I was going to miss simple things like this. New York was far enough away that I knew my dad wouldn't be coming to visit. He hated change, and anything over an hour away just took him completely out of his comfort zone. Luckily for him, I enjoyed driving and planned to make the trip back as often as I could. If not for him, for me.
I helped him clean up the mess from breakfast, and then I brought my suitcases inside so that I could shower, and change. I called a moving company next, and then... I called Morgan.
THREE
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Morgan and I sat in her car down the road from my apartment complex. She had a pair of binoculars, and I had a large iced coffee. Together, we formed our own little stakeout, and the minute Derek left for work we made our way up to my apartment.
Walking into the place that I had called home for the last two years suddenly felt nothing like home. Visions flashed through my mind. First of the woman, and then the look on Derek's face when he knew that he'd been caught. Every emotion that I was feeling that night came rushing back to me, hitting me with so much force that a tear slid down my cheek.
“No tears.” Morgan said, as she brushed past me. “The movers will be here in three hours, and we've got work to do.”
I nodded. She was right. There was no use in wallowing in self pity. The sooner I got my things packed, the sooner I could start over.. whatever the hell that looked like. I watched as she taped the flattened boxes, and tossed them into a pile in the corner of the room. When she had ten, she placed a few on the bed and cleared her throat.
“I know this is difficult, Ronnie.”
“You have no idea.” I sighed, picking up a photo of Derek and I at myrtle beach.
“Just because I've never been in a 'relationship' doesn't mean I don't understand betrayal.”
I set the photo down ignoring her comment, before I started to gather my things from the top of the dresser. My jewelry box, toiletries, knick knacks, and a few random picture frames were all placed into one of the boxes. I decided to leave all the photos of the two of us behind. Where I was going, I didn't need that kind of negative energy.
Morgan gathered all of the items from the adjoining bathroom, and then I found myself in the living room. I boxed up my record collection, and then my books, leaving behind only what he'd paid for. I left the DVD collection, and didn't bother with any of the kitchenware. I contemplated taking the furniture, but the more I looked around the more I just wanted an actual fresh start.
Between the two of us we managed to get everything packed just in time for the mover's arrival. Morgan was feeling a bit more petty than I was and decided to take the dressers, bed frame, headboard, and foot board. She said it was best to make dogs lay on the floor. I didn't question her. I knew that in her own way she was trying to help me, and I'd take all the help I could get at this point.
She was also able to secure our apartment in New York. Even though we weren't set to move in for three more months, it was amazing what a little bit of money could do. Her dad was able to get us the keys, and a new move in date. Next month, we would officially be New Yorkers.
As I watched the movers load the last of my things into the back of their truck, Morgan sidled up beside me and bumped me with her hip.
“Where to now?” She asked.
“Back to my dad's place I suppose.” I said, sounding defeated.
She was quiet for a minute, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. Suddenly she turned to face me with a huge smile on her face.
“Road trip!” She announced.
“What?”
“We have an entire month to kill, Ronnie. What better way to forget all your troubles then to get the hell out of the place that caused them? Just you, and me, and the open road!”
“What about work?”
She rolled her eyes. “What about it? It is spring break season, and you've got money in your savings account right?”
“Yes, but that's for living expenses-”
“Daddy's already paid our rent six months in advance, and will continue to until Sew New gets up and running.”
“I can't just quit my job! I need to put my two weeks notice in, and my mom would never-”
“Stop over thinking everything. We're doing this! In three months you're going to be knee deep in figures, and I'll be covered in fabric swatches. Come on Ronnie, live a little!”
In my head, I knew that running away from my problems wasn't the answer. But the more she spoke, the better her idea started to sound. No work, no stress, just the open road, and a chance for adventure. She gave me her puppy dog eyes then, and stuck out her bottom lip for good measure. We both already knew that it was only a matter of time before I'd concede. So I took a deep breath, and gave her the answer that she was looking for.
“When do we leave?”
THE NEXT FEW DAYS WENT by in a blur. Derek had been calling, and texting so much that I had to change my number. I also decided to sell my car, since my dad gave me his truck. He said that if Morgan and I insisted on this road trip that we needed to be safe, and my ford contour wasn't going to cut it. I figured once I was settled in New York I'd
