1
“HOW DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME?” I whisper to myself as tears stream down my face.
I am not sure how long I have been driving but it seems like forever. By the look of my deep ocean blue eyes, freckled face, and interstate signs, I am sure it’s been at least a few hours. I know I’m still in the state of Georgia but that is all I know for sure. My long wavy brunette hair is a mess on the top of my head in curls that are halfway up, and half are hanging loose. They were supposed to be brushed out and covered in baby’s breath today. I am starting to feel dehydrated from all the tears I’ve shed, and my head is throbbing with an intense headache.
If it were not for my white Altima, I wouldn’t be able to move right now. It’s my feet and I am just letting it drive me until I cannot drive anymore. Early this morning, I got on the interstate after running out of my house with nothing but the Nike shorts and t-shirt I had on, my purse, phone and the credit cards in my wallet. Thankfully, I had flip flops on my feet, or I would most likely be barefoot at the moment.
Crap. I say to myself looking down at the blinking low fuel light on my car. I turn at the next exit and pull up to the green Mapco on the left. The place is crowded but thankfully I notice an empty pump on the side closest to the building. Getting out, I take in my surroundings. Just a single gas station sits on the side of the interstate with woods all around.
“Where the hell am I?” I mumble as I look around desperately trying to figure out from the road signs. After a moment, I take out the nozzle and start pumping gas. Leaning back against my car. I watch the numbers go up on the gas pump and I can hear the gas being rushed through the nozzle.
“Pardon me, ma’am.” A light female voice says behind me. I turn quickly a little startled. My eyes meet a short dirty blonde hair middle-aged woman looking at me while she’s pumping gas on the other side of the pump we share.
I point at myself to make sure she’s speaking to me and when she nods, I say, “Yes?”
“Are you lost? You don’t look like you are from here?” she gives me a comforting smile.
“I’m actually just passing through.” I state with a grin.
“Oh, where are you heading?” she asks.
Dang woman, mind your own businessI think to myself but smile at her and answer, “I honestly don’t have a destination in mind. I just needed to get away from a situation.”
She gasps taking a step back, “You’re not running from the law, are you?” her hands covering her mouth.
I roll my eyes at the nosy bitch, “No ma’am.” I remember my manners and smile, “Do you know where I can get a good bite to eat? I’m starving.” I take the nozzle out and put it back on the pump.
She does the same on her side and once she is done, she proclaims, “Oh honey, you must go to Nana’s. It’s not far from here at all. The cutest restaurant down in Maple! She pulls out her phone and gives me the address. Grabbing my phone from my car, I write the address in my notes and thank her. We both get in our cars as we depart from each other and I let out a deep breath, thankful she wasn’t actually inviting me to her family’s house to eat when she said, Nana’s.
My phone buzzes and I look at the caller I.D.
I roll my eyes. Stephen again.
I hit ignore and type in the address for Nana’s in my GPS. Thankfully it’s only twelve miles down the road. Pulling out of the gas station parking lot, I follow the GPS to a side road just off the interstate. Putting my phone down in the cup holder my mind floats back to only twelve hours ago. I was at my rehearsal dinner. I was supposed to be getting married right now but instead I don’t even know how many miles from home I am. I’m also not even sure if I will ever return.
My whole life I’ve been trying to please everyone around me and right now it feels like my life is crumbling down. I thought I was checking all the boxes and getting things done. College, check. Perfect business degree, check. I mean I was going to pay for a brand-new vehicle next week and I had just signed for a brand-new house. Of course I had help from my parents. Mother always made sure she had to approve everything. At twenty-eight years old, I always felt like I was doing everything I needed to have the perfect life. Somehow, I still always felt like the black sheep. The one no one understood and the one everyone tried to dull out.
I never really cared for the lifestyle of luxury. If I had it my way I would be in casual or comfortable clothes most of the time, but my mother would have never let that fly. We were never allowed to leave the house unless we were dressed to impress and have a full face of makeup on.
For the most part, my parents are good people and have always made sure I had everything I could ever dream of. They have always wanted the best for me no matter the outcome. However, being the daughter of one of the greatest lawyers in the southern part of the country, it comes with the pressure of being perfect for our image. How I dressed, how I acted, who I dated, where I went, etc. It all played a part in our life. When I met Stephen, my parents approved immediately because of his family’s image and how rich they were. His father was a partner at my father”s law firm. I am sure that was a perk for them.
Stephen was in his last year of law school when we met at a business party for our fathers’ we were both attending. I fell in love with the idea of checking him off my box for my parents” approval. I knew he didn’t love me. Not truly anyway. It did not matter if he did or didn’t, I was in love with checking things off for my parents’ sake. I think I wanted my mother”s approval more than anything.
It wasn’t until I walked in on Stephen this morning, our wedding day, getting head from my maid of honor - my sister, in our new house that I realized just how much I had lsot myself in trying to make everyone else happy.
I wasn’t even planning to stop at the house but I forgot some makeup that I had packed still in boxes from moving. Seeing her on her knees at the kitchen table and his hands in her hair was the last thing I expected. I ran out of the door with nothing but my purse, keys, and the clothes I had on. I sat in my car in the driveway crying until I decided to leave. I drove off towards the interstate and my phone has been ringing non-stop since. I cannot bring myself to answer the calls, so I just continue to hit ignore.
“The destination is on your right.” The GPS startles me out of the disgusting memory, and I notice the big WELCOME TO MAPLE sign as I enter the town limits. Right next door is another big sign that says, Nana’s. I turn my blinker on and pull into the gravel parking lot. It takes me a moment to find a parking spot because of how busy they are.
Once parked, I look at myself in the rearview mirror, “Well, this is as good as it’s gonna get today.” I take the last of the curls that are pinned up out of my hair and brush it down.
A tear creases the corner of my left eye and I brush it back. You are worthy of so much more; I hear a voice tell me inside my head.
Grabbing the handle to open the door, I let the door open, and I step out. It is the first time I realize how beautiful it is around me. I’m from the city, so we don’t get fields like this or blue skies. Around me are cotton fields for as long as I can see, farms with horses and cattle and a tractor just passed by on the main road. There’s a fire department next to the town hall I passed coming in and what looks like a bar on the opposite side of the road.
I smile and shake my head at the strange feeling of déjà vu. It almost seems like I have been here before, but I know I haven’t. I walk towards the front door and an older man with a hat on and old work clothes starts to walk out. When he sees me, he holds the door open, “Here you go, Miss.” He smiles.
“Thank you” I reply with a smile and take the door handle. He gives me a polite smile back and walks off to his car. I assume that is the southern hospitality I have heard about in small towns.
Moving inside the door, I let it shut slowly behind me. There is a sign at the front, next to a bar with a register, that reads, ”Sit Anywhere,” so I walk on and look around for an open booth. The place is busy with families and couples sitting at the tables. A few children at different tables sit in highchairs and booster seats, giggling. I finally see a booth in the far back and walk over to sit down. The booths are absolutely beautiful. Made of wood and glazed over with some kind of sealer. The tables are wood, too.
“Anyone else joining you?” A young woman walks up to me with a notepad in her hand. She has blonde hair that is pulled back into a loose ponytail. She couldn’t be more than her early twenties.
“Just me,” I say with a soft smile. “I’m new here, would you happen to have a menu?” I ask.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She starts and points to the buffet bar in the back of the room, “We are buffet only. Everything is made fresh in our kitchen. You can get as many plates as you want. It’s only twelve dollars for the buffet per person plus drink. What can I get you to drink?” she asks raising her pen to write.
“Water with no lemon, please.” I give her a smile and she returns a nod while walking off to get my drink.
I sit and just watch people for a moment. Older country music plays softly throughout the building. Families, big and small, sit at the table and booths. A few couples sit together laughing and talking. I feel a sense of happiness watching everyone. The workers even look happy, too. The waitress comes back with my drink and sits it down.
She looks at me, “If you need anything just flag me down. I’ll be back to check on you. Plates for the buffet are at the bar.” I thank her and she walks away.
Standing up from my seat, I walk over to the buffet. There is so much food laid out before me on the buffet and it”s all home cooked. Collard greens, baked beans, fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, and more. I grab a plate and start eyeing the food in their own sections. It all looks delicious and I’m starving. I start putting a little bit of everything on my plate.
“Whoa, you don’t look like you can eat that much.” A guy”s voice says behind me.
I look up, clearly appalled at what this stranger just said. His brown eyes stare back at me twinkling. He couldn’t be more than eighteen or nineteen years old. His dark hair is messy, and his jeans and t-shirt are covered in dirt. I notice he is holding a few to-go bags in his hand.
“Excuse me?” I whip around at him.
His brown eyes widen as they meet mine, “I just meant, I-I, I didn’t mean it like that.” He says backing away.
I ignore him but he can’t seem to get the hint, “Rough day?” he asks me.
I turn again at him and give him a death stare. “What gave that away? My temper or my eyes that are so puffy and blood shot from crying that I look like I’ve been beat up?” I walk away from him as fast as I can before I have time to react more.
“Sorry ma’am.” I heard him say and he walks towards the front door exiting it quickly.
My appetite is now gone. I don’t even want to eat but I know I need to, or I’ll be sick. I sit down and try to relax by taking a bite of my food and holy hell, it’s delicious. The most savory food I’ve ever had, and I get a strange sense of déjà vu again. I feel like I have had this same food before.
Eating until my plate is clean, my phone dings and I look at it. It’s a text from Stephen and Courtney. Both apologizing and how sorry they are. They also both said they were worried about me and wanted me to come home so we could talk. I have a missed call from my mother. I sigh. My mom deserves for me to tell her the truth. I’m sure her and my dad are worried sick about me. I was supposed to meet them both at the church this morning. That’s where I was heading when I made an unexpected detour to my house.
I text her instead of calling,
––––––––
I am safe. Just neededto get away. Wedding is off as I’m sure you can imagine by now. I’ll call you soon. Trust me, please. I Love you!
My phone dings almost immediately and I ignore it. Putting it back into my pocket the waitress comes back over to me, “Anything else I can get you?” she asks looking at me as if she is worried about me.
“Actually, I was wondering, is there a hotel around here?” I try to ask without sounding too desperate.
“How long are you needing to stay?” she asks me but I’m sure she’s just trying to be nosey.
I let out a breath feeling defeated, “I honestly don’t know.”
She smiles clearing my plates from the table, “Down the road, there’s a bed and breakfast. It’s called Magnolia Inn. It’s old but well taken care of. The family who found the town opened it years ago. Tell the girl at the front desk that Megan sent you.” She winks at me.
“And I’m guessing you are Megan?” I smile.
“I am.” She nods her head. “Come back tomorrow morning at seven thirty for breakfast, it’ll be on the house.” She turns and pauses turning back to me, “Your name is?”
I smile, “Ivy. Ivy Price.”
Getting up I walk to the front counter and pay for my meal. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to use these credit cards for. They are in case of an emergency from my parents. I am sure they will try to track me with them.
I sigh. I need to find a way to disappear altogether. Going back is not an option anytime soon. I leave a twenty-dollar tip on the receipt for Megan and walk to my car, typing in the name of the bed and breakfast into my phone GPS and make my way to hopefully a nice place to relax for the rest of the day and night.