Brazen

“Sunday, quit banging shit around. You’re driving me nuts!”

My houseguest is uncharacteristically loud today. The racket in the other room continues.

“Get in here before I glue everything in place in that damn kitchen.”

She comes into the living room, holding a turkey sandwich with extra cheese and spicy mustard. I know the girl well enough to know her snack is covered in the dark yellow condiment. She sits, ignores me, and doesn’t move to eat.

“What’s up, Sunday?” I have a hunch that all the noise is a cry for my attention.

“We need to talk.” The plate of turkey on sourdough finds a home on the coffee table next to the couch as Sunday turns to face me, wearing a serious expression. “Things are escalating instead of getting better. You and I both know it. Matt has been showing up more often, and Stephanie is becoming increasingly unstable.” The hesitancy in her voice gives me pause.

“I’m working on it, and you’re safe now, here with me.”

She’s already shaking her head at my words. “I can’t live at your house forever.”

The fact that she is having a hard time holding eye contact with me makes me sit up as concern pinches between my brows.

“What do you want me to do? You know you’re always welcome here. I actually like having you around the house.” Always.

“Will I live here when you get married and have children? Will I be crazy Aunt Sunday, still living here ten years from now, afraid to go outside?”

I get down on my knees and position myself directly in front of her with my hands on her legs. “This won’t go on that long, Sunday.”

A tear falls from her eye and rushes down her cheek. “Are you sure? Really sure? Because I’m not.” She looks away.

I hate what this is doing to her. “What can I do to help?”

It’s apparent she has an alternative solution she’s throwing around in her head, and I don’t think I’m going to like it.

“Brazen, I want to leave.”

I’d swear someone just punched me in the gut. One really fucking hard upper cut to the stomach.

“Out of the question. It’s not safe at your house.” Not happening.

“I don’t want to go to my house. I want to find a new home.”

This is so much worse than a punch. I haven’t protected Sunday. I’ve failed so many times since she met this guy. Her parents abandoned her. The authorities have let her down. Matt continues to hurt and frighten her. So much so that her whole life is dictated by him.

And, now … Sunday wants to run.

I understand it. I wouldn’t want to live the way she has been either, but if she leaves, there will be no one to help keep her safe. As she sits on my couch with fading bruises, I’m plagued with the knowledge that I haven’t done that. Here, Matt continuously finds her.

Maybe she’s right. Maybe she should go. At least then he wouldn’t be able to get his hands on her.

“Where would you go?” I have to stay open to the idea even if I don’t want to.

“I found a lady who helps women in my situation leave. I’d have a new identity, and I could start over somewhere. I’ve been planning this for a long time.” Her voice is almost too quiet for me to hear, even with our close proximity.

“But where?” I need more specifics here.

“I don’t know where I’m going yet, but when I do, I won’t be able to tell you. I can’t tell anyone. It’ll be a whole new start.”

“Where you are going? So, you’ve already made up your mind about this, haven’t you?”

Sunday is stubborn. If her decision is made, I won’t be able to sway her.

Can I let her go?

I’m not selfish enough to ask her to stay, but the thought of losing her forever tears me up.

“I have. The arrangements have already been made,” she confesses in a whisper.

“When?” For her, I try to keep it together.

“I can’t tell you that either.” Sunday throws her arms around my neck, and I tightly squeeze her back.

She’s leaving. She can’t tell me when or where she’s going. I won’t even know her new name.

This is good-bye.

Blindsided.

Crushed.

I’m losing my best friend. Maybe forever.

I fight back devastating emotion that threatens to come tumbling out.

“I’ll always want the best for you, Sun, but I wish I could have given it to you here.”

“This isn’t your fault. The only one to blame is Matt. I regret ever meeting him. I can’t live the rest of my life like this though. I need to be free.”

“I get it. I really do, but that doesn’t mean I like it.”

“I love you, Braze. You’ll always be my best friend.” Her voice is thick with heartache.

“I love you, too, Sunday.” My voice matches hers.

“Noah is good for you. I’m happy I got to meet her before I left because I’m sure she’s the one for you.”

“Is this why you pushed me toward her?”

“Duh. I needed to know you’d be okay after I was gone. Also, in case you haven’t figured it out, Noah is it for you. I’m sure of it. I see it every time you look at her. Don’t screw it up, Hale.” Sunday wipes at the tears that have heavily unleashed from her eyes.

“I don’t plan on it.”

Lately, everything is moving so fast. Noah has swiftly found a place in my life. I saw a girl on a porch, and the next thing I know, I’m falling for her. Everything about that couldn’t be better. But, now, this new particular about Sunday leaving is out of the blue, and from the sound of it, at any moment, she will most likely disappear into the night without a trace.

“I know you don’t know much or can’t tell me, but will this happen soon? Like, are our minutes numbered, or do we have a little time before you go?” I sit up on the couch and steal Sunday’s turkey sandwich. Surprises make me hungry, and I love spicy mustard almost as much as she does.

“I honestly don’t know. I’m waiting for arrangements to be made and to be given the green light.”

“And, this woman, she knows what she’s doing? Matt won’t be able to find you?”

“It’s not like I could check out her Facebook reviews, Brazen. But, yeah, my gut tells me that I’ll be okay with her. There’s no guarantee that Matt won’t ever find me if he looks hard enough, but I do know that, here, he knows exactly where I am.”

My mom is going to be devastated when she finds out Sunday is leaving. Mom has always seen her as a daughter. It’ll kill me to tell her.

“Here.” She pulls out papers from her bag and hands them to me.

“What’s this?”

“I signed over my half of the business.”

“You shouldn’t have done this. We built Brazen Sun together. I don’t want you to give it up.”

“I can’t keep the rights to a business I might never return to again.” She pauses. “Won’t return to. This is for forever.” She chews on her lip. “I’m still getting used to that. It hasn’t sunk in.”

Marriages.

Children.

Our lives.

Sunday won’t be a part in any of it, and I’ll never know what happened to her.

“We’ll make the most of the time we have left. For however long that is,” I tell her.

“Thank you for letting me go.” She leans over and snatches the last few bites of the sandwich she made for herself.

“I’m not letting you go. You’ll always be that annoying voice in my head, telling me what I’m doing wrong. You’ll always be with me.”

“You make it sound like I’m dying.” Her nose scrunches with displeasure.

“Nope, it’s not the end. It’s your fresh start, and I’m happy for you.” And I am—for her, but not for me.

“Happy? I knew you’d be glad to be rid of me.”

“Sunday, shut up.” I toss the paper plate at her head.