Beautifully Broken (8 page)

“You’re leaving, you can’t stay here longer,” Grace had
tears in her eyes like she heard it a hundred time before.

“I am so sorry, I am so grateful for your friendship and I’ll
never forget you,” Cali whispered as she wiped tears from
her face. “I wish I could explain, but I can’t.”
“I know you won’t, how could anyone forget me,” Grace
smiled.

“I want you to do something for me,” Cali said as she
reached into her purse and pulled out her keys and two
hundred dollars. “I want you to take my car and this
money and I want you to leave this town. Go home to your
mom.”

“Oh no, I can’t take your car, how will you get anywhere?”
Grace asked.

“I want you to take my car and take my advice because I’m
taking yours. I am going to live a little,” she said as she
took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.

Cali walked over to Edwin’s table she looked at him with a
very serious look in her eyes.

 

“You still want me to run away with you?”

 

“I knew you’d come around,” Edwin said smiling. “Yes my
offer still stands. Come with me to Summerville.”

 

“Ok I’m in. Can you give me an hour to pack up my
things?” Cali asked she was shaking she was so nervous.

 

“No problem, meet me at my car when you’re ready”.

 

Cali looked at Chuck through the window to the kitchen.
He already knew that she was leaving.

 

“Good luck kid, I hope you find what you are looking for”.

 

“I am not looking for anything,” Cali breathed in deep.

 

“Everyone is looking for something, you’ll know once to
find it,” Chuck replied smiling.

 

As she walked out of the dinner she heard Chuck and the
other cooks singing “There goes another one”.

Cali went to her motel room to pack her things as quickly
as she could. She changed out of her uniform and put on
jeans and a white t-shirt. She brushed her hair and
glanced in the mirror. She was scared of the cops finding
her and she was nervous about taking off with some guy
that she didn’t really know. She took a deep breath and
she grabbed her bags and left her room, she went to the
front deck to check out.

Cali walked over to Edwin’s car where he was waiting for
her. She threw her bags in the back seat and then she just
stood there. Was she making the right decision?

“I don’t know you very well, so before I get in this car and
take off with you, I need to ask you some questions”.

 

“Ok shoot.”

 

“First question, do you have a gun?” Cali eyed him while
waiting for his response.

“No I do not own a gun nor do I have one on me,” Edwin
answered.
“Will you steal all my stuff and leave me stranded
somewhere all alone?” Cali asked.

“No I will not steal from you or leave you,” Edwin said
laughing at her.

 

“Are you going to hurt me, rape me or kill me if I come
with you on this road trip?”

“No Cali, I will not hurt you in any way, I will not even
touch you unless you want me too,” Edwin admitted. “Now
will you please get in the car so we can go?”

“Ok but before I do number one rule we are just friends
and when we rent motels we either get two rooms or two
beds, do you agree to this?” Cali asked.

“Ya sure whatever just get in the car,” Edwin said shaking
his head and laughing at her.

 

Cali got in the car and they drove off leaving Pity far
behind them.

“So now it’s my turn to ask the questions,” Edwin said
turning to face her. “Are you going to kill me and steal my
car?”

“Well,” Cali laughed. “No I won’t kill you nor will I steal
your car.”
The top of the car was down and Cali liked how the wind
blew through her hair. She felt free and content, with the
sun beating down on her and the fresh country air she
wasn’t worried, she didn’t even think about the cops
finding her.

“You Know what I think is funny about your questions?”
Edwin said looking over at her then looking back at the
road. “You didn’t ask me if I was a killer just if I was going
to kill you.”

“Ya well what you have done in you past doesn’t really
affect me unless you’re going to kill me. People kill for all
different reasons I’m don’t judge unless I understand,” Cali
said with a very serious look on her face.

“Wow you amaze me I don’t think I have ever met anyone
as peculiar and intriguing as you,” Edwin said reached for
her hand.

“Friendship rule,” Cali reminded him.

“Really, nothing at all is going to happen between us?”
Edwin asked with this hopeful look on his face but she just
shook her head no and smiled.

“Fine then you can’t get pissed off when I pick up other
chicks,” Edwin said shaking in head in disappointment.

“It’s fine with me as long as you don’t invite them to come
along.”
“No I wouldn’t do that I have you that’s all I need,” Edwin
said smiling at her, “Ok so since we are just two friends
traveling together we should play twenty questions.”

“Ok are there any rules, how do you play?”

“You have to answer the question as honestly as you can
and you only get two passes. I go then you go. Fist
question, what’s your favorite color and why? A nice easy
one for you,” Edwin said shaking his head.

“I would have to say blue because it was the color of my
mother’s eyes.” Cali said looking out the window.

 

“Was the color of her eyes?” he asked.

“Yes she passed away when I was ten. She was really sick.
Now it’s my question,” Cali said changing the subject.
“What was the best day of your life and why?”

“Oh that’s a good question. The best day of my life was the
day before the worst day of my life. My father was away
on business and my mother, brother and I went horseback
riding on our ranch. It was the best day because it was so
much fun. I felt free and brave to ride a horse all on my
own. My dad always made me ride with my brother, Carl
but that day my mom let me go all by myself. We rode for
hours. We raced each other and my mom always won. She
never let us win. She said it would be a more rewarding
win the day we actually beat her in a race. It was the best
day because it was the last happy day I can remember. It
was the last time I saw my mom smile. It was the last day
my brother and I were close. It was the last day before
everything went to hell,” Edwin spoke with happiness in
his eyes when talking about his mother but his tone of
voice was almost angry.

“Wow well at least you have that memory no one can take
the memory of your mother away from you. The way you
talk about her it sounds like she passed away too,” Cali
said looking at him she could tell he was upset.

“Yes she passed away when I was 11. It was the worst day
of my life. Since that day my life has never been the same,
ever since she has been gone I feel like I don’t work right
anymore,” Edwin admitted to her because he knew she
would understand.

“Ya I know the feeling like life made sense before but now
it’s just a mess and you feel like you’re living a nightmare
and can’t wake up. I feel like I am broken, I am internally
broken. I can function but inside I’m just a mess, does what
I am saying make any sense?” Cali asked looking at him.

“It makes total sense it’s like you took everything I am
feeling and put it into words. Years of therapy didn’t do
what you did in three minutes,” Edwin said smiling at her
“Now I can finally put words to my feelings; I am internally
broken.”

“Well I am glad to help, I guess we both have a sad past,”
she said as she looked away from him and looked up at
the clear blue sky.
“Ok well it’s my question, what are you running from?”
Edwin asked with a curious expression on his face.

Cali was running from her past from the death of her
father from the police finding her. She was running
because she was scared of the horrible unbearable truth
and she only knew a part of the truth.

“Well I am running from the same thing you are”.

“Really and what is it that we are both running from?”
Edwin asked looking at her, he was very curious to hear
what she had to say.

“The truth”. The words flew out of her mouth and hung in
the air.

“Well aren’t you a wise one, I guess that is the reason why
I am running. Is my truth worse than your?” he asked
looking her in the eyes.

“I guess you’ll never know,” Cali said looking away and
crossing her arms. “It’s my turn to ask the question
anyway. “What are you looking for?”

“What do you mean what I am looking for?” Edwin asked
confused.

“You know everyone is looking for something aren’t
they?” she asked hoping he had a better answer than she
did. “I mean what are you looking for in life?”
“Happiness I guess, what are you looking for?” Edwin
asked.

Chapter 8

“I am trying to find myself. I think this journey is all about
self-discovery. I don’t really know who I am as an
individual. I have always been whatever someone else
needed or wanted me to be but now I can figure out who I
want me to be,” Cali said, thinking out loud.

“I like that. It really is so easy to conform to what others
want us to be. Good for you; leaving to find yourself. I
think maybe we’re on the same journey,” Edwin said
touching her hand but it wasn’t like he was hitting on her it
was just a friendly
Iamhere for you
kind of touch. She
didn’t move away from him this time. His touch made her
forget about everything bad in her life. And made her think
that one day maybe she could actually be happy and have
a normal life. It was a perfect moment she felt connected to
him like she could really trust him.

“Have you ever done it in a car?” Edwin laughed, Cali
pulled her hand away and punched him in the arm joking.
“Don’t hit the driver, if you want to live,” he said laughing.
“A nice moment and then you had to ruin it, you’re a butt
head,” Cali said crossing her arms. “No I haven’t done it in
a car and I don’t want to know if you have, so please keep
that information to yourself, thank you.” Cali put her hand
up to his lips stopping him from speaking. “But since you
want to talk about intimate and personal things, I have a
good question. Have you ever been in love before?” As
the words left her lips she watched how his expression
changed.

“Yes I was in love. It was a very long time ago. She died.
My heart broke and I don’t want to talk about it. Next
question; how old are you?”

“Now that’s a good question considering you have been
hitting on me for the last week. Now you are taking me
across the country. I think you should have asked this
question a lot sooner because it’s too late now,” Cali said
smiling and shaking her head.

“Oh stop messing with me, you can’t be that young. I can
tell by your eyes, they give you away. Your eyes tell me
you have been through so much heartache in your life
more than someone your age should have to go through. I
think your eyes are a lot older than you are. I would have
to guess you are somewhere in your early twenties. I know
I am older but maybe not by much,” he said smiling at her.

“Ok I am twenty two,” Cali said smiling back at him. “And
your eyes give you away too. I never really thought I
would ever meet someone who could ever understand the
things I have been through. But there is something in your
eyes that tells me you might have been through even
more.” She liked him but there was still something holding
her back. Her father’s voice was in her head.
Youbelong

tome. Noman would want a disgustingpig like you.
She
turned away from him. She didn’t want him to see her cry.

The tears were pouring down her face, she covered herself
the best she could with her hair and looked out the
window hopping he wouldn’t notice.

“Are you crying? Did I miss something? I don’t
understand how or why girls do that?” She wiped her tears
and smiled at him.

“So how old are you?” Cali asked.

“Twenty six, next question have you ever been in love?”
Edwin asked looking at her curiously. He was so
infatuated by her; he was enjoying this game of twenty
questions.

“No I have never been in love before,” Cali said, she had
never even had a boyfriend.

 

“Really? Have you at least had boyfriends?”

“No I have never had a boyfriend. My dad didn’t let us
date. The closest thing to a boyfriend was Andrew, he was
my prom date the only date I have ever had.” Cali smiled
thinking back to her first and only date.
“Really you’re twenty two and all you have ever had is
one kiss? Well I hope it was one real good kiss,” Edwin
said laughing.

Cali started to laugh too, thinking back to that awkward
high school kiss.

 

“No it was not a good kiss, he drooled and neither of us
knew what we were doing, it was really kind of funny.”

“No wonder you keep turning me down. I am sorry if I have
come on too strong. It’s not too often I meet a beautiful girl
like you. I will try to remember to be a gentleman from now
on. Every moment I am with you I think I like you even
more.”

Cali let her gaze turn to the open fields as they drove by.
He thought she was pure, sweet and innocent but she was
not innocent; she was all used up. Her father stole
everything from her. She could never be normal. Edwin
watched Cali he could tell she just needed to cry, so he
stopped talking and left her alone.

Cali awoke to music blaring on the radio. The sun had
gone down; she must have dozed off for longer than she
thought.

“Hey you’re awake, do you feel better now?” Edwin asked
turning down the music so she could hear him.

 

“Ya, how long did I sleep for?” she asked, stretching her
arms.

 

“A few hours,” Edwin answered.

 

“Holly crap I can’t believe I slept that long, I think that’s
the best sleep I have had in weeks.”

“Well I am glad to know my car is comfortable. So I have
been driving for over eight hours, and I think we should
find a little town and a motel and get some food and call it
a night” Edwin said looking at her for approval.