Chapter 3

That night, the whole family started packing their bags.

Three massive pink suitcases were laid out across the living room floor.

Tracey was busy stuffing piles of new clothes into them.

“Mikayla, bring this cashmere top along. Winter in Briarwood can be brutal.

“Don’t forget these luxury treats. You can snack on them when you have a late-night craving in the dorms.”

Cory hovered over the table, focused on lining up the screen protector on Mikayla's new tablet.

“Mikayla, I downloaded a ton of shows for you. You can watch them to kill time.”

Mikayla sat on the couch, dangling her feet and smiling like Little Miss Sunshine.

“Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Cory.”

I walked around the three huge trunks to get to the storage room.

From the space under my bed, I pulled out an old gray suitcase.

It was the suitcase I'd used since my boarding school days. The wheels had grown stiff over the years, letting out a creaky squeak whenever I gave the suitcase a pull.

I opened my closet and took out my washed-out T-shirts and jeans to fold and pack into the bag.

Then, I tucked my newly purchased bed linen right at the bottom.

Lastly, I picked up the admission letter to Westbridge University with utmost care and slipped it between the pages of my journal. I tucked the book into my backpack.

I couldn’t even fill half the suitcase with my few belongings.

As I pulled the zipper, Ben opened the door and sauntered right in.

He glanced at my deflated luggage.

“Kaycee, is that all you’re packing?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t even look up.

He approached me, his voice bursting with entitlement.

“I’m driving Mikayla to Briarwood University tomorrow at eight in the morning. Cory and I are going to help her with her luggage.

“Mikayla gets motion sickness, so we can’t pack the car with too many people. With Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle joining us, all the seats are taken.”

He paused as if weighing his words.

“Since you packed light, you can take a coach at the bus terminal.

“You’ve always been independent. I’m sure you have no issues getting to the school yourself, right?”

I paused, my hand still on the zipper.

Picking my head up, I met his gaze in silence.

I first met Ben when I was eight.

As Tracey bought the last doll in the display window for Mikayla, I huddled in the corner of the backyard, sweeping in secret.

Back then, Ben handed me a piece of candy and said earnestly in his boyish voice, “If no one else is on your side, I will be.”

For ten long years, those innocent childhood words were the only thing that kept me going through my darkest days.

Yet now, all I clung to was a cruel illusion.

It was a two-hour drive from home to Briarwood University.

The bus route was not very straightforward. It would take three connections and half a day to get to the destination.

To ensure Mikayla had a comfortable ride, Ben ditched me to navigate the public transportation on my own.

Before, I would feel hurt and demand to know why he had forgotten his promise.

Yet now, all I felt was relief.

Lucky for me, Ben wasn’t going to give me a ride.

“Alright.”

Ben froze.

He had a whole speech ready to make me feel better, but he never got a chance to say any of it.

Ben stared at my emotionless face and added. “Mikayla has never traveled so far from home before. She needs someone by her side.”

I closed my backpack, then put it on the desk.

“You don’t have to explain. I get it.”

“I’m glad you see things my way.”

He took a long, hard look at me before heaving a sigh of relief. Turning on his heel, he exited my room.

“Mikayla, I’ve put your neck pillow in the car.”

His voice boomed in the living space, wrapped once again in that sweetness.

I closed the door, shutting out the cheers and laughter.

Retrieving my phone, I tapped on the ticketing app.

I’d be taking the train to Westbridge at seven the next morning.

The screen showed that my ticket had been issued successfully.

I turned off my phone and sprawled across my stiff bed before closing my eyes.

This was my last night in this house.