Page 2 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

I gave her a tight-lipped smile. “My dad’s probably furious. I have no idea where to go from here.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Well, maybe it’s time you start over. I’ve seen a lot in my seventy-five years on this planet, and what you did takes guts, sweetie. And take it from an old bat like me who has dumped three bad boys before. It’s better to break things off now than years down the road when you’re three kids in and turning to a bottle of Bombay Sapphire to keep you warm at night.”

That sounded terrible.

“I have no idea where to start. I’ve spent my entire life doing what everyone else wanted. I forgot how to want something for myself.”

“Why don’t you start by calling a friend? If you don’t have any, I can give you a ride somewhere.”

Who the hell was I going to call? I didn’t have any real friends. Not the kind that would drop everything to come get me. Every person in my life was tied to my dad.

Except for one.

My eyes snapped to hers. “I appreciate the offer for a ride, but do you have a cell phone I could use?”

My friend Molly had my phone, but she was likely still at the church.

The lady pulled out an old flip phone and passed it to me. “The battery is low, so make it quick,” she said.

“Thank you.” I blinked. “So, you’ve really been divorced three times?”

She parked a hand on her hip. “First one was a gambler, second was a hustler, and the third one liked my sister better than me, if you know what I mean.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I heard they are both living in a nursing home. She just had her hips replaced, and he just lost all his teeth and can’t afford dentures.”

I bit back a laugh, but it slipped out anyway. “Wow.”

“Yep.” She leaned against the counter. Her mouth split into a grin. “I’m now on husband number four. Nice fella. Met him at a Jimmy Buffett concert. He’s taking me on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas next month.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“That’s exactly why I’m going. Gotta take advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffets.”

I smiled, unable to help myself. This lady was something else. “You don’t think I’m crazy for running?”

“I think you would have been crazy if you stayed.”

I hadn’t realized how far I’d fallen in life until I found myself in a dingy bathroom with a chain-smoking beauty school dropout who was on husband number four, giving me life advice.

“Thank you.” I paused. “I’m Harlow, by the way.”

“Blanche,” she replied. “Now, are you going to call your friend, because I don’t have all night? I need to get home and take my Omeprazole before my acid reflux kicks in.”

I typed in the digits and was grateful when Molly picked up on the first ring.

“Hello,” she whispered into the phone.

“Molly, it’s me.”

She gasped. “I can’t believe you ran. Where the hell are you? Everyone is freaking out.”

I inhaled a shaky breath and pushed my veil off my shoulder. “I’m at a diner not too far away called Stella’s.”

“Stay there. I’m on my way. Your dad is pissed, by the way.”

I had no doubt that he was. What I did was unforgivable in his book. There was a good chance my dad would never speak to me again. But there was no going back now, even if I wanted to, which I didn’t.

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