Too Far From Texas

Chapter Thirty

Maybe my love could fly over the ocean...

Maybe my heart should try to leave him alone...

I could hear Lorelei's cackle down the hall. She had an infectious laugh, and had I not felt like a truck had run me over for the past couple weeks, I would have smiled. Instead, with a furrowed brow I walked to her office.

"I know, doll, I know!" she exclaimed. "Listen, you're preaching to the choir."

When I stepped into her doorway, she looked up from her desk, giving me a quick grin as she held up a finger.

"Okay, sounds great, doll," she said into her phone. "Yes. See you then."

"Hey," she breathed as I took the chair across from her. "Ready for tomorrow?"

"I still have to pack," I grumbled as I reached down to adjust my shoe that had been rubbing my heel all day. "What time's our flight again?"

"6:22," Lorelei replied.

"A.M.?" I groaned. "Jesus Christ, thanks Kris."

"Hey, I'm not complaining," said Lor. "It's free. Besides, it's an hour later in New York, remember."

"And an hour later I'd like to sleep."

"Hush, you." Lor gave me a look before turning to her computer. "So since our meeting isn't until 2:00, I was thinking after we get checked in to our room, we could do a little shopping and have an early lunch."

"If our meeting's not until two, why did Kris book our flight so early?" I scoffed. I knew I was being a baby about this whole ordeal, especially since I knew how airlines operated. A later flight might not have been available. I just wanted to complain.

Ignoring my question, Lorelei went her own route. "I just think it would be nice to see some of the city this time around. We didn't get to do much last time."

I stared at her blankly as my mind traveled back to the hotel bar, Harry's red coat, his hand on my back. I thought of the yacht, the dinner and the music. I remembered the look on his face in the moonlight when I told him I couldn't stay.

"Yeah," I mumbled, looking down at my hands, the nails that desperately needed a manicure. "We didn't."

"So let's live it up a little this time around," she grinned, tossing her blonde locks off her shoulder. "I can even show you where I used to live, if you'd like."

I gave her a soft smile. "Sure, that sounds like fun."

Her chin in her hand, Lorelei gave me a look, seemingly studying me until she decided to speak again.

"Still haven't called Harry back, huh?"

Blinking slowly, I shook my head. I'd told my friend about the message Harry had left the weekend before. She had tried in vain to encourage me to call him back.

"Not even a text?" she asked. "I mean...at least to let him know you got his message, that you didn't block his number."

"That's the whole point, Lor," I explained. "If I give in and reply, that will just give him hope. I'm doing this for the both of us."

"How do you reckon?" she asked.

I shrugged. "It will just hurt a lot less the next time I see him. We'll both see it was for the best, and we can move on."

I heard Lorelei scoff and I looked up at her, her face full of annoyance.

"Why even give him that, then?" she spat with a wave of her hand.