in this hostile cold. She was on the verge of turning around and making her way back up the dark stairs when there was a faint glimmer of light and she almost cried out in relief. No longer walking, she skidded down the last two or three stairs and sprinted through the lobby, pushing through the doors and sliding to a halt in the warm Parisian night.
Street lamps illuminated the surrounding area, bringing her back from the edge of madness; she was certain that had she stayed another moment she would have lost her resolve and returned to Adam. Slumping against the wall of the building, she took a moment to calm her racing heart and replenish her wheezing lungs.
How was she ever going to find her way back to the hostel?
On shaky legs she began walking away from Adam's building, wanting to put as much distance between her and the brick structure as possible even though it was taking her away from him. If she walked long enough she would find a kind stranger and be able to ask him where her hostel was, if she could remember its name. If not, she would hope that Kim got her stuff packed and she could meet the girls at the airport and hope that Kim wouldn't be incredibly angry with her.
After nearly fifteen minutes of walking, oblivious to the pre-dawn nightlife around her, a car screeched to a halt next to her. Her heart stuttered to a halt in her chest as she hoped Adam was going to jump out and bring her back home with him. Turning, her heart jolted back to life as Kim hopped out of the backseat of a taxi, crossing the distance between them and taking Celeste in her arms. Relief ripped through Celeste as she hugged Kim with everything that was within her.
"Thank God I found you," Kim breathed, doing a quick once-over as she led Celeste back to the waiting car. Making sure Celeste was strapped in, she shook her head with a mixture of hurt and relief, "Thank God you're safe."
"I am so sorry, Kim," Celeste apologized, grateful to have such a dedicated friend. She had to swallow over the lump of guilt that threatened to choke her before she could ask, "How did you find me?"
"I don't know," Kim answered slowly, her look of bafflement quickly replaced with a look of righteous fury. Turning her blazing blue eyes on Celeste, she growled, "Don't ever run off like that again, girl; do you hear me? What on earth could have possessed you to run off like that, leaving a stupid note behind? God, what were you thinking?"
"I wasn't thinking," Celeste pathetically admitted, knowing how silly her words sounded in the face of Kim's hurt and anger. All of the sudden, moisture sprang to her eyes as she realized she was never going to see Adam again. Choking back her tears, she met Kim's eyes, "I left him."
Kim's eyes squeezed shut as she grimaced, taking Celeste into her arms and comforting her even though Celeste knew Kim would rather be strangling her. "Let's get back so we can finish packing and get to the airport."
Celeste nodded her head, no longer able to hold the tears at bay. "I am sorry."
"I know."
Chapter 5
Today is the first day of the rest of my life .
“Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that load of crap and you just might believe it. Or not,” Celeste muttered as she stood in front of her mirror, staring at the face that had been staring back at her for twenty-three years. She should at least look different; God knows she felt different. Everything seemed to be… more; brighter, louder, harsher, prettier.
Stepping off the plane at the familiar Saint Paul – Minneapolis International Airport a few days earlier was when she first noticed the changes, when the florescent lighting seemed to burn her eyes with its cruel, unnatural glare. Shielding her eyes with her arm, she squinted, trying to keep up with the other three girls without actually being able to see them. Then there was the smell of hundreds of people, individual smells that tried to blend together but failed miserably creating a
Street lamps illuminated the surrounding area, bringing her back from the edge of madness; she was certain that had she stayed another moment she would have lost her resolve and returned to Adam. Slumping against the wall of the building, she took a moment to calm her racing heart and replenish her wheezing lungs.
How was she ever going to find her way back to the hostel?
On shaky legs she began walking away from Adam's building, wanting to put as much distance between her and the brick structure as possible even though it was taking her away from him. If she walked long enough she would find a kind stranger and be able to ask him where her hostel was, if she could remember its name. If not, she would hope that Kim got her stuff packed and she could meet the girls at the airport and hope that Kim wouldn't be incredibly angry with her.
After nearly fifteen minutes of walking, oblivious to the pre-dawn nightlife around her, a car screeched to a halt next to her. Her heart stuttered to a halt in her chest as she hoped Adam was going to jump out and bring her back home with him. Turning, her heart jolted back to life as Kim hopped out of the backseat of a taxi, crossing the distance between them and taking Celeste in her arms. Relief ripped through Celeste as she hugged Kim with everything that was within her.
"Thank God I found you," Kim breathed, doing a quick once-over as she led Celeste back to the waiting car. Making sure Celeste was strapped in, she shook her head with a mixture of hurt and relief, "Thank God you're safe."
"I am so sorry, Kim," Celeste apologized, grateful to have such a dedicated friend. She had to swallow over the lump of guilt that threatened to choke her before she could ask, "How did you find me?"
"I don't know," Kim answered slowly, her look of bafflement quickly replaced with a look of righteous fury. Turning her blazing blue eyes on Celeste, she growled, "Don't ever run off like that again, girl; do you hear me? What on earth could have possessed you to run off like that, leaving a stupid note behind? God, what were you thinking?"
"I wasn't thinking," Celeste pathetically admitted, knowing how silly her words sounded in the face of Kim's hurt and anger. All of the sudden, moisture sprang to her eyes as she realized she was never going to see Adam again. Choking back her tears, she met Kim's eyes, "I left him."
Kim's eyes squeezed shut as she grimaced, taking Celeste into her arms and comforting her even though Celeste knew Kim would rather be strangling her. "Let's get back so we can finish packing and get to the airport."
Celeste nodded her head, no longer able to hold the tears at bay. "I am sorry."
"I know."
Chapter 5
Today is the first day of the rest of my life .
“Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that load of crap and you just might believe it. Or not,” Celeste muttered as she stood in front of her mirror, staring at the face that had been staring back at her for twenty-three years. She should at least look different; God knows she felt different. Everything seemed to be… more; brighter, louder, harsher, prettier.
Stepping off the plane at the familiar Saint Paul – Minneapolis International Airport a few days earlier was when she first noticed the changes, when the florescent lighting seemed to burn her eyes with its cruel, unnatural glare. Shielding her eyes with her arm, she squinted, trying to keep up with the other three girls without actually being able to see them. Then there was the smell of hundreds of people, individual smells that tried to blend together but failed miserably creating a
Similar Books
