Page 41 of In a Perfect World

Chapter 21

Triana~

Tomorrow was the day, and my hands shook as I packed my one bag, leaving everything else to collect dust until the bank foreclosed on my home.As much as I wanted to take all my favorite memories with me, it just wasn’t possible.We needed to travel light just in case we were pulled over or anything like that.With only one overnight bag, we could claim a weekend getaway or pitch a last-minute camping trip.

As for the other details, Kairo and I had spoken all week long, tweaking my plan here and there.Instead of using my car, Kairo had suggested that we take his, knowing that if we got pulled over or anything of that nature, the police would run his plates to see that he was Alvin Booker’s son, limiting any possible hiccups.

He had also talked me out of emptying my bank accounts.He had claimed that all my preemptive moves were a bit premature right now.He felt as if those moves needed to be made once we got close enough to the border to matter.He had also explained that the trip itself was not guaranteed, and if we needed to go our separate ways to save ourselves, then I’d still have something to come back to.

So, as I’d thought about it some more, instead of paying off my car and withdrawing all my money, I had made extra payments on both my car and my house, three months in advance.I’d also done the same with my utilities, leaving enough credit on all my bills to see me through those three months.

My only real regret was Tomasco.As much as I wanted to tell him goodbye, I knew my brother well enough to know that he’d never let me go without a fight, and that was just something that I couldn’t risk.Not only would he flip out about me wanting to make my way to Mexico, but I couldn’t even imagine how he’d react to learning about Kairo.So, all I could do was assure him that I was okay once we got into Mexico, and if I had to buy a million burner phones to keep him informed of my wellbeing, then that’s what I’d do.After all, it was the least that I could do for him being such a great big brother all these years.

As for my parents, I was still angry enough to feel as if I didn’t owe them anything, and I figured that Tomasco could be the one to inform them that I was well, and that was even if they cared.Right now, I wasn’t even sure if my absence would bother them at all.With my father’s image his only concern, I could see him forcing himself not to care what happened to me, and that just fueled me more.

A knock on my door had me jumping, paranoia already dancing along my nerves.While I was still determined to go through with this, that didn’t mean that I wasn’t very aware of how dangerous this was.I knew the risk that I was taking, but quiet moves never accomplished anything.

I was halfway to the door when the knock sounded again, and when I finally swung it open, Sonia was standing on the other side, and that familiar pressure of impending tears hit the back of my eyes.Even though I knew that Sonia would always be on my side, that didn’t mean that leaving her wasn’t going to hurt badly.I was never going to see her again after tonight, and that was hitting me a lot harder than I’d been expecting.

“Hey, what’s up?”she greeted as I stepped back to let her inside.“Where’s the fire?”

Before I’d started packing, I had sent Sonia a text, asking her to come see me, letting her know that it was important and couldn’t wait.I also hadn’t been worried that she wouldn’t show because Sonia had always been a solid friend, and fully aware of what I was going through with my parents, I knew that she’d come, which made me feel even more despondent over leaving her.

“I need to talk to you,” I told her.“There’s something that...that I need to tell you.”

Sonia’s blue eyes immediately widened.“Oh, God...you missed your period.”

My head reared back, and despite it all, I couldn’t help but choke out a laugh.“No!”

“Then what else could it be?”she asked, still wary that I might be pregnant.

“Well, it’s not that I’m pregnant,” I drawled out.“I only had sex with Kairo last week.”

“So, that doesn’t mean anything,” she argued.

“I’m also on birth control,” I reminded her.“For as magnificent as Kairo Booker might be, his swimmers would have to be pretty impressive to accomplish that feat.”

Accepting that, she asked, “So, then...what’s going on?”

I jerked my head towards the bedroom, gesturing her to follow me, and she automatically followed like I knew that she would.Sonia trusted me as much as I trusted her, so it’d never occur to her to feel cautious around me.