The Lair

Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Age 19

I stared at the Los Angeles skyline from the rearview mirror. When my chest constricted, I took a deep breath through my nose and focused back on the highway, all while trying to convince myself that I was doing the right thing.

Leaving didn’t make me a coward—it made me a survivor.

And that video…

It wasn’t a mistake. It was my only way out.

Los Angeles took everything from me—my safety, my happiness, my chances at a worthwhile future. I could never come back to a place that never felt like home.

As I sped down the highway, I wondered if I’d ever find a place that did. And I promised myself that if I ever did, I’d never ruin it.