Breaking Free (Phoenix Rising)

Chapter 2 - Ellianna

I step out the doors of the airport terminal into baggage claim. This small town has two whole gates in their airport. You can walk through the place in minutes and see the entire baggage claim and exits from the hall you step out of.

"OH MY GOD! YOU LOOK FABULOUS!! GIRL!! YOU GOT YOUR GLOW BACK!!!" I hear Sonja scream across the open baggage claim room. I giggle and run to her.

"Girl, I feel good! I feel like myself!"

"You look like yourself! You look so much better than last time, I mean it was a bad time last time but - "

I cut her off. "I know what you mean, and honestly I do. I was not in a good spot, this is where I belong."

Sonja smiles at me. "Let's grab your bags."

"Yes, let me just drop this in a mailer first."

I take the package with my phone, his cards and a letter dropping it in the mail slot. The next letter he will be getting will he from my lawyer with her contact information.

"All his shit?"

"Yup, the last of it."

I walk back to her and we grab my bags.

"Let's go! I want to shower and we definitely need drinks!"

"Are you sure you want to stay with your parents? I have a guest room and I could totally use someone else helping with rent." Son brings up the topic of where I should live again. When I was making these plans I just wanted out and my parents would always accept me back in my childhood home, no questions asked.

"I really don't want to impose. Plus, I have nothing... just clothes."

"There's a bed in there already. Closet is big and we can find a dresser somewhere cheap later. Plus, you'd have the hall bath to yourself."

"You sure babes? Seriously, I - " I cut my words off when Sonja waves her hands at me.

"Look you were my best friend all through school and up until you left. You still are, but also I can barely afford rent right now so honestly you'd be doing me a favor." She is most likely exaggerating, just so I'll say yes. She knows how to play me into a yes after all these years of friendship.

"Okay, if it'll help you."

"That's my girl!"

She helps me load stuff into her SUV and we head to her place. I text my parents on the way, planning on getting ready then popping in to see them before drinks. I've missed my parents and even my bonehead baby brother. I haven't talked to my brother since Grams, and I barely got to talk with Momma over the phone. To say I miss them is an understatement.

I sigh, I can hardly believe that I let myself fall into that trap, being that person. How was there no sign? Maybe there was and I ignored it? Sonja gives me a sad side glance as she drives.

"Sonja, when.....when you met Brett -"

"Did I know this would happen?"

"Yeah, I mean was there alarm bells, red flags?"

"I don't know Ellie I mean, I met him a handful of times before your wedding. He seemed charming and boy is he handsome. You looked happy enough even when he pulled you down from something you'd normally down. Like at your wedding we would have been doing shots and celebrating but we weren't. Then he took your 4th glass of champagne from you and scolded you about it. You still smiled and said he was right, I figured you were just growing up I guess. I didn't think...."

"That he'd control my life and isolate me from my friends and family?"

"Yeah Ellie..."

"I am so sorry, Sonja. I thought about you so much and I missed you and I should have tried harder."