“I mean, why don’t you escape? Here in New York your folks’ shadow is always looming over you. Why don’t you go somewhere they can’t influence you?”

The prospect was intriguing. “Like where?”

A smile spread across her friend’s tanned features and Kim’s stomach began to knot. Was she really considering this? Yes, she was.

“Come on, let’s head back to my place and sober you up a little first,” she stated as she took Kim by the hand and went to hail a taxi. “Party Girl Kim is done.”

Chapter 4

Then

Natasha had her own Midtown apartment in the heart of everything. She was lucky, she got to live on her own but her parents still paid for it, so she had all of the freedom without the worry of bills and rent.

Kim often envied Natasha’s situation, and she told her that. They’d been friends since middle school and had few secrets between them, but the distance in their lives was widening the older they got.

Tash couldn’t understand what Kim went through, no matter how much she tried. She always had ideas to save her and simple solutions to whatever problem Kim faced, but it was easy to find an out when your feelings weren’t in the mix, and your heart wasn’t being torn by the choices you faced.

It was easy to rip a bandage off when you didn’t have to feel the pain of the removal or bleed once it was done.

Now, the pair settled onto the couch as Natasha turned on her Dell and typed in her password. Kim nipped to the bathroom, pulled her blonde curls back in a scrunchie she had in her bag, and went to splash her face with water.

She wasn’t that drunk; the act back at the bar was mostly borne out of despair, and more than that, Natasha’s suggestion had sobered her up and got her thinking.

“So what are we doing?” she asked, coming back into the living room.

“We,” her friend answered as she pulled up a search engine, “are going to find you the perfect escape, Kim Weston. So what are you feeling? Someplace down south, maybe? I hear Miami is fun.”

“Too humid in summer,” Kim answered.

“California?”

“We go there all the time.”

“Hawaii then?” Natasha suggested as she turned to her. “You could surf or climb a volcano.”

Kim didn’t share her enthusiasm. “How about someplace I haven’t been? Somewhere new?”

“OK, so why don’t we let Google decide?” Natasha suggested with a laugh.

Kim frowned.

“Trust me,” her friend assured as the “I Feel Lucky” prompt appeared and Tash duly pressed “enter.”

“There. What do you think?”

“Italy?”