some of that coffee I smell? I took a red-eye, and damn, my body knows it.”
I bolt for the stairs, brushing past Shadow, and race down to the first floor. At the bottom, I throw open the door, and Minny pulls me into a hug. Her warmth surrounds me, grounding me in a way I forgot I needed. She’s always been my closest friend, and I’ve missed her more than words can say.
The first thing Terrance did was isolate me, forcing distance between me and everyone I loved. The second I was free, I called Minny.
We’ve been best friends since elementary school, thick as thieves until my dreams carried me to California while she stayed back in Ohio, building a life with her husband, Bobby. Seven years of hell for me. Four kids and a whole life for her. When we reconnected, it was like no time had passed. After the divorce, she became my lifeline. My constant through late-night calls and daily texts, the light that cut through the worst of my trauma.
We hadn’t seen each other in person since I left, though I’d planned a trip to Ohio in a few months.
“Surprise!” she says again, grinning as she pulls me into a tight hug. I melt into her arms, the familiar warmth of her embrace undoing something knotted inside me.
When she finally steps back, it’s only then that I realize how much I’ve truly missed her.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would’ve picked you up from the airport,” I say, still stunned.
“And ruin that face? Never, Charlie,” she teases, giving me a playful nudge.
I laugh and usher her inside. “Let’s get you settled.”
She sinks into the couch while I head to the kitchen to make coffee. As it brews, a pang of guilt hits me. Terrance stole yearsfrom me. I missed her wedding, her pregnancies, birthdays, and too many milestones to count. Just seeing her here makes me want to apologize for not being stronger, for disappearing. But the words lodge in my throat.
I hand her the coffee and settle into the armchair across from her. “So, what brings you to town?”
“I’ve got a conference in Vegas this weekend,” she says, taking a sip.
“A convention?” I arch a brow. Minny’s a hairstylist back home.
“Some hoity-toity thing about new products and trends. Karissa was supposed to go, but her doctor put her on bed rest. So, I volunteered as tribute. Figured I’d escape the chaos and check in on my best friend while I was at it.”
“I hardly live close to Vegas,” I say, smiling. “It’s a six-hour drive.”
She shrugs. “That’s practically next door when you’ve got four kids and no peace.”
“It’s free room, board, and debauchery, Charlie. Why aren’t you packing yet?” Minny teases.
“I can’t just take off on a trip. I have a job and a cat.”
“A remote job,” she reminds me with a smirk. “And Shadow’s got an automatic feeder. He’ll survive.”
The look she gives me says she’s not leaving without me. Minny’s always had that way of getting what she wants with her stubborn charm. But a spontaneous trip to Vegas? It’s not that simple.
“I can’t just up and go,” I argue. “I need to plan, give notice, make sure everything’s in order.”
“Charlie.” She sets her coffee down and takes my hands in hers. “You spent seven years under his thumb. You need a break. You need fun.”
