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CHAPTER ONE
Rain splattered on the windshield of the cab in globs Each splash sounded like a rock I was used to nasty stor, but it e The cabbie was an oversized man with pasty skin and toohis face As we drove into the storm, he pushed his hat farther back, as if ball caps hindered vision The ainst the windshield
We drove east in silence He didn’t try towasn’t so I wanted to discuss I still didn’t want to be here, but there was nowhere left to go The car pulled off the expressway, and after a few turns, the cab rolled down a narrow street in Port Jeff Through the rain, porch lights blazed pro warmth inside the rows of homes
“Here we are,” the cabbie stated with complete indifference As he toldon a clipboard, and tossed it back onto the front seat next to him
Hesitating for a moment, I looked up at the brown brick facade and sed Maybe this wasn’t a good idea I’d left Long Island over ten years ago, and, although I missed it, I had never wanted to come back Yet, here I was
The cabbie cleared his throat, waiting I blinked once, pushing away the doubt that crawled upinto my purse It pained ru me to be cheap because I looked like a drowned rat, but I said, “Keep the change”
“Sure thing, Princess I’ll buy a new yacht to park next to the other one” Theon a shoe Fine It wasn’t a big tip, but it was all I had I got the clear impression he didn’t think Little Miss Texas should be wandering around big bad New York, like some redneck yokel who just discovered shoes
Ignoring hi open the door, rain splattered down and I was instantly wetter I didn’t think that was possible I had one bag withrain ran down otten how different irls with their bags After I ran around to the back of the cab, I grabbed my suitcases and slammed the trunk shut
As the red taillights faded into the darkness, the front door of 6A opened A young woht atme like I’d never left
“Hey, Kate,” I hugged her back She didn’t see my shoulders in her hands, she exaht Her eyes were still vibrant, and every ounce as green as I remembered
“I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve seen you,” Kate said grinning, shaking her head “I have no idea why you ran away and failed to tell your best friend about it, but I would have traded anything to get to see you again And now you’re here!” She hugged er, and neither was she, but she was right With the way I’d left, I didn’t expect such a waro inside I have a spiked hot cocoa with your nas, and then made a beeline for the front door with me on her heels
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Kate didn’t knohy I’d left, and I never told her It was colanced around her apartallery with beautiful artwork on the walls The room was peaceful, painted with soft blues and browns—not like the girl with the bright orange bedroootten over her fascination with neon colors
Pushing her dripping hair out of her face, Kate said, “Come on I’ll show you your roo Kate’s path of puddles, I walked between the living rooer than it appeared fro a bathroos fro towels on the floor in front of theail Tyndale, will be your residence for as long as you like”
“It’ll only be a year, Kate I’ll go as soon as I can I don’t want to burden you” I felt horrible having to do this in the first place, and she was being so nice Kate was the saed half dead cats off the street and took the them a new home
Kate folded her arain, aren’t you? First chance you get, you’ll head for the hills and go back to no-mans land” It was a state to Kate’s cheek, water dripping down her face like tears Her green eyes were onan answer
No one willingly ran to no- there with her, it felt like I’d never left It felt like I had my best friend back, and I one She was the kind of person who didn’t say what you wanted to hear—she said what you needed to hear Friends like her were rare
I s here” Myto me like wet toilet paper I repressed a shiver A hot shower really sounded divine