I shook my head as I pulled back to look at her. “No, it won’t. I’m leaving him when he needs me the most. I’m leaving him.”
I had never cried as much as I did the next two days. My father and mother had our house packed up so fast, and before I knew it, I was sitting in the backseat of our car, crying yet again.
“Emma, it will get better. You’re going to meet new people and then start college. Soon, you’ll for—”
My father stopped talking, but I knew he was going to say that I’d soon forget about Garrett.
I looked out the window and whispered, “I’ll never forget about Garrett—ever.”
December 1957
Raymond and Billy went on and on about Austin. I couldn’t have cared less about it. It was too big with way too much traffic. There were people everywhere, and it smelled weird.
“Garrett, are you sure it’s a good idea to surprise Emma? You even said yourself that y’all haven’t talked in over a month,” Billy asked from the backseat.
“I haven’t seen her in almost a year. I want to surprise her, and I’m sure she’s just been busy with school.” I turned and saw Margie staring at me with worry in her eyes. “Marg? Are you hiding something from me?” I asked.
She shook her head as she started fiddling with her skirt. “No, I promise, but it’s been a couple of months since I talked to Emma. The last time, she sounded pretty down.”
I nodded my head and looked straight ahead. The last time I had talked to Emma, she had told me how much she missed me. I’d wanted to tell her that I was planning a trip with Margie, Billy, and Raymond during their Christmas break, but I’d wanted to surprise her.
“Blanton Hall you said?” Raymond asked as he pulled in and parked.
I nodded my head and wiped my hands on my pants. I looked at Raymond and then back at Margie and Billy. The two of them had been dating over a year, and I’d never seen two people so in love. I smiled and shook my head.
“Wish me luck.” I jumped out and started walking toward the entrance. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the piece of paper that had Emma’s room number on it. I walked in the building and smiled at the girl sitting behind the desk.
“May I help you?” she said as she looked me up and down.
I gave her my signature smile, which caused her to smile bigger.
“Yes, ma’am, I do believe you can. I’m looking for Emma Birk.” I handed her the piece of paper.
She quickly looked at it and then back at me. “I know who Emma is.”
I smiled bigger. “Well, I’m kind of here to surprise her.”
The girl made a funny face. “Are you her boyfriend?”
I looked down at the ground and then back up at her. “I guess you could say that I am.”
She looked at me with almost pity in her eyes. “Emma’s not here. She left about an hour ago.”
My heart sank, and I pushed my hand through my hair. “Shit,” I whispered.
She stood up, and that was when I got a good look at her.
Damn.
Her shirt couldn’t possibly get any tighter. Her tits were practically spi
lling out of it, and I couldn’t help but stare.
I quickly looked back into her eyes and gave her a weak smile. “You wouldn’t happen to know where she went, would you?”
When she put her index finger in her mouth and bit down on it, I wanted to roll my eyes.
She let out a laugh and said, “Oh yeah, I know where she is. When you leave here, take a right and walk for about two blocks. You’ll see Johnny D’s on the corner. I believe she said she was going to meet someone there for a burger.”