Page 9 of When She Unravels
“I was going to puke if I stayed in there for a minute longer,” she says as she swings her legs over the edge.
“We need to keep driving,” I tell her. “We’re still about ten minutes from the airport.” I take my phone out and jog to a nearby garbage can. There’s no way I can keep the device. Even without the SIM card, I’m sure they’ll be able to track me as soon as I turn it back on. I’m about to run back to the car when my gaze catches on my wedding ring. After a moment, I slip it off my finger and throw it away too.
The girl takes the seat beside me and we get back on the road. “What are we going to do when we get there?” she asks.
“You’re going to buy a seat on the first flight out,” I say. “You need to be on a plane as soon as possible.”
In my periphery, I see her nod. I can’t imagine what she’s feeling and thinking. How much of this will she remember when the adrenaline wears off? She’s holding it together, but just barely.
Not like I’m doing much better, to be honest.
We drive in silence for a few minutes, but I can feel her pensive gaze on me. “Why did you decide to help me?” she asks.
Despite the many reasons that immediately pop into my head, I struggle giving her an answer.
Because you’re innocent.
Because you remind me of my little sister.
Because if I hurt someone one more time, I might kill myself right after.
And I want to live, even if I don’t deserve to. For some reason, I’m not ready to say goodbye to this ugly world.
“Because I can,” I say finally.
There are signs for Newark Airport now. “Drop me off at the international terminal,” the girl says.
It’s a good idea to leave the country. Papà’s influence goes far, but he’s not omnipotent.
“The cash is in my purse,” I say. “Take whatever you need.”
She grabs the bag from where it’s wedged between her feet and pulls out the wad of cash. Then she counts it. “I’ll take four grand. That’ll be enough to get me home.” She continues to count. “That leaves you with six.”
Six grand, a knife, a gun, and the clothes on my back. That’s all I have left to my name.
“What are you going to do?” the girl asks.
Run.
Run and hope they don’t find me.
My sisters won’t understand why I left because they don’t know anything about Lazaro’s sadistic games. My parents won’t ever tell them, but maybe this will be their wake-up call to not do to Gemma and Cleo what they’ve done to me. I wonder how they’ll explain my disappearance. Cleo will be skeptical no matter what they say, but Gemma might believe them. She’s loyal. Committed. Just like I used to be. Before my wedding, Mamma told me she was pleased with how well I absorbed all of her lessons.
Sorry, Mamma. I’m about to become your biggest disappointment. I couldn’t handle the life you wanted for me. No one’s going to call me a perfect wife after this.
“Did you hear me?”
I glance over at my companion. She’s gnawing on her nails. She looks so scared. It makes an ache appear in my chest.
Is she going to make it on her own? What if I shot my husband only for her to get taken by someone else? I have no idea what her story is, or why Lazaro was ordered to take her. What if he wasn’t the only one after her?
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I say.
A tangled strand of hair falls into her face. “Will you come with me to buy my ticket?” Her voice shakes. “I don’t want to look suspicious to the airline workers. You can say you’re my sister and that you’re buying me a last-minute trip.”
I don’t want to know where she’s going, but she has a point. She looks young and she’s travelling with no luggage. What if they think she’s in trouble and don’t allow her to board?
“Okay, I’ll go with you. As soon as you get past security, buy yourself a change of clothes and wear a hat. Don’t talk to anyone unless you have to.”
