Closing my eyes, I lean my head back on my shoulders and scrub my fingers through my hair. “I need to get a job. I need to get an apartment or a house for Kingston and me. I need to… I have so much I need to do.”

“You know Polly always has a chair at the salon for you, and I have a client who works in real estate who I’m sure can help you get a place. You’ll be okay.” She reaches for my hand. “When are you going to tell him you know?”

“I need to get things sorted out before I confront him. You know he can be⁠—”

“A dick?” she inserts.

“—difficult when he’s backed into a corner.” I lightly kick her, and she presses her lips together. She never liked Bowie. None of my friends or family did, but they all love me and knew I was in love with him, so they put their own feelings aside. But Bowie never liked any of them either, so there was no love lost. I just had to learn quickly to carefully juggle each relationship.

“He’s going to fight you.”

“I know.” And he will every step of the way, and I’m sure he’s going to put me through the wringer when it comes to visitation and everything else to do with Kingston. He will probably make it difficult for me to leave as well. “That’s why I need to make sure all my ducks are in a row before I confront him. Otherwise, I’ll be fighting an uphill battle.”

“I would offer for you to stay with Eli and me, but our place is⁠—”

“I know,” I cut her off. The studio she and her boyfriend live in is small, and there is no way two extra people could stay there.

“But I can give you a loan if you want, you know, to help you get into a place of your own.”

Tears fill my eyes for the first time today, and I drag in a shaky breath. “Thank you.”

“You know I’m here for whatever you need.”

“I know.” I hug her back after she gets up and wraps her arms around me.

“You’ll get through this, M. You’re the strongest person I know,” she whispers, and my eyes slide closed.

I am strong, but sometimes it sucks having to be so strong.

Especially when it’s because you don’t have any other choice.

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Chapter 1

Emma