“Thank you so much,” I told Amanda as I sat myself down in the passenger seat of her car.

“What’s with the suitcase? My mom said that I have to have the car back in two hours, so we don’t have too long to go anywhere far.”

“It’s not like that,” I said. “My dad sold the house and wants to move us away from California tomorrow.”

“What?” Amanda asked. “Where did that come from? We just finished High School and he wants you to start your life over?”

“I guess so. I was totally planning on going to a college nearby, but he’s wants us at the beach house in Miami.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Amanda snarled.

“He found out that I’ve been sneaking out and he thinks that Mason is a criminal. He heard about the wreck at Rolling Bluff last night.”

“No shit? I just heard about the wreck right before you called me actually, and I was going to ask you if—”

“Mason is innocent, but the police kept questioning him. The guy who was racing against him sped up too fast and clipped Mason’s back end then went hurtling off the cliff. It was so insane.”

“That sounds hella scary. You weren’t in the car, were you?”

“No, Mason didn’t want me with him. He was racing Caleb’s car. It’s a long story. But just know that it wasn’t his fault.”

“Okay,” Amanda said. “So you just want me to take you to his house to check on him or what?”

“No, I’m going to tell him that my Dad is trying to take me away. I—“

“You want to live with him? You’ve only been together for a few weeks now.”

“Yeah, but you don’t understand. Mason and I have something special. It feels like we’ve been together for years. When I tell him that Dad wants to move me to Miami, he’ll insist that I stay with him.”

“I hope so. It would be boring around here without you.”

My stomach swam with fear as Amanda continued driving us towards Mason’s house. I was scared of leaving California and being away from Mason, and to a lesser degree, I was afraid of what life would be without my best friend. I was so mad at my dad for putting me in this situation. Sure, I had given him the silent treatment after our fight, but he could have warned me about something that was so important and life changing as relocating to Florida. Even the idea of moving in with Mason and starting a new life sounded a little bit scary. I’m sure it would be awesome, but it was uncharted territory for me. I hadn’t ever lived away from home. And what if Mason actually didn’t want to live with him? Maybe Amanda was right, and he would think it was too soon.

“Turn left right at this sign,” I said as we neared closer to Mason’s street. “God, I hope he’s home now. I didn’t even call him.”

I leaned down towards the floorboard of the car to pick up my purse and started to fish out my phone as I felt Amanda slowing the car down.

“Layla…” Amanda said.

“Yeah?”

“It looks like Mason has company.”

I pulled my head up from my purse, and my heart dropped. Amanda stopped and through the windshield of the car I saw Mason and Samantha standing right by his garage door. My face flushed with jealousy, and I was about to run out and interrupt their conversation, but then Samantha threw her arms around him and kissed him. It wasn’t a peck either. It lasted a good second before I looked down and put my hand over my eyes so that I didn’t see it anymore.

“Go,” I cried.

“Are you sure?” Amanda asked. “I mean, maybe they—“

“Just fucking go!” I said loudly, my voice beginning to crackle as my face tingled with anger, disgust and disappointment.

Amanda drove us away fast, and when she rounded a corner, she patted her hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Layla,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

The tears started flowing like rivers, and I felt like I wanted to die. Mason had told me that he was done with Samantha for good, but there she was at his fucking home, kissing him right in the driveway. What was I to him? Just some little young girl that he could toy around with? Did he think I was too stupid to find out if he started hooking up with Samantha again?

“I was beginning to think I loved him,” I wailed to Amanda. “I’m such a fucking idiot.”

“No, you’re not,” Amanda said. “He seemed like such a great guy. I would have never imagined—“

“He lied to me. He fucking lied about everything.”

For a split second, I thought about opening the passenger door and throwing myself out, hopefully ending my misery in a quick death, taking me away from the pain that both Mason and my dad had brought me that day. But I didn’t want to do that to Amanda, and I didn’t really want to die. I just wanted to be happy for once in my life.

I wiped my tears with my fingers, sighed, and leaned my head against the passenger side window.

“So what are you going to do?” Amanda asked.

“What do you think I’m going to do? I’ve got no money, no car, no job, and I never want to see that scumbag again.”

“So you’re…”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m going to go to Miami.”