Page 19 of The Comeback Road (Leaving #2)

Lexie

After I made my excuse—I needed to finish packing—I made my way upstairs and looked at the hurricane that was my room.

I started slowly putting away what I knew I wasn’t taking and shoving the rest of the random things I think I’d need in whatever crevice I had left in my suitcase.

Once again, I was so absorbed in my task that I didn’t recognize I was no longer alone.

“That’s a lot of stuff you seem to be packing.

” Magnolia stood there with her hand on her hip.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at her, so I just continued about my task.

“When I had you promise you’d come back to me, I thought you were talking about an extended vacation, so tell me why I have a feeling that this is more permanent than you’re letting on? ”

I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped. “Mags…bab—”

“Don’t you dare ‘babes’ or ‘Mags’ me, Lexie. Be honest with me. Why do I have this weird feeling? Why are you hiding things from me?” she scolded me. I wanted to taunt her about how the tables had turned—it used to be me, pestering her for truths and friendship when we first met.

“Okay. Then I’m just going to ask you to trust me because I can’t give you the truth.

” The silence unfolded around us in a scream that never made it out as Magnolia’s sharp gaze flicked over me, trying to find a weak spot to dig out my truths.

But my truths were mine to protect, and the only weak spot she might have found lay in her—or, if one had asked me a few days before, Jace.

But he was no longer mine to protect, no longer mine.

He was always Jess’s. The more I thought about it, the more I realized he was never mine, and he was never going to be.

It was a foundation that started on half truths and promises that weren’t ever going to happen.

“I don’t like this.” Magnolia never broke eye contact with me.

“I get it, but you’re overthinking this, babes. I promise.” I had to look down so I wasn’t lying while looking at her. Magnolia must have realized that she wasn’t going to win the argument because she just walked over and started folding my clothes.

“I know you’re lying to me. I know there are things you kept to yourself before, but this feels different— wrong .

I respect that you can’t or won’t tell me.

Just know that I’m here for you if that changes.

Come home soon.” I could hear the tremor in her words.

I snaked my arm around her waist, pulled her close to me, and squeezed.

“I love you, you know that?”

“Do you leave today then?”

“Yeah. I’ll finish this, and then I’m off to the airport.

” Magnolia didn’t even try to hide her sigh, and even though she clearly wasn’t happy with the situation, she still took the time to help me get ready to leave.

I had to stop myself from spilling my guts to her. My silence was for her benefit.

The minutes passed without words, and for once, I was thankful for not needing to fill the empty space. I could just be alone with my thoughts, in the comfort of my best friend.

What is happening? I mulled everything over in my mind, and I honestly didn’t even have an inkling.

The last case I had worked on wasn’t anything special, just fine-tuning some software for the directional systems and mapping in airplanes.

Maybe there was something wrong with the specs, and they were encountering a problem with the accuracy.

That would be a real problem, and whatever was going on with Jace wasn’t a real problem—it was the beginning of something that didn’t pan out, and now it was done. It’s time for me to let go of this daydream. That’s all it was—a daydream . And I was ready to leave it behind.

“It’s time. I’m ready.” I looked around at the room that had once felt like an opening, a new beginning. Suddenly, it felt just how it looked— bare . Like just another room for rent.