Broken Pieces by L. S. (cat reading book TXT) 📕

My knees felt weak and my hands are shaking, as if I know who was behind it. I told Nicole to be careful and to give me an update if the police found out anything.

After I said my goodbye to Nicole I was about to dial Carter’s number when an unknown caller registered on the screen. My heart beat even faster as I answered.

“Hello?”

“Miss Winters”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I heard his voice. Was he behind this? Oh God! No!

“Mr. Greene?”

I heard him let out a slight laugh.

“I can tell by the tone of your voice that you got the news,”

I shut my eyes. He’s the one who set the club on fire. But why? Was it because I refused to leave Carter?

“I-It was you,”

“Yes”

“But why?”

“I think you the answer to that question,”

“What happened was between us, you didn’t have to include them, they were innocents,” I ranted as tears fell from my eyes. “Carter will hate you,”

“They were involve with you which makes them not innocent, you were brave yesterday, I am a man of my word, I said I want you gone and I’ll do everything in my power to make you gone, regardless if it is within your will or not,” he said calmly, “And do you think he’ll take your whoring side over the father who took care of him, loved him, provided for him and saved the company he worked hard for? Don’t make me laugh!”

I felt really weak that I had to sit on the bed to stop myself from falling apart on the floor.

“I am just starting, I take everything your friend has, his filthy club in Miami Beach, his house, his partner’s apartment, that little town they have created behind that club and everyone in it,”

“Please stop!”

I couldn’t let him continue, I know he wasn’t fooling me, he’ll do what he said, and as much as I love Carter I couldn’t let the people I care for suffer for it. There is no choice left.

“I will be gone and I will not let Carter know, just leave my friends alone,” I whispered . . . begging.

“I want you gone today,” he said.

I wanted to protest but I decided not to. I don’t want to anger him cause I am scared that he might hurt my friends again.

“I set up a plane to take you to Pennsylvania, from there a car will take you to UPenn, your transfer has already been taken care of, I am not a bad person Jillian, you just really don’t fit in our family,”

Without saying goodbye he hung up the phone. Tears fell from my eyes nonstop. My heart is breaking into a million pieces. I don’t know where to go from here.

I compose myself and wiped the tears on my face. I went to our walk in closet and took my backpack out the cabinet. It’s been months since I last used it, it has been buried deep inside our closet and I never imagined that I will be needing it again. I put my important documents in it and the clothes that I had when I came here. I don’t want to take anything. I don’t Carter to think that I took his money. I will be leaving everything, the clothes, the car and the ring.

I sobbed so hard as I held on the ring on my finger. I thought having this ring secured me from what Carter feels for me but I was wrong. I am leaving again, no I am running again, I don’t know what will happen to Carter but I can’t risk having the people who took care of me when I had nothing and when I was in trouble be hurt because of the love I have for him.

I took a quick shower while tears continue to fall from my eyes. I put on a gray sweatshirt and a pair of denim pants. I tied my hair in a messy bun and put on my old converse. I left my face with no color at all. What I feel is all mixed up, hurt because I running again, I thought I will finally have a family in Carter, I feel the pain because my heart is breaking into a million pieces, I love him for the first time in my life, I felt in love and felt loved and I feel relieved because I know after today my friends in Miami Beach will be safe.

I sat on the bed holding my phone so tight. I need to hear his voice even for the last time.

I dialed his number and he immediately answered.

“Hey, I was about to call, I’ll be late tonight, Dad called me for some dad-son bonding, don’t wait up for me okay?” he said.

I cleared my throat for him not to notice that I have been crying.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I love you Carter, I love you so much,” I whispered.

I heard him smile.

“I love you too, everything okay?”

I wanted to tell him but I was scared.

“No, everything’s fine, I just missed you this morning, so I thought I’d give you a call.” I smiled weakly. “Thank you for everything you did for me, you gave me things I never had, you took me to places I’ve never been to and most of all, and you loved me despite of who I was, forgive my shortcomings. I love you Carter always and forever”

“Don’t think about that, are you sure, you’re okay,”

“Yeah I am, I was just being sentimental, be safe okay?”

“Yes, I’ll see you tonight,”

“Bye Carter”

I ended the call and placed the phone on the nightstand. There I saw the picture of us in Miami Beach. We were happy and in love. I put the picture inside my bag and made my way downstairs.

My tears are falling as I unlock the door and took a final glance on the house that has been my home for more than a year. The place where I started to dream again. It breaks my heart as I whispered my goodbye and walked away.

“Liz Williams” Nicole muttered.

I watched Nicole as she typed in my name on her cellphone. It has been two days since we bumped into each other at the Supermarket. I begged her to stay with me so we could catch up.

We are at a small café inside the Grand Central waiting her Nicole.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to get use of this new you,” she said as she stuff her mouth with some omelet.

I gave her a smile and a slight shrugged.

“Tell me again why you changed your name?” she asked.

I sipped on my coffee and took a deep breath.

“I already told you, I needed it to start over,” I answered.

She rolled her eyes at me.

“I still couldn’t believe that all this time you didn’t call me to tell you where you are,” she sighed. “I feel bad that I was one of the reasons why never got your fairytale,”

I reached for her hand on the table.

“Don’t be, I will never happy knowing that you guys were hurt because of me,” I said as I slightly pressed her hand. “I am fine and for the past years I have learned to accept that the life I had in California wasn’t my fate. I was destined for something else,” I said with assurance.

“I can’t believe his dad was a monster,” she muttered between gritted teeth. “Do you miss him?”

I stopped for a while as I swallowed the lump in my throat as I felt the familiar pain in my chest again. I miss him every day for the past four years that we’ve been apart and there is no second that the thought of him slipped my mind. He is in my dreams every night and up to this moment I still wonder what if I didn’t leave? What if his father wasn’t against me? But I immediately withdrew those thoughts away. I don’t think I have the right to think of him or even have what ifs, I was the one who left and ran away even if it was for a good cause.

“Sometimes,” I answered with a shrugged.

“So it was your shrink who helped you escape?” she asked again.

Although, I have told her a hundred times on what really happened to me within to two days that she stayed at my apartment, I still answered her question.

When I left Beverly Hills, the people of Mr. Greene flew me to Pennsylvania via private plane, from there I was drove to the University of Pennsylvania where I was already enrolled and had a reserved dorm.

For months I have I tried my best to study but I knew I was being watched, if by who I didn’t know but I had a feeling it was Mr. Greene.

It was hard because for the first time I was all alone, I didn’t have Nicole or Keith or Nate and I certainly didn’t have Carter. It breaks my heart that there were times where I couldn’t move because of the pain I feel in my heart. I felt empty and stagnant.

That very moment I decided I need help, I didn’t want to live in fear, I didn’t want to feel the same feeling when I was still in St. Louis. When Dan still have a control over me. So I called her, I called Dr. Ashley Sullivan. I knew she can help me. I told her everything, from my visit at Mr. Greene’s house in Hollywood Hills. She said that she wasn’t surprise at all. I told her how scared I was and she promised to help me.

On my third month in UPenn, she secretly met with, we came up with the idea of moving me to New York so I could live normally but it will only happen if Jillian Winters will no longer exist. I was desperate for a fresh start. I wanted to be normal so I agreed. She flew me to New York the night after and she helped me file a petition to change my name. Elizabeth Williams is her great grandmother’s name. She was a lovely woman as per the stories of Dr. Sullivan. She help me get in NYU and start a new life. She also advised to change the color of my hair, I gave up my natural blonde locks to exchange it to brownish shoulder length hair. I also wear glasses so I’ll like mature.

For the past six years I have lived normally and I couldn’t thank Dr. Sullivan for all the help she’d done for me. Up until this day we still have communication.

I said goodbye to Jillian Winters way back six years ago but the whole that was left in her heart is still being felt by Liz Williams.

I knocked on the door of Headmistress Jane Montgomery three times before I actually opened the door. The instruction was knock three times then open the door. So I did.

I saw a sophisticated woman in her early fifties sitting on her desk while holding