“Are you sure about this, Lee?” Amanda asked for the fifteenth time.
“Yes, yes I’m damn sure. A thousand and six hundred and twenty-three percent sure,” I replied while continuing to stuff my suitcase with clothes.
“But all the way to Canada? Are you sure about this, Lee I mean, Canada is pretty far away.” Amanda said with frustration at watching me pack.
“Far away is good,” I replied while continuing to fill up my suitcase.
“Uh, but you can’t run from Theodore like this, Lee.”
“Yes, I can.” I finished packing my suitcase and zipped it shut. Then flopped on the bed beside Amanda, releasing a long, deep sigh.
“You know you can’t run away from him.” Mandi stated matter of factly.
“Yes, I can. My flight leaves in five hours, and once I reach Canada, I’m going to change my number, Ill text you the new one. That way Theodore would never be able to find me.” I replied confidently.
“But why are you so adamant on running away? It’s nothing but cowardice.” Mandi said.
“Trust me, running away is the best thing I can do,” I replied.
“How? Why?” Mandi questioned.
I sighed in annoyance. “Mandi, it’s weird. The guy is the epitome of danger, and yet, he makes me feel weird things.” I confessed.
Amanda raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Weird how?” She asked, eager to know how Theodore made me feel.
“Like…weird. Tingly, and—and goose-pimply…” I told her, then wanting to smack myself. Goose-pimply? Really, Hailey?
Amanda burst out laughing. I glared at her but she didn’t stop giggling.
“Goo—goose—goose-pim—goose-pimply…” Amanda kept laughing, tears streaming down her face, making my face go red.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I said, it isn’t funny.” I snapped.
“Yes, it is.” Amanda replied.
“I’m serious Mandi, no guy had ever made me feel that way before.” I said, once I saw her control herself.
“How many guys have you been with, Lee. Obviously, you’ll feel weird, because Theodore is the first guy who made you feel something other than friendship or just plain nothing; and if you ask me, that is someone you need to hang on to, not someone you run away from.” Mandi told me, seriously.
I breathed out an audible sigh. “But he’s dangerous,” I said weakly.
“Sometimes, dangerous is good, and most of the times, dangerous is fun. Don’t live in a shell, Hailey, because life will pass you by, and you’ll realize that you never did anything fun, anything adventrous, anything risky. And that is when you’re going to have regrets, and unfortunately, by then you wouldn’t be able to get the time, you lost, back.” Amanda stated wisely.
I fell silent after that, thinking her words over. Was it true that Theodore was what I needed in life. It was true that he was the first guy who made me feel alive, but did he feel the same way? Or was it just me who felt tingles. What if I did give this a chance, what was the guarantee that I would get a happy ending? What if Theodore used me and then left me to pick up the pieces of my broken heart. It was true that I stayed away from danger, and that was the exact reason why; I didn’t want to get hurt.
The chime of the phone snapped me out of my Theodore riddled thoughts. I was about to pick up the phone but Mandi beat me to it.
“Hey, give that back!” I demanded.
“Oohh, it’s a text from boss man, himself.” Mandi said cheekily, handing the phone to me.
I unlocked my phone and opened the messaging app.
Tomorrow, 5:30 am sharp, do not be late.
The hell, 5:30 am? That man was out of his mind. And how rude, he didn’t even use an emoticon, or even my name. Just eight words. Curse that man, like hell I would go. Ha! The good thing was that I would be leaving in about a few hours, and then I would be in Canada, away from him. He could take his texts and orders and slap himself with it.
“What are you smiling about?” Mandi inquired.
“He thinks, he can tell me to do whatever he wants and I’ll do it. Ha! The sucker doesn’t know that I’ll be in Canada before his 5:30 am,” I burst out laughing, “Oh, that’s rich. Too bad, I would be in Canada, I would miss seeing his reaction when he would come to his office tomorrow and won’t find me.” I finished laughing.
“The only reaction he will have is fury, Hailey.” Mandi said matter of factly.
I shrugged in response. “His fury be damned. The guy can’t control me, and it’s about time he realizes that.” I replied and stood up. I grabbed my suitcase and my handbag, making sure I had everything I needed, before giving Amanda a big hug.
“Take care, Mandi, and I’ll text you once I get my new number there. And please under no circumstances tell anyone where I’ve gone, okay?”
“Okay, you take care Hailey, and I’ll wait for your text, and don’t worry, my lips are sealed.” Mandi replied.
After 20 minutes the cab arrived. I hugged Amanda five to six times, before she pushed me out of the apartment. I got in the cab and we drove to the airport. I checked my phone and saw Theodore’s message staring back at me. For a second I felt cold, unrelenting fear, but I shrugged it off, knowing that now Theodore doesn’t know where I am, and now he couldn’t hurt me.
We reached the airport in half an hour and I rushed inside. I quickly went through the departure process and sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting area. I texted Amanda that I was at the airport and waiting for my flight. She immediately replied telling me to be safe and to take care. I sighed, tears blurring my visions. I was really going to miss Amanda, she was my best friend. Hopefully, I wouldn’t have to stay in Canada for long, just until this whole mess with Theodore blows away, then I would be home sweet home.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long, or maybe the time flew away, I wasn’t sure. I breathed a sigh of relief when the woman’s voice crackled through the speaker calling the passenger of the flight leaving for Canada. I immediately got up, and went to the departure gate.
After a few minutes I was settled in my seats. The staff at the airplane instructed us to turn off our cell phones. I fished out my cell phone from my bag, turned it off, and took out the sim. Then settled comfortably in my seat and closed my eyes.
Good bye Theodore, forever.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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